3 cracks for Rams GM Les Snead to play white knight for struggling NFL teams

(3) Detroit Lions - IOL position

Whether or not the Detroit Lions suspected venerable veteran center Frank Ragnow of retiring in 2025, his decision leaves a huge void in an offense that is both complex and operating at an insanely effective level. This is the same team that had already lost both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Now, the team has taken another serious hit to its chances of success in 2025 by losing Ragnow:

Can one player make a huge difference? It didn't seem to make much of a difference for the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that handled the retirement of center Jason Kelce by winning Super Bowl LIX. But the Eagles added RB Saquon Barkley. The Lions have no superhero joining their ranks.

Do the Rams have a surplus at center? Absolutely. With the addition of veteran center Coleman Shelton, the Rams have Shelton, 2024 starter Beaux Limmer, backup center Dylan McMahon, and undrafted rookie Willie Lampkin. Since the Rams are unlike to carry more than two players on the 53-man active Rams roster, the team is already looking at an oversupply of centers.

But aren't the Lions in a similar situation? Perhaps. But the Rams started rookie Beaux Limmer in 2024, whereas the Lions are now scrambling to rifle through their players to determine who might step up as a starter in 2025. What might that be worth? If the Lions are hard pressed and initiate trade talks, the Rams may be able to pry a Round 5 pick out of the Lions, the same cost for Austin Corbett that the Cleveland Browns charged the Rams in 2020.

(2) Carolina Panthers - RB

The Carolina Panthers are not very good at making deals with the Rams. They either ask too much or fail to realize the value of what the Rams front office is asking for. And it has cost them dearly. Panthers GM Scott Fitterer held the line when Rams GM Les Snead tried to trade for either RB Christian McCaffrey or DE Brian Burns. FItterer got a sweeter deal from the San Francisco 49ers for McCaffrey. But when it came to Burns, he rejected the offer outright.

He ended up trading Burns to the New York Giants a year later, for significantly less. He was fired by the Carolina Panthers a year later. The team hired Dan Morgan to take over. Is Morgan any better? You tell me. He did manage to ransom the Rams for a Round 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, securing the Rams' Round 2 and 5 picks in 2024, plus a Round 2 pick in 2025.

So how did those trades work out? The Rams landed DT Braden Fiske. The Panthers landed:

• RB Jonathon Brooks (2024)
• LB Nic Scourton (2025, amidst a four-pick exchange with the Denver Broncos)

Curiously, it is second-year running back Jonathon Brooks who is unable to return to action in 2025. He has suffered his second ACL Injury in 13 months, wiping off his availability for the 2025 season. That injury hits the Panthers at a tough time, as they are unlikely to have many viable options for an NFL-ready running back right now.

Could the Rams be a team that is willing to negotiate to help out their sudden roster shallowness? Perhaps. The Rams have an abundance of running backs. If the Panthers truly want a plug-and-play guy, why not pry a Round 2 pick from them in exchange for potent but lightly used running back Blake Corum? Corum is ideally suited to be the bell cow of the Panthers' offense.

If the Panthers are looking for someone to simply supply a change of pace option, the team could offer up RB Cody Schrader for a Day 3 pick. Schrader is a player who has competed with the Rams for an entire season, and he can be a huge contributor for the Panthers as needed.