The Los Angeles Rams are officially all in, which means you can never rule out general manager Les Snead making a big move. They already traded for cornerback Trent McDuffie and were keeping tabs on edge rusher Maxx Crosby and AJ Brown. However, another edge rusher may be available and the Rams will once again be a team to watch.
Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns reworked Myles Garrett’s contract. According to ESPN’s Field Yates,
“Garrett’s contract previously called for his option bonuses in
2026, 2027 and 2028 to be exercised by the 15th day of the league year. (March 25th is the 15th day of the 2026 league year.) In the amended terms, that date has been pushed back to seven days before the regular season each year. The payment of the option bonuses was also modified in a way that benefits Garrett. Additionally, Garrett had $8 million of his base salary in 2029 and 2030 moved into roster bonuses early in each league year.”
While the Browns may not be coming out and saying that they are trading Garrett, the re-worked contract makes moving him much easier. By deferring option payments closer to the start of the regular season, the Browns create cap space to spend more money in the interim and the option is available to trade Garrett if the opportunity arises.
While edge rusher may not be a huge need for the Rams, adding a player of Garrett’s caliber doesn’t come around very often. With that said, it also means that a trade package would likely be enormous. The Baltimore Ravens were set to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for Crosby before a ‘failed’ physical nixed the trade. A move for Garrett would definitely cost more. Still, the Rams and Snead are among the few teams that would have the conviction to make that type of move. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr listed the Rams as a potential Garrett destination. Said Orr,
“The Rams are another team that could be impacted by the ability to trade future capital, given the coming end of the Matt Stafford era. The Rams are in a divisional arms race alongside the Seahawks and 49ers and their post-Stafford draft capital could be a curiosity to the Browns as a potential undervalued asset (Sean McVay will never be bad enough with Stafford to qualify for a top-10 quarterback and shows no interest in starting over with one anyway, leaving him dependent in the post-Stafford era on an increasingly less appetizing group of veteran reclamation projects). The Rams traded their own first-round pick to the Chiefs, but they still have a 2026 pick from the Falcons situated at No. 13. The Rams were so painfully close to a second Super Bowl under McVay last season and seem to be a team on the edge of massive sea change, both in terms of Stafford and the age of his surrounding skill-position players, and the looming potential combustibility of the Puka Nacua era.”
Again, a trade for Garrett would come at an astronomical price. The Rams would likely have to give up the 13th overall pick, a 2027 first-round pick, potentially one of Byron Young or Jared Verse, and maybe more. Still, while Young and Verse bring a lot of potential, both lacked the ability to consistently get to the quarterback last season. Meanwhile, Garrett broke the sack record with 23 sacks. That was more than Verse and Young combined.
Is this the type of move that would get the Rams over the hump and win another Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford? Possibly. At the same time, it’s also the type of move that mortgages the future and puts the Rams in a difficult spot post-Stafford. Would it be worth it if the Rams won another Super Bowl?
The Rams are in a position where they don’t necessarily need to force anything. Garrett would certainly be an upgrade, but the Rams already have a strong roster that’s currently favored to win a Super Bowl as constructed. This is the type of move that may be fun to think about, but not one that the Rams need to make.
