I graded the Rams-Titans NFL Draft Trade Thursday morning, but we’ve only scratched the surface. A trade like this has sent a ripple throughout the entire 2016 NFL Draft, and the entire league, for that matter. Numerous teams and players were affected by this deal, so let’s discuss who won and lost as a result.
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Rams-Titans Trade Winners
Dallas Cowboys There are two consensus top players in the 2016 NFL Draft class, and neither is a quarterback. With the two signal-callers locked into the top couple of picks, the Chargers and Cowboys now will be able to get their hands on those elite prospects. This means Dallas probably will be able to land Jalen Ramsey, the No. 1 player on their board.
Jared Goff, QB, California Jared Goff was originally slated to be chosen by the 49ers at No. 7. Not only will he be picked five spots higher, he’ll be able to avoid the 49ers, who are an absolute train wreck. I know that the Browns aren’t exactly the epitome of success either, but San Francisco is currently run by a trust-fund idiot, a paranoid general manager players would rather retire than work with, and a head coach who doesn’t understand NFL concepts. The Browns are like the Patriots by comparison.
San Diego Chargers Though Jalen Ramsey was the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick when the Titans still sat atop the 2016 NFL Draft – more on this later – there was still a chance that Tennessee would opt for Laremy Tunsil. The Chargers can now breathe a sigh of relief, as Tunsil is now a lock to make it to their choice. They’ll finally be able to properly protect Philip Rivers.
Tennessee Titans I awarded an A+ to the Titans in my Rams-Titans NFL Draft Trade page. Even if Carson Wentz goes on to be the best quarterback of all time, it’s still a great trade. Tennessee now has three second-round choices as well as two firsts in 2017, a class that’s absolutely loaded. Check out my 2017 NFL Mock Draft if you haven’t already.
Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State It wasn’t possible as long as the Titans controlled the No. 1 pick, but Carson Wentz will now have the distinction of being the first player drafted. Quite the accomplishment for a player from North Dakota State! And it definitely appears as though it’ll be Wentz; Charlie Campbell reported two months ago that the Rams love Wentz.
Rams-Titans Trade Losers
Joey Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State Despite some recent reports, the Cowboys were infatuated with Joey Bosa and planned on selecting him at No. 4 overall. That may not be the case anymore, as passing up on Jalen Ramsey, the top player on their board, is an unlikely scenario. The Jaguars likely won’t be drafting Bosa, so the Ohio State edge rusher will have to settle on being chosen at No. 6 or 7 – or perhaps later if the Ravens and 49ers are scared of his off-the-field issues.
Cleveland Browns In typical Cleveland fashion, the Browns get the quarterback no one wants. The front office was in the driver’s seat in terms of which signal-caller it got to select prior to this trade. Now, the Browns have to settle on the quarterback the Rams didn’t trade a king’s ransom for. That will likely be Jared Goff. Some in the organization actually preferred Goff, but Wentz was the favorite to be chosen No. 2 overall.
Denver Broncos The 49ers won’t be able to select a quarterback at No. 7, which will obviously affect the Broncos. There was a report recently that a San Francisco-Denver Colin Kaepernick trade had been completed, but it was contingent on the 49ers selecting a signal-caller. That will no longer happen, meaning Mark Sanchez is now the favorite to start for Denver in 2016. And unless the NFL now awards five points for butt fumbles, that’s not a good thing.
Case Keenum, QB, Rams How can I not mention poor Case Keenum? The Rams talked him up all offseason as their starting quarterback. Now, his dreams have been absolutely crushed. On the bright side for Case, he could end up starting once Greg Robinson gets Carson Wentz murdered.
Los Angeles Rams Squandering resources to move up in a draft where the quarterbacks aren’t close to being the top prospects is a dubious move, at best. I handed a “D” to the Rams in my Rams-Titans NFL Draft Trade page, though some readers thought I was too kind. If Wentz doesn’t pan out, the Rams will be one of the worst teams in the NFL for quite some time.
Jalen Ramsey, S/CB, Florida State Believe me when I say this, Jalen Ramsey was the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick when the Titans still owned the top selection. Ramsey was viewed as the top prospect in the class, and he also addressed a greater need. Now, Ramsey could fall to No. 4. It’s not the end of the world, as he’ll still be a top-five pick, but he would’ve made history as being the first defensive back chosen