Category: Latest Rams news

Report: Rams are making calls about trading into top 10

The Rams are looking to trade up in the first round, potentially into the top 10

The Los Angeles Rams are going to take full advantage of having a first-round pick this year by attempting to land a true blue-chip prospect. There have been rumblings about the Rams looking to trade up, though it was unclear how far they’d want to go.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Rams have been making calls to teams about trading into the top 10. That would be at least a nine-spot jump for Les Snead and Sean McVay, which could cost them their first-round pick in 2025.

The Falcons at No. 8, Bears at No. 9 and Jets at No. 10 would all make sense as teams that could look to move down to No. 19 in a deal with the Rams. If the Rams want to get in front of the Titans for a tackle like Joe Alt, they could make a trade with the Giants at No. 6.

Another player they could be targeting is Rome Odunze, who they met with at the NFL combine and were linked to as a potential landing spot for the standout Washington receiver.

Look: The Rams put a football field on the beach for their 2024 draft party

The Rams created a 60-yard football field on the beach for their draft party, because of course they did

The Los Angeles Rams may not be frequent participants in the first round of the draft, but they always go all-out for the big event. They’ve started a tradition of renting a luxurious house to be their draft headquarters, and this year, they’re hosting a draft party in Hermosa Beach.

The party should be a fun event for fans who attend, and it’s complete with a replica football field on the beach. That’s right, the Rams put a 60-yard football field on the sand, complete with Rams styling in the end zones and at midfield.

They unveiled the field on Thursday before Round 1 and it looks predictably awesome.

The party will take place on Thursday and Friday for the first through third rounds of the draft, and it’s free for fans to attend. There will be football clinics and contests on the football field, with current and former players also taking part in the fun.

Puka Nacua signs multi-year endorsement deal with Jordan Brand

Puka Nacua is the latest Jordan Brand athlete, signing a multi-year endorsement deal after a historic rookie season

This time last year, Puka Nacua was a lesser-known draft prospect out of BYU who was just looking for an opportunity to make an NFL roster. The Rams scooped him up in the fifth round at No. 177 overall and he immediately put together the best rookie season ever by a wide receiver.

Now, he’s landing endorsement deals with one of the biggest brands in sports. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Nacua has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Jordan Brand. He and Maxx Crosby are the latest additions to Jordan Brand’s decorated roster of athletes, which includes Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Bobby Wagner and Deebo Samuel.

Below is the official announcement from the Jordan Brand account on Instagram, welcoming Nacua and Crosby to the family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6L-DEXLLRH/

Nacua teased the announcement last week with a post on Instagram, though he didn’t reveal at the time that he signed an endorsement deal.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C563wXXOyXc/?img_index=1

Mel Kiper Jr.: Rams have ‘some interest’ in Bo Nix, wouldn’t be surprised if picked by LA

Mel Kiper Jr. says the Rams are interested in Bo Nix and he wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted the Oregon QB in Round 1

Even with the first round of the 2024 NFL draft just hours away, no one truly knows what the Los Angeles Rams are going to do on Thursday night. They could trade up for a tackle or edge rusher, or they could trade out of the first round entirely.

One other possibility is selecting Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at No. 19. It’s a selection that would probably anger the majority of the fanbase, but it’s not out of the question for Los Angeles to take Matthew Stafford’s potential successor.

According to Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN, the Rams “at least have some interest in Nix, and it wouldn’t be totally shocking if they picked him at No. 19 — or moved down a few spots to take him.”

I’m not sure anyone really knows what GM Les Snead will do; the Rams haven’t picked in Round 1 since 2016. But I do know they at least have some interest in Nix, and it wouldn’t be totally shocking if they picked him at No. 19 — or moved down a few spots to take him. I also see defensive tackle, cornerback and offensive line as possibilities, so it’s not like the Rams are loaded with depth in other positions.

Nix is projected to be a first- or second-round pick, and the Rams have been linked to him more than once. Without a clear-cut heir behind Stafford, Los Angeles could choose to address the position sooner rather than later.

