Breaking: LA Rams Agrees Blockbuster Trade Deal to Land 21-year Old QB

There have been many a draft analyst who has suggested the Los Angeles Rams should take a shot at a quarterback in an attempt to find Matthew Stafford‘s successor. Mike Fanelli of RotoBaller, takes the most aggressive shot at this very attempt, suggesting that the Rams should trade up to draft Michigan’s quarterback, J.J. McCarthy.

“If the Michigan star slips out of the top-seven picks,” Fanelli writes, “Los Angeles could jump ahead of the New York Jets to secure McCarthy as Stafford’s heir apparent.”

Fanelli cites Stafford’s age and injury history as the main reasons for chasing a quarterback at this juncture. Stafford missed one game due to injury in 2023 but missed 8 games in 2022 due to a neck injury.

Playing out the Scenario: Los Angeles Rams Trade Up to #9

Of course, trading up carries with it a price tag. Last year, the Chicago Bears traded the 9th overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears moved back one spot and picked up a 2024 4th. But that was to move back one spot. The Rams would be asking the Bears to move back 10 spots.

The closest approximation to this trade happened in 2019 when Denver traded the 10th selection to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for the Steeler’s first- and second-round selections (20th and 52nd) as well as their third-round selection in 2020.

The Rams just so happen to have a similar standing as the Steelers with the 19th and the 52nd picks and still own their 2025 third-round pick, as well as a likely compensatory 3rd rounder.

Of course, this takes two to tango. The Bears would have to agree to move back. The Bears only have four picks in the upcoming draft. This trade would allow them to recoup a second-round pick that they traded to the Washington Commanders for Montez Sweat last season.

Would the Rams ACTUALLY Trade Up?

As Fanelli points out, there is precedence to Rams general manager Les Snead trading up for a quarterback. A mere eight years ago the Rams traded up to get Cal quarterback Jared Goff. And that trade was far more aggressive than this one.

The Tennessee Titans traded its first-, fourth-, and sixth-round selections (1st, 113th, and 177th) to Los Angeles in exchange for Los Angeles’s first-round, two second-round, and third-round selections in this year’s draft (15th, 43rd, 45th, and 76th) as well as Los Angeles’s first- and third-round selections in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Two firsts, two seconds, and two-thirds for Jared Goff. Has the tiger changed his stripes, or has this tiger just been lying in wait for the right time to strike? What hasn’t changed is that Snead and head coach Sean McVay are unpredictable, especially in the draft.

But For JJ McCarthy?

In hindsight, the same attitude could be taken for the Goff trade-up. Most of the top NFL Draft, scouts, experts, and analysts have McCarthy graded in their mid-20s or early-30s on their big boards. Although the 33rd team has him graded the lowest at the 78th-ranked prospect in the draft. ESPN is the highest on McCarthy ranking him their 12th-best prospect. The NFL Mock Draft Database has his consensus pick to be taken at #11.

Of course, there is a premium that must be paid when drafting quarterbacks. And if the Los Angeles Rams are deadset on JJ McCarthy, no price is too high to pay.