Rams receive 2023 7th-round pick from Lions for Michael Brockers

The Rams’ return for Michael Brockers was minimal, and they won’t benefit from it until 2023.

If you were expecting the return for Michael Brockers to be significant, you’re about to be disappointed. The Rams have agreed to trade Brockers to the Lions, and in exchange for the nine-year veteran, Los Angeles will get a 2023 seventh-round pick.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was the first to report the compensation.

This is strictly a cap-saving move by the Rams after they asked Brockers to adjust his contract. The two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a tweak to his deal, so they’re trading him to the Lions where he’ll join Jared Goff – who they also sent to Detroit this offseason.

By trading Brockers, the Rams will save $6.17 million in cap space. His cap hit was scheduled to be $9.83 million in 2021, so this is a significant savings.

Brockers is a good player who’s stout against the run, but the Rams have more pressing needs on their roster than defensive end. They could now use this money to potentially re-sign Troy Hill, Austin Blythe or Morgan Fox.