Les Snead strikes quickly as Rams land sought for bargain secondary help

The Los Angeles Rams were rumored to be in the market for cornerback help as the 2025 NFL trade deadline approached. Well, the rumors are true. General manager Les Snead wasted no time pulling the trigger. Much to the fans' delight, the team did not trade away much value in the exchange.

It's a swap of Day 3 picks for Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary, who has been a fan target for weeks. McCreary stands 5-foot-11, weighs 190 pounds, and is a versatile defensive back who can tackle, defend the pass on the outside or in the slot, and even sack the quarterback. Best of all, he comes at a very bargain price. In essence, the Rams are sending a Round 5 pick to the Titans for the veteran cornerback and a Round 6 pick.

That's a great price for the veteran.

Multiple NFL insiders, Adam Schefter, Kevin Patra, and Ian Rapoport, reported the deal.

The secondary needed attention as the team lost starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to injury, and young Emmanuel Forbes has not been as consistent in a starting role as hoped.

Les Snead strikes quickly as Rams land Roger McCreary for bargain price

A Day 3 pick swap for a cornerback seems like a great trade simply at the surface. Snead keeps the same number of draft picks, picks up a veteran cornerback who is well respected, and has emerged with a more competitive roster at minimal cost.

The move is not a blockbuster move by any means, but it's the type of under-the-radar move that Snead is famous for. Los Angeles faced the Titans and McCreary, and he played well in that Week 2 contest. In that game, he had seven tackles and broke up a pass, his highest performance so far this season.

Unbeknownst to him, he was apparently auditioning for his new team at the time as well. In his 3.5 years in the NFL, he has 253 tackles, 17 pass deflections, three interceptions, and 4.0 quarterback sacks. He has struggled with missed tackles at times (30 missed tackles over his career) but he is known as a physical defensive back who loves to make contact.

How quickly will he see action? Hopefully, soon. The secondary has been the least consistent aspect of an incredibly potent defense. The team wants to get him online quickly enough to give the secondary a chance to work out communication and coordination before the postseason. With 10 games remaining, Snead may have called in the cavalry just in time.

As always, thanks for reading.