GRAZIANO: RAMS MAKING CALLS TO TRADE UP IN DRAFT

As usual, the Los Angeles Rams are being talked about as a team that’s willing to trade its first round pick. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on Wednesday that the Rams are one four teams in the middle of the first round that are making phone calls to potentially move up in the draft order on Thursday.

Trades from the teens into the top five or top 10 for quarterbacks are fun to discuss, but they’re tough to execute because of the expense associated with such deals. The people I talk to think we’re likely to see more trades in the second half of the first round than in the first half. The Colts (No. 15), Jaguars (No. 17), Rams (No. 19) and Eagles (No. 22) are all teams I’ve heard have been making calls about potentially moving up.

The Rams have been involved in rumors with quarterbacks and offensive players for the entire draft process it seems like, but Graziano says that L.A. would probably be moving up for a defensive player.

If the Rams move up, it would be to get one of their top targets on defense.

Trading up is something that most of our writers at TST expect to happen, and former Rams number two pick Chris Long has made it clear that he believes Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy is the way to go. The opening left by Aaron Donald’s retirement is not just to get a defensive tackle but to find help on that side of the ball in any form, at any position. Murphy so happens to be the best defensive tackle and some believe the best defensive player in the draft period.

Who would the Rams be trading up with if they do want to execute a trade? Les Snead has experience with a lot of GMs in the league, including some picking in the top-12. He certainly has friends left in the Atlanta Falcons at eighth overall, plus connections on the New York Jets at 10, and certainly the Minnesota Vikings with Kevin O’Connell at 12, but Minnesota is expected to be trading up themselves.

We know teams from the middle want to trade up, but do teams in the top-12 want to trade down?

2024-04-24T17:31:56Z dg43tfdfdgfd