There’s several different ways to build a roster that can win a Super Bowl.
According to Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead, “F*** them picks.”
The Rams are the current world champions, but have built their team differently for a few years now. Snead and head coach Sean McVay have realized that it’s more efficient to trade away draft picks for veteran players that have had success in the NFL and add needs through free agency.
The perfect example is trading for Matthew Stafford.
Jared Goff wasn’t the answer despite leading the Rams to a Super Bowl back in the 2018 season and had issues behind the scenes with McVay. Los Angeles knew they had an opportunity to upgrade at the most important position in sports and they did.
The Rams gave away two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and Goff for Stafford in return. Let’s be honest nobody really remembers how much the Rams gave up for Stafford, because it worked in their favor in the long run with Stafford playing at a MVP type level.
Los Angeles even traded for Broncos pass rusher Von Miller before the trade deadline during the season as well as Patriots running back Sony Michel back in August. The Rams also traded for Jalen Ramsey in the middle of the 2019 season.
It’s clear that the Rams had a solid roster, but went all in to make it even better and it paid off. They did nearly the same thing in 2018, when they ended up in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.
In 2018, LA traded for Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters to bolster up their secondary and then traded for Brandin Cooks to add depth to the wide receiver room.
The Rams do not own a first-round pick until 2024. Since Sean McVay has been the head coach of the Rams dating back to 2017, he has yet to be connected to a first-round pick. Over the five seasons with McVay at the helm, Los Angeles owns a 55-26 overall record with 7-3 playoff record. The Rams have missed the postseason just once, along with two Super Bowl appearances and a victory.
Obviously, the Rams drafted certain players in later rounds that made an impact on those teams, but it’s the trades that pushed them over the top to have success.
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