By Pat Yasinskas.
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
On a frigid January day in Mobile, Ala., I ran into someone who works for the Los Angeles Rams.
He had two jobs at the Senior Bowl practice. One was to stay warm. The other was to scout the quarterbacks. The second job was far easier than the first.
I have a long-standing relationship with this person, and we sat and watched the practices together. He spoke off the record and openly. By the end of the week, it was more than obvious he thought North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz was the best of the bunch. From what he told me, the rest of the Rams’ brain trust felt the same way, and the Rams needed a quarterback.
There was one problem, however. The Rams weren’t scheduled to pick until No. 15 overall. By any estimation, Wentz would be long gone. My Rams source said the team would love to swing a trade into the top five to get Wentz but didn’t think there was any way they could swing it. The price tag simply would be too much.
Not a lot changed between January and Thursday morning. The Rams continued their homework on Wentz and grew even more enamored with him. But that price tag still looked prohibitive.
Until Thursday morning. That’s when the world woke up to a surprise. The Rams had pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Titans for the No. 1 pick. The price tag was very steep. The Rams got the No. 1 pick along with fourth- and sixth-rounders in this year’s draft.
The Titans will get the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft along with two second-round choices and a third-round pick this year. Tennessee also will get the Rams’ first- and third-round picks in 2017.
You can look at the deal and say the Rams mortgaged their future. You’d be right because that’s exactly what Los Angeles did. But the Rams needed to mortgage their future.
They’re in a unique situation. They’re moving to Los Angeles this year with a non-descript roster. They need some star power, and they need a quarterback.
Assuming they go with Wentz, and I’m ready to make that assumption, they get both things. The price was huge, but the end result was worth it.
More Rams-Titans Trade Links:
Rams-Titans NFL Draft Trade Grades
Rams-Titans Trade Winners and Losers
NFL Draft Rumor Mill (What the Titans will do at 15)
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 16
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
