How many wide receivers do the Rams need?
“More.” – Sean McVay, probably
The team that’s already rich with talent at that position just went out and agreed to a three-year deal with Allen Robinson, bringing him to Los Angeles to play alongside Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson.
But, knowing the way the Rams operate, what if he doesn’t get to play alongside Woods or Kupp?
Having four starting-caliber receivers on the roster isn’t a great use of assets, given the Rams’ rare usage of four-receiver sets and their heavy reliance on 11 personnel. And having three receivers making more than $15 million per year is also quite costly for that position.
A trade of Woods or Jefferson shouldn’t be ruled out, and quite frankly, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if it happens. The Rams aren’t afraid to cut ties with key players for the right price, as we saw with Jared Goff, Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Michael Brockers.
The logic behind trading Woods or Jefferson is obvious. Not only would the Rams free up cap space, but they could also recoup a draft pick or player at a different position. And, it would prevent a quality player from having his snaps severely limited by the depth Los Angeles currently has at receiver.
If they were to trade Woods before June 1, the Rams would save $7.1 million. They would take on $8.6 million in dead money, but that’s manageable given the savings they would get. Trading Jefferson would only result in a net savings of $710K, which is considerably less than Woods.
But trading Jefferson’s contract would be much easier, given his modest cap hit compared to Woods’. But even with Woods, any team that trades for him would be getting him with a relatively low cap hit in 2022 because the Rams would be responsible for $8.6 million of his contract.
The other wrinkle is that the Rams could still consider signing Odell Beckham Jr. if they view him as an upgrade over Woods or Jefferson. A starting trio of Kupp, Robinson and Beckham in the second half of the season would be the best in the NFL, and the Rams would still have either Woods or Jefferson on the roster, too, depending on which one they trade.
This is just speculation and nothing has been reported to suggest the Rams are considering trading either of their receivers, but nothing should ever be ruled out with Les Snead and Sean McVay.
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