Some are taking this offseason’s reports to mean the Los Angeles Rams are blowing things up and undergoing a full-on rebuild. They’re parting ways with Bobby Wagner and likely Leonard Floyd, while also considering trades involving Allen Robinson and Jalen Ramsey.
Les Snead already said earlier this offseason that the Rams aren’t rebuilding, using the phrase “remodeling” instead. And on Thursday, he used the word “remodel” again during his pre-free agency media session.
As the Rams tweak their roster this spring, there will be three pillars – or “weight-bearing walls,” as the always-eloquent Snead put it: Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp.
Rams GM Les Snead said they are "definitely going to rely on Matthew (Stafford), he's definitely one of our pillars."
Not a rebuild because they're aren't "bulldozing house down" and have "weight-bearing walls" like Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald to "remodel" around.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) March 9, 2023
Those three names are particularly relevant and noteworthy for a couple of reasons. On Thursday, Michael Lombardi shared a rumor that the Rams have called teams in hopes of trading Stafford. Snead took a pretty clear stance against that idea.
Additionally, there was a glaring omission from the names Snead mentioned: Ramsey. There’s no denying the fact that the Rams could trade Ramsey this offseason, given his value and contract. They’re not committed to Ramsey the way they are Stafford, Donald and Kupp, which could lead to a trade involving the star cornerback.
There are no real salary cap benefits of trading Stafford, Kupp or Donald in 2023, so it never seemed likely that Los Angeles would go down that path. But Ramsey? We’ll have to wait and see what his fate holds.
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