THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. In a Los Angeles Rams season that will be unpredictable, at times chaotic and always interesting, we’re going to learn a lot about the young and older players (and their coaches) each week.
I’ll put the most interesting or relevant of these developments here, in nicely organized sections. Just for you!
This week, the Rams’ possible activity—or lack thereof—at Tuesday’s trade deadline is in focus. So is their contradictory strategy at kicker.
Plus, I offer a little twist on the third installment of “Knows Ball Anonymous,” where I ask a coach, executive, scout, player or analyst across the NFL to share a detail they find interesting—whether about the Rams or not.
What’s up at the trade deadline?
Rams head coach Sean McVay and wife Veronika may have added to their personal roster this week, but the team overall may not be as aggressive as in previous seasons ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline. This front office is always asking questions and checking on players, yes, but that may not manifest in any actual trades or trade attempts.
“You kind of have to have some resources and different things like that for those to be options,” McVay said earlier this month, “so I don’t know that those conversations will be as prevalent as maybe in years past.”
In background conversations with team and league sources, I am not getting the sense that the Rams will be very active next week, barring some sort of late, out-of-the-blue proposition from another team.
They could also get check-ins from other organizations on their own. The Rams traded receiver Van Jefferson to Atlanta earlier this month, after calls from the Falcons in the summer, league sources said, and then the team’s continued interest in early October. A signal that Jefferson may be available for trade was that he only played two offensive snaps in Week 5. On Sunday, offensive lineman Joe Noteboom, who signed a $40 million extension last offseason to play left tackle for the Rams, was active but did not play.