With the Rams entering win-now mode thanks to Stafford’s continually stellar play, they could (and should) opt for a player who can help them more immediately than a low-ceiling quarterback like Nix.

What time will the Rams pick at No. 19 overall in the 2024 NFL draft?

The Rams hold the 19th overall pick, but what time will they go on the clock and make their selection?

Though there seems to be a good chance the Los Angeles Rams will either trade up or down in Round 1, they’re slated to pick at No. 19 overall tonight. That’s in the second half of the first round, so they’ll be waiting a little bit before turning in the card with their selection’s name on it.

With the draft starting at 8 p.m. ET and teams getting 10 minutes to make each selection, it’ll be a couple of hours before the Rams go on the clock. Based on the last two years, we can get a good idea of when Los Angeles will be picking.

In 2022, the Saints selected Trevor Penning 19th overall at 10:13 p.m. ET.

In 2023, the Buccaneers selected Calijah Kancey 19th overall at 10:22 p.m. ET.

Therefore, assuming the Rams keep the 19th pick, they’ll make their selection around 10:15 p.m. ET, so plan accordingly.

The first round will likely wrap up between 11:30 p.m. ET and midnight, so the teams at the end of Round 1 have quite a long wait.

NFL mock draft: Rams trade back with Bucs, acquire OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

In this mock draft, the Rams move back 7 spots and acquire OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Bucs

The Rams are keeping all options on the table in the first round of the draft on Thursday night, and that could include a trade for a veteran. That’s what transpired in our latest NFL Wire mock draft where I picked for the Rams.

Rather than staying put at No. 19, I was offered a trade by Bucs Wire editor Luke Easterling for the 26th pick. It was an offer I felt would help the Rams now, while also still giving them a chance to add a rookie for the future.

The deal was Pick 19 for Pick 26 and edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Based on the trade value chart, Pick 19 was worth 55 points more than the Bucs’ pick at No. 26, which is the equivalent of a third-rounder. So essentially, Tryon-Shoyinka, a former first-round pick, was valued as a third-round selection in this trade and he still has two years left on his contract with the fifth-year option.

At No. 26, I then took Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton, an offensive lineman with excellent size at 6-foot-8 and the ability to play either left or right tackle.

The Bucs made an offer for the 19th overall pick that was tough to turn down. Not only do the Rams only move back seven spots, but they pick up a starting-caliber edge rusher in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – the No. 32 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He fits the mold of the type of edge rusher the Rams look for, standing 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds, and could step in right away opposite Byron Young. So the Rams fill one major need by acquiring Tryon-Shoyinka, who still has three years left on his contract, and still pick up a future starter at offensive tackle by taking Guyton. He’s 6-foot-8 and can play either left or right tackle, which could need upgrading at some point in the next year or two. So by moving down seven spots, the Rams still manage to add a starting edge rusher and a potential franchise left tackle.

Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t panned out the way the Bucs hoped through three seasons, recording only 13 total sacks: 4.0, 4.0 and 5.0. However, he has the tools to be a productive starter, standing 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds with good athleticism.

Though he had a career-best five sacks in 2023, he had a career-low seven quarterback hits and 30 total pressures. There’s still time for him to develop into a 10-sack player as he enters his age-25 season in the NFL, and the Rams are a team that could take a chance on him this year.

Report: Rams making calls about trading up, would be for a top defender

Dan Graziano of ESPN says the Rams are among the teams making calls to trade up in Round 1, and it would be “to get one of their top targets on defense”

Les Snead said on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Rams are open to all options in the first round, whether it’s trading up for a player, staying put at No. 19 or trading back to accumulate picks. They won’t know for sure what’s best for them until the first round actually gets underway on Thursday night, but there’s plenty of buzz about them moving up.

Dan Graziano of ESPN shared in his pre-draft notebook that the Rams are among the teams that have made calls about trading up in Round 1. And if the Rams were to move up, “it would be to get one of their top targets on defense.”

