https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/24/nfl-los-angeles-rams-trade-deadline-players-targets/
7 players the Rams should target before the NFL trade deadline
By: Cameron DaSilva
The NFL trade deadline isn’t what it once was as teams have become more aggressive in recent years. This year alone, we’ve seen the Raiders trade Amari Cooper and the Giants ship off Eli Apple and Damon Harrison.
The moves are hardly done, either, as the trade deadline is still about a week away. The final day to make moves is Oct. 30, and it’d be fun to see the Rams make some calls before then.
With a need at outside linebacker, Los Angeles could use another pass rusher. Samson Ebukam has been inconsistent, Matt Longacre has been in and out of the lineup and the No. 2 starter has yet to be determined. Here are seven players the Rams should look at, most of which are pass rushers.
Broncos EDGEs Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett
This is a two-for-one deal, and I don’t mean that as in the Rams are going to trade for both of them. They’re just equally enticing options from the same team with nearly identical cap hits this season. They’ll both cost $2.9 million in 2018 with each hitting free agency after this season. The Broncos didn’t pick up Ray’s fifth-year option, so it’s clear they don’t feel good about his future in Denver.
Both players have a history with Wade Phillips, too, and fit his mold for edge rushers. They possess good athleticism and have showed flashes of playmaking ability in Denver, while the Rams should be seeking all the help they can get at outside linebacker. If either player can be had for a mid-to-late-round pick, the Rams should pounce.
Jaguars EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.
Another player who’s fallen out of favor with his team, Fowler is playing just 31 percent of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps. He stuck behind the likes of Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell, which won’t change anytime soon. Also without a fifth-year option in 2019, Fowler is set to be a free agent after this season and has a cap hit of $7.26 million, so a move would need to be made to fit him under the cap.
He would fit nicely in the Rams’ scheme as an outside linebacker opposite Samson Ebukam. In 16 games last season, he had eight sacks, seven tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. This season, he has only two sacks, one tackle for loss and a single quarterback hit.
Cardinals LB Haason Reddick
Arguably the most intriguing player on this list, Reddick has shockingly been relegated to a reserve role in Arizona in just his second NFL season. He can play every linebacker position and rush the passer, giving Phillips a chess piece at the second level. Whether he’s used as a situational pass rusher, a hybrid linebacker in the middle of the defense or a full-time edge rusher, the Rams could certainly find a way to get the most out of Reddick, who was a first-round pick just a year ago.
Reddick is signed through 2020 and comes with a fifth-year option in 2021, while his cap hit is just $3.1 million this year. The Cardinals probably wouldn’t trade him within the division, but Les Snead should at least make a call.
Raiders CB Gareon Conley
The Raiders are in full fire-sale mode, gutting the roster of past draft picks like Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack and Obi Melifonwu. Could Conley be next? The Rams aren’t in desperate need of a cornerback with Marcus Peters recovering well from his calf injury and Aqib Talib slated to return later this season, but how can you not at least entertain the possibility of adding a former first-round pick?
Talib isn’t a long-term option and Troy Hill has been inconsistent in his place, which makes Conley an intriguing target. He’s only played 57.2 percent of the Raiders’ defensive snaps, which is third on the team. Considering he wasn’t one of Jon Gruden’s picks, it’s possible Conley is moved, though unlikely.
His cap hit this season is just $2.4 million.
Ravens EDGE Tyus Bowser
Bowser, a second-round pick in 2017, is almost nowhere to be found in Baltimore. He’s played only 59 snaps (12.7 percent) in six games and doesn’t have a single sack or quarterback hit. He’s a long pass rusher with freakish athleticism, which would pair nicely with Ebukam and the Rams’ defensive line. The Ravens seem to have almost no use for Bowser at this point in time and he could be on the bubble next year, so Baltimore might be willing to move him.
He’s the cheapest of all these options at just $1.3 million in 2018 and is under contract through 2020. Bowser could be the spark the Rams need at outside linebacker.
Bears EDGE Leonard Floyd
The Bears have one of the best defenses in the NFL and Floyd has had almost no part of it. He’s a starter opposite Khalil Mack but has been shut out of the sack column and has only hit the quarterback one time. Nothing about his play suggests he would be a starter for the Rams, but there is some good news.
He’s under contract through 2019 for relatively cheap and comes with a fifth-year option in 2020, while he flashed major potential as a rookie in 2016. If the Rams could tap into that potential by giving Chicago, say, a fifth-round pick, they should consider it.
LES
