Rams would have been foolish to complete suggested Byron Young trade

A potent pass rusher is something every NFL general manager seeks. So when a fan proposed a trade that whimsically offered Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Byron Young as bait, he retorted on social media. And he was right to do so. After all, the willy-nilly trade offer did not name what LA would receive in the exchange.

Shopping a homegrown star for anyone who can catch passes is not the way to upgrade the team.

For openers, LA's pass rush has not exactly dominated. While Myles Garrett delivered an outstanding debut, the defense needs to get after opposing quarterbacks with more consistency. Trading away the team sacks leader in Young, regardless of the intended return, would be counterproductive.

Byron Young has earned the chance to play alongside Myles Garrett

The Rams have only mustered 16 sacks in nine games. Four came in Week 9, Garrett's debut, suggesting that there are more where that came from. With the team facing stiff competition in its final eight games, and LA's own offense undermanned, sacking the quarterback will be vital to win games.

While Young has regressed a bit this season, placing an automatic extension in question, he has faced extenuating circumstances. While he was joined in pursuit by teammate Jared Verse in both 2024 and 2025, Verse was traded away in the Garrett blockbuster this offseason. And Garrett only just returned to the field.

Young has faced plenty of double teams and has been the veteran overseeing rookie edge rusher Wesley Bailey and sophomore Josaiah Stewart. Before Garrett's three-sack return, Young was the only Ram to post multiple sacks in a game.

Parting ways with Young midseason would have made no sense. Logistically speaking, shopping a player of his value at the now-passed trade deadline would have forced LA to accept a deep discount.

Returning a justifiable haul would require months of wrangling, as the Cleveland Browns got for Garrett, not a rushed package at the buzzer. This defense does not have the talent to support losing a key starter in hopes of gaining a new contributor.

Worse still, how much value would the offense glean from a receiver who would need to learn LA's playbook and contribute in a short window before being benched with the healthy return of Davante Adams and Puka Nacua?

Ultimately, general manager Les Snead stood pat at the trade deadline. He resisted the urge to upgrade the roster at an overly high cost. As far as the proposed Byron Young trade, most fans would agree that it was not worth doing.

As always, thanks for reading.

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