Rams have hard questions to ask before doing any Brian Thomas Jr. trade

The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly interested in trading for a wide receiver after losing veteran Davante Adams for six to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury. One name gaining steam is the Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. 

Thomas, the 23rd overall pick two years ago, has regressed since posting 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a Pro Bowl rookie. He barely cracked 700 yards in 14 games last season, while converting just 52 percent of his targets. He has been even less effective in 2026: nine catches on 20 targets for 105 yards.

Much like Arizona's Marvin Harrison Jr., the former Cardinals first-rounder recently traded to the Houston Texans, Thomas has seemingly reached the end of the road in Jacksonville. If the Rams don't get him, someone else will by the November 10 trade deadline. 

Should Los Angeles bite? 

Brian Thomas would help, but that doesn't mean the Rams should pull the trigger

The Rams could have used another receiver before Adams went out, so Thomas would certainly fill a roster need. With a 4.33-second 40-time, he has the streaking speed to be a downfield threat. 

That's something this offense could desperately use. For all his finesse and red-zone dominance, Adams isn't that. Puka Nacua is more of a do-it-all bulldozer than a vertical blazer. Tight end Terrance Ferguson, an alternative seam stretcher, remains on injured reserve and is not expected to return after his IR-mandated four-game absence.

The relevant question, of course, is cost. The Jaguars will likely seek a similar return to what the Cardinals got for Harrison: a 2027 second-round pick, plus a '27 sixth-rounder in exchange for a seventh. 

Harrison, though, was the No. 4 pick in the same draft. Despite his similarly underwhelming performance - he's been an even greater disappointment than Thomas - draft stock dies hard in the NFL. Harrison's trade value gets a subsequent boost. As a late Day 1 pick, Thomas may not command the same sell-low premium. 

Rams must weigh season trajectory, barren draft cupboard in trade considerations

Should the 2-4, last-place Rams be in the business of burning their limited assets? This team does not exactly look playoff-bound. Can the season be salvaged? Is it even worth it if the team isn't a legitimate Super Bowl contender? 

It's not just the Adams injury. The defensive line is now gutted by injuries to Poona Ford (triceps, season-ending) and Kobie Turner (groin, four to six weeks). 

Myles Garrett still isn't back in practice. Cornerback Trent McDuffie is status TBD with his own groin injury, which caused him to miss Week 6. 

The Rams only have four picks in next year's draft: a second, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth. Would Jacksonville accept 2028 draft assets, of which LA is missing only their second- and seventh-rounders? Most likely, only in a considerable overpay.

Either way, the organization isn't exactly in position to be liberal with draft capital. They already did that this offseason. Look where it's gotten them. Their last two draft classes have not borne much fruit; no one in the 2026 class has done much of anything, among those members who have even seen the field. 

Free agent pickings are slim to nonexistent (stay the heck away from a washed Tyreek Hill). Whether the Rams should or shouldn't make a move, for Thomas or an equivalent talent, general manager Les Snead is evidently pursuing that route. 

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