Known for a near-decade-long stretch of moving off first-round picks, the Rams hold their own selection heading into the draft. They are trying to make a deal to move up.
Mentioned Wednesday as a team that is likely interested in coming up the board, the Rams appear to indeed be intrigued by the prospect of such a move. Sean McVay‘s team is contacting teams with an aim to climb into the top 10, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets.
It would be surprising if the Rams were a team interested in trading up for a quarterback, and it is interesting to see a non-QB-seeking (presumably) team linked to a trade into the top 10. The Cardinals and Chargers have made it known they are interested in moving down, but a climb into the top five may be unrealistic for the Rams, who sit at No. 19. The Titans, at No. 7, have been mentioned as a team open to sliding down the board. But Tennessee, closely linked to tackles, will probably want to see how the board looks before serious considering dealing its top choice.
They’re still saying “f those picks”. They’d have to trade picks to move up.
Their philosophy this whole time has been that the first round is where a team should be drafting true difference makers. They also think, correctly, that it is sometimes easier to just trade for a player who has established himself as a difference maker than to roll the dice in the draft.
Just a quick recap of Snead’s tenure with the Rams. His very first draft move was to trade back and give the Redskins RG3. That moved them from #2 down to #6. He then traded down from #6 to the Cowboys spot at #14 (took Michael Brockers).
The next year he used some of that ammunition to trade UP from #16 to #8 (took Tavon Austin). But he used the Redskins pick to trade BACK from #22 to #30. The year after that he stayed put and took 2 players in the 1st round (one of them was Aaron Donald). The following year he stayed put and took Todd Gurley. The “F them picks” era started after the following draft in 2016. That’s when he made a bold move going from #15 all the way to #1. That was the last time they had a 1st round pick.