Decisions on Stafford and Kupp Will Determine Future for Rams GM Les Snead

Rams General Manager Les Snead has stated he's open to trading multiple aging superstars but a move may put his career on the line.

May 23, 2023, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead during organized team activities at Cal Lutheran. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

According to a recent report by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Les Snead has publicly stated that the Rams would be willing to deal away two of the franchises' most beloved players in Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp.

When asked Friday about the possibility of executing such a controversial trade, Snead said "[I]t’ll take someone calling or us reaching out if we want to do that. Those are the things that’ll be determined down the road here.”

As Florio pointed out, NFL executives shut down trade talks or rumors immediately if a team has zero interest in losing a player. While Snead's words have no bearing on his current thoughts and plans for Kupp and Stafford, the fact he will allow offers to be made along with trade rumors involving both men occurring in the middle of the 2024 season makes it look like the Rams are attempting to gauge the market.

If Snead does execute this trade, he has to know he's putting his entire career on the line. If the Rams future success does not come from this move, even if they have success in general, Snead will forever be known as the man who traded away the men who took the Rams to a title in exchange for peanuts.

This is not San Francisco. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan could get away with trading three first round picks for Trey Lance because Brock Purdy bailed them out but also because they haven't won a title and Lance wasn't responsible for any team success. Snead's potential move would be viewed like Bill Belichick pushing Tom Brady out of New England and if a six time Super Bowl champion head coach can't get a job, a general manager may not either.

The good news is that if Snead pulls this move off, he would have time to build up the Rams again. He has the support of ownership and having already satisfied them with a title, Snead arguably has the most rope for an executive in the NFL outside of Duke Tobin (Cincinnati Bengals).

If he executes a trade and it fails, Snead is gone. No doubt about it. Whatever he decides to do, there will be some that will find a trade unforgivable and that has to weigh into his decision.

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