5 of the worst moves made by the LA Rams this offseason

No more Bobby Trees?

If anyone had said just one year ago that the LA Rams would attempt to defend their NFL Championship Title without wide receiver Robert Woods, it would have caused a pretty harsh rebuttal. But here we are, without veteran wide receiver Robert Woods. Of course, that is bad enough. But the fact is that the front office traded a perennial 1000-yard wide receiver away for next to nothing.

The Titans traded a 2023 sixth-round draft pick for Woods. In a year with receiver salaries skyrocketing, and the Rams resetting the roster for the 2022 NFL season, the team traded Bobby Trees for a bag of chips and a warm beer?  This smacks very much like the 2021 trade of Michael Brockers to the Detroit Lions for a similar return.

In both situations, the team found itself financially over-committed to a positional group, in need of shaving some financial commitments and determining that a seasoned veteran was the most beneficial player to trade away from the team’s perspective.

In both cases, the Rams exchanged a veteran starter who still showed solid production and leadership qualities for the team for next to nothing. A future late draft pick. Just… wow.

Yes, the Rams have added WR Allen Robinson to the roster. Yes, the  Rams want to add Odell Beckham Jr to the roster still. But Robert Woods in many ways was the heart and soul of this offense. In 68 games over five seasons with the team, he put up 4,626 yards, 23 touchdowns, and caught 66.5 percent of the passes thrown his way.  But he was more than a pass catcher. Over that same timeframe, he rushed 70 times for 485 yards and another five touchdowns. And he was one of the best blocking wide receivers in the game.

Some speculate that Woods grew frustrated with a reduced role in the offense in 2021. I haven’t any facts to support that view. But it is quite obvious that Woods was traded away for as much, or as little, as possible in an effort to part ways.

The LA Rams may have made some sharp moves to improve the Rams roster this off-season. But it has not been all wine and roses this off-season.