If the Los Angeles Rams want to keep up with the NFC West arms race, they need to find a way to land Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts. Downs isn’t a superstar or the best receiver in the league or anything like that, but he is available. He’s attainable and he plays a position of major need for the Rams.
While the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have already benefited from the Colts’ fire sale this week by trading for Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, it’s time for the Rams to get
in on the fun.
This would not be a one-for-one replacement for Davante Adams in terms of skill set. Few receivers in the NFL have the technical proficiency Adams does, even in what could be the twilight of his career. That doesn’t mean Downs would be wasted in this offense, however.
Big-play threat
Downs is a slot receiver. Plenty of wide receivers are effective in the slot or run a bunch of routes there, but no one runs more routes out of the slot than Downs. According to charting from Player Profiler, Downs’s 172 slot snaps are the most in the NFL. That’s not to say that’s all he can do, though.
If he plays out of the slot on 53.4% of his snaps, he’s still aligned elsewhere 46.6% of the time. That’s not nothing, clearly. And, just because he’s predominantly a slot player doesn’t mean he’s simply a dink-and-dunk stat compiler. Per Next Gen Stats, Downs is averaging 10.6 air yards per target this season, a huge number and nearly three full yards longer than his previous career high.
There’s explosive potential with this player. The Rams want to create as many explosive plays as possible. They need a pass catcher, and he’s there for the taking from a team that is scrapping anything that isn’t nailed down.
Of course, L.A. would have to make the dollars and cents work, but a cheap, expiring contract should be workable for this front office.
NFC West arms race
The other part of this is the fact that the other competitive franchises in the division have already taken swings to improve their team. In fact, both found a way to do that by dealing with Indianapolis. This is not the time for a historically aggressive front office to suddenly get complacent.
The Seahawks shored up their offensive line Tuesday by sending a pair of picks to the heartland for guard Quenton Nelson. Shortly thereafter, the 49ers reacquired DeForest Buckner for a fourth rounder. That’s a pair of legitimate Super Bowl threats who are sitting ahead of the Rams in the NFC West right now both making noticeable improvements ahead of the trade deadline.
Again, this is the time for Les Snead to act.
Downs isn’t the only wide receiver who’s on the trade block. If Los Angeles can swing a trade for Brian Thomas Jr. or even someone like Jerry Jeudy, great. But time is of the essence. The Rams can’t afford to fall into a deeper hole.
If this team still has Super Bowl aspirations, it can’t sit still at the deadline. Josh Downs is available and, based on the Colts’ other moves this week, he shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. That sounds like a prime opportunity for the Rams to strike.
