What the Rams can Realistically Afford at the Trade Deadline

As the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers take an aggressive approach ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the Los Angeles Rams are stuck contemplating what type of move they can make to keep pace. The Rams are in a different spot than both of those teams as they made moves for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie in the offseason. At the same time, they still have a roster with very clear flaws.

The Rams are set to get reinforcements over the next few weeks as Garrett hopefully returns and they should also get Terrance Ferguson back. Kobie Turner will return at some point and Davante Adams should be back in time for a playoff run as well.

Still, with the Seahawks trading for Quenton Nelson and the 49ers acquiring DeForest Buckner and still looking to improve, the Rams may need to find ways to respond. Simply having the mindset that getting Garrett, Turner, and Adams back counts as your midseason acquisitions isn't the correct approach.

However, the dilemma is finding a trade that the Rams can afford. They traded their first and third-round picks next year and don’t have their second-round pick in 2028. They also only have around $206,000 in cap space, according to OverTheCap.

How the Rams Can Create Salary Cap Space for a Trade

The biggest constraint right now for a trade is the team’s cap space. They won’t be able to make a move if they don’t open up some money. However, that’s something they will likely need to do anyway as it isn’t feasible to make it through the rest of the season on $206,000.

While the Rams don’t like to restructure existing contracts, it is something they’ll need to do at some point. Earlier this year, the Rams had to restructure Quentin Lake’s contract, which opened up $3.4 million. The most realistic option would be to restructure Kyren Williams’ contract and open up around that same amount. They could also look to do the same to Alaric Jackson’s deal, but Williams may be the safer option.

If the Rams can open up around $3.5 million, that opens up the possibility for several trades. Brian Thomas Jr. would only cost the Rams around $600,000 for the remainder of the season. A move for Josh Downs would be a little more complicated as he would cost $2.4 million for the year. However, the Rams may be able to give up more for the Colts to agree to pay more of his salary. The Colts currently have $37 million in cap space. If the Rams were to trade for Quentin Johnston, he would cost $1.4 million.

The Rams may only have $206,000 in cap space right now, but they have the flexibility to make almost any move work. The Rams have made it a point to keep their cap situation clean post-2022. If they want to take an all-in approach, they have some flexibility to move money around and make it work.

Limited Draft Capital Complicates Rams Trade Deadline Plans

Aside from their cap situation, the Rams also have to consider their future draft picks. They currently only have second, fourth, fifth, and sixth-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. However, things open up again in 2028 when the only selection they are missing is a second-round pick.

Moving off of their second-round pick in 2027 feels unlikely and irresponsible. If the Rams trade away their 2027 second-round pick, they wouldn’t select until the fourth round and would only be left with three picks.

However, the 2028 draft is mostly available. Ideally, the Rams would want to keep their 2028 first-round pick. However, the Rams could pair a fourth-round pick in 2027 and a conditional late-round pick in 2028 to still get a player.

Which Trade Targets Can the Rams Realistically Afford?

It simply depends on how much the Rams want to give up in a trade. If they make a move for Downs, they may only have to give up a fifth- or sixth-round pick in 2027 to get that done. Downs is in the final year of his rookie contract with just nine games to play.

A move for Thomas could be more expensive. Realistically, Thomas would cost a second-round pick. If the Jaguars are hellbent on a second-round pick, it’s hard for the Rams to justify giving that up. If the Jaguars are desperate to move off of Thomas and his value is a third or fourth-round pick, a move is much more possible.

If the Rams were to give up a Day 3 pick for Downs, it wouldn’t be mortgaging the future even if they were unable to re-sign him. Additionally, it’s possible the Rams could get a compensatory pick in return for Downs in 2028.

A Smaller Trade Could Still Make a Big Difference

The only thing possibly keeping the Rams from making a move at the trade deadline is their cap space. There are still moves that can be made that don’t also mortgage their future. Even then, the Rams have the cap flexibility to make something work.

It’s true that the Rams are going to get important players back from injury at some point. Because of that, they don’t necessarily need to make another blockbuster move. A trade for a role player like Downs, who would improve their wide receiver depth, is enough. With the Seahawks and 49ers continuing to be aggressive, the Rams can’t afford to sit back and hope that just getting healthy will solve everything. If the Rams still believe this team can compete for a Super Bowl, they need to make a move to show that.

Add us as a preferred source on Google