Should Rams Trade For Another Cornerback?

When it comes to Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead, he is never one to back away from making a trade. Snead is infamous for his “F Them Picks” mantra that led the Rams to win a Super Bowl in 2021. While Snead showed that he can still draft good players over the last three years as the Rams re-tooled their roster, he has been back to trading picks for proven players.

Earlier this offseason, Snead traded the 29th overall pick and a third-round selection for Kansas City Chiefs top cornerback Trent McDuffie. The Rams were also reportedly in trade discussions for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown and explored moving on from star wide receiver Davante Adams.

Snead may take a wait-and-see approach before making another move, but the Rams can never be ruled out when it comes to making a trade. The Rams could opt to make another big trade before the draft or re-evaluate the roster closer to the trade deadline during the season.

Early on Friday, the Indianapolis Colts and cornerback Kenny Moore mutually agreed to explore a trade, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Moore is 30 years old and entering the final year of his contract. By trading Moore, the Colts would save $7.06 million in cap space.

The Rams made rebuilding the secondary their top priority this offseason. While they already traded for a cornerback this offseason by acquiring McDuffie from the Chiefs, Moore is one of the best nickel/slot cornerbacks in the NFL which is something the Rams need.

This is a deep draft at slot cornerback, but the Rams always tend to value and lean on experience, especially in a ‘win now’ type season. The Rams utilized Quentin Lake in the slot quite often last season, where he was extremely effective. Lake allowed 0.8 yards per snap in the slot which was the eighth-best in the NFL. However, the level of play on defense dropped when he got hurt and the Rams struggled to replace that role in the defense. Last season was a down year for Moore, but in 2024, he allowed just 1.08 yards per snap from the slot which ranked 14th.

Adding a player like Moore would give the Rams another legitimate option in the slot and allow them to move Lake around the defensive formation. Lake is an extremely versatile player and playing him solely from the slot limits his value and overall impact. His 84 snaps at deep safety and 89 snaps in the box were his fewest since 2023. The Rams are better off moving him around when they can.

As it stands, if Lake goes down with another injury this season, the Rams would be forced to play McDuffie primarily from the slot. It’s very possible that the Rams occasionally move McDuffie to the slot as they did with Jalen Ramsey in the STAR role during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, the Rams would not be getting the most out of McDuffie and his $124 million contract if they are forced to play him exclusively from the slot. The need for a cornerback that can shift inside and out like Moore still exists in the secondary. Whether the Rams want to address that with a rookie or a more proven veteran is the question.

Given the Rams just paid Lake, and $7.1 million is expensive for a situational nickel cornerback, it may make more sense to wait until the draft. With that said, trading for Moore is a move that should at least be explored. Given that Moore and the Colts are actively exploring a trade and he’s about to turn 31, it would likely only cost a Day 3 pick.

This isn’t necessarily a move that the Rams need to make, especially with a deep draft class at slot corner and a roster already set up as one of the best in the league. However, adding a proven veteran like Moore in a Super Bowl season is the type of swing that has defined this front office. It would raise the floor of an already improved secondary and give the defense more flexibility with their current personnel. Whether it’s Moore or a rookie, the Rams can’t afford to take a defensive hit as they did last season when Lake got hurt while they are in a championship window.