The people I talk to think we’re likely to see more trades in the second half of the first round than in the first half. The Colts (No. 15), Jaguars (No. 17), Rams (No. 19) and Eagles (No. 22) are all teams I’ve heard have been making calls about potentially moving up.

It’s not surprising that the Rams are exploring their options when it comes to moving up. They’re an aggressive organization that’s never afraid to make a splash, whether it’s in free agency, the draft or the trade market. It’s also not shocking that they’d be targeting a defensive player, given their needs on that side of the ball.

While it would make sense for them to trade up for one of the top offensive tackles or a wide receiver like Rome Odunze, there are also highly regarded defenders in this class such as Byron Murphy II, Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, Jared Verse and Quinyon Mitchell who may not make it to No. 19.

If one of those players begins to slip, the Rams could make a move into the early teens to scoop them up.

Les Snead: Rams will explore potential trades up or down in Round 1 of draft

Les Snead is keeping all options on the table for the Rams in Round 1, including potential trades up or down the board

Sitting in the middle of the first round at No. 19 overall, the Los Angeles Rams are flush with options for Thursday night’s draft. They could trade up into the top 10 or 15 to grab a prospect they covet, someone such as Rome Odunze, Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu. They could also trade back if their primary options are off the board at No. 19, or if there are so many good players available at that spot that they feel comfortable moving down and still landing one of them a few picks later.

They could obviously stay put and pick the best player available with the 19th pick, which is very much on the table, too. Rams GM Les Snead confirmed on Tuesday that the team is keeping an open mind when it comes to the first round, not ruling out a trade up or down the board.

It’s hard to gauge which one the Rams are likely to go with, but it’ll depend on who’s available in the top 15, and who might be on the board at No. 19. Either way, it’s going to be a fun first round on Thursday night.

Sean McVay shares encouraging update on Stetson Bennett after 1st week of workouts

It’s early, but Sean McVay likes what he’s seen from Stetson Bennett in the first phase of the Rams’ offseason program

It seemed like Stetson Bennett’s tenure with the Los Angeles Rams might end after just one season when Sean McVay couldn’t say whether the former Georgia Bulldog would be with the team in 2024. However, Bennett trained in Dallas during the early part of the offseason and is now back at the Rams’ facility for workouts, which is a major step in the right direction after he missed his entire rookie year while on the non-football illness list.

Bennett just wrapped up his first week of offseason workouts and while it’s still very early in the process, McVay is encouraged by what he’s seen from the second-year passer. During his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, McVay said Bennett has had a “good look in his eye.

The Rams still have not said what caused Bennett to miss his rookie year but he seems to be in a good place now as he prepares for his second season in the NFL. He won’t be Matthew Stafford’s backup considering the team signed Jimmy Garoppolo, but he has a chance to be the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.

If the Rams are confident Bennett will stay on the right path, it could prevent them from drafting a quarterback early.

Check out photos of the Rams’ incredible 2024 draft house in Hermosa Beach

The Rams rented a house in Hermosa Beach to be their draft headquarters and it’s ridiculously nice

While most teams will be drafting from their own headquarters, the Los Angeles Rams will be making their picks from the comfort of home. Well, someone else’s home, but they’re making it their own.

The Rams started a yearly tradition of renting a luxurious house in Southern California to be their draft headquarters back in 2021 and they’re continuing it this year. They’ll be in Hermosa Beach for the 2024 draft, a spectacular 9,150-square-foot house with ocean views.

The Rams completely transformed the spacious home, bringing in team decor for just about every room – from Rams-themed records to wallpaper in the bar area to a game room with a collage of past players on the walls.

Of course, there’s also a pool and deck chairs, which will probably get some use when the Rams have to wait nearly 60 picks from No. 99 to 154. And because Los Angeles is equipped with a first-rounder, there won’t be much time to relax on Thursday night like there was in years past.

Check out photos of the draft house below, courtesy of the Rams.