2023 lessons allow Rams to gauge the price of success, riling up analysts

The LA Rams are now being held 'accountable' for the price of trading up from the 52nd overall pick to the 39th overall pick in Round 2, the trade that allowed the front office to reunite two dynamic and irrepressible defensive players from the Florida State Seminoles defensive front.

After the team selected OLB Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the most logical and ideal next selection would be for his teammate, DL Braden Fiske. With the sudden appearance of a run on defensive linemen, and the Rams clearly in need of a showstopper at the position, the Rams were forced to pay the ransom price demanded by the Carolina Panthers: The 52nd pick, the 155th overall pick, and a 2025 NFL Draft pick in Round 2.

By the way, the players selected from those picks involved in the day's transactions were:

• 39th overall pick - DT Braden Fiske, Florida State, to the LA Rams
• 52nd overall pick - WR Adonai Mitchell, Texas, to the Indianapolis Colts
• 155th overall pick - ILB Jeremiah Trotter, Clemson, to the Philadelphia Eagles
• 2025 NFL Draft, Round 2 -To be determined

If you noticed, not one of the picks traded by the Rams to the Panthers so far were used to select a player by the Carolina Panthers.

The funny thing about assess the value of a transaction is the opposite side of the argument. What might have been the opportunity cost if the team did NOT trade up to select Jared Verse's wingman Braden Fiske? You do not need to spend hours upon hours of viewing Florida State games to understand the synergy that is found in pairing up Fiske and Verse.

Think of Verse and Fiske as weights to be applied on opposite ends of a barbell. If you only have weights for one side, you have some utility of those weights. But, add the opposite end weights and you multiply the overall value of those weights exponentially. Keeping Verse and Fiske together in the NFL will grant the defense that exponential value, and we will explore that even further.

But for now, we need to explore the entire allegations being charged against the LA Rams today. Did the Rams really overpay?