4 roster moves where LA Rams zigged and should have zagged

Zig vs Zag Example IV

The first time that I personally was perplexed with the LA Rams’ decisions was when the team opted to trade away a player who, in my opinion, was the heart and soul of the Rams’ offense,  WR Robert Woods, for next to nothing. I understand that Bobby Trees was coming off a devastating injury, and entering his tenth season to boot, so the Data Analytics did not bode well for his ability to return to his former self.

Robert Woods was a perennial 1000-yard receiver for the LA Rams, that other go-to guy who helped the Rams balance out their passing game with his teammate WR Cooper Kupp. And it was Robert Woods who instilled the no-job-too-small mindset that forged the wide receiver corps into not only excellent route runners but placed them as excellent rushers as well as among the NFL elite in terms of blocking receivers.

Woods was the poster child for football fan purists

Woods brought that rare joy to the football fan purist, a player whose contribution to the team was not only receiving yards. He could be just as effective at running as jet sweep, or for blocking for a teammate to ensure the Rams passing game excelled, even though through the receptions and yards after the catch by another.

So when the Rams traded Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans, the trade was a shock to fans. Yes, the Rams had signed free agent WR Allen Robinson (we’ll get to him next), but the return on Woods was a 2023 sixth-round pick. Now, compare that return to the investment into WR Tutu Atwell (second-round pick), TE/WR Jacob Harris (fourth-round pick), and WR Van Jefferson (second-round pick).

The Rams did allow Robert Woods to choose his next team, and that allowed him to have a say on landing with the Titans (4-2). But the need to trade Woods remains a mystery. There are times already when the Rams seem to have a true need for Robert Woods in this offense. He seemed to be that calm voice of reason.  And he mastered the short to intermediate routes that the Rams have been using this season due to offensive line injuries.