LA Rams walk out of NFL Trade Deadline empty-handed

The LA Rams were linked to nearly two dozen players in the two weeks leading up to the NFL Trade Deadline at 1:00 pm PT on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. The Rams entered this year’s trading season with too many roster needs for it to make sense to shop for rentals, too few picks to land significant game-changing players, and too few wins to compel the Rams to roll the dice one more time.

The strategy for the LA Rams in 2021 is no secret. The team suffered unexpected injuries to their outside linebackers, wide receivers, and running backs in 2021. But the LA Rams made the decision to restock the running back room by adding New England Patriots running back Sony Michel in time for the season. At the trade deadline, the Rams once more pulled the trigger to add veteran outside linebacker Von Miller. Days later, the Rams signed WR Odell Beckham Jr.

While those moves clearly made a significant difference for the Rams, launching them into winning nine of their last ten games, other NFL teams did not turn a blind eye. Suddenly, at the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline, multiple teams have embraced the LA Rams philosophy:

The San Francisco 49ers traded a huge package to the Carolina Panthers for RB Christian McCaffrey. The Philadelphia Eagles traded for Chicago Bears pass rush specialist Robert Quinn. The Miami Dolphins just traded their last of three first-round picks to the Denver Broncos for outside linebacker Bradley Chubb.

The LA Rams may have pioneered the “F*** them picks” meme, but it appears as though the entire NFL has not only adopted the strategy but actively embraced it as a sure-fire method to pave the way to an NFL Championship season.

Unfortunately, that has taken the Rams’ monopoly on mind-blowing offers from 2021 to a rather ho-hum commonplace series of mind-blowing trade offers this season. How bad is it? The LA Rams offered two future first-round picks to the Carolina Panthers for young promising pass rusher Brian Burns, and that hefty offer was rejected.

The difference in the value of diamonds versus quartz crystals is simple: Diamonds are rare and difficult to mine, while quartz crystals are commonplace and easy to acquire.

The Rams tried to make at least two offers to acquire roster help. Well, two offers that we believe we know about. They likely had offers of minimal value for RB Cam Akers, but we do not have any reports that confirm that.

Ultimately, the team wanted to trade for players to improve the Rams’ roster, but those offers fell upon deaf ears. And so, the Rams must brave the remainder of the season with no additions at the NFL Trade Deadline. Are you okay with the Rams not exchanging picks for players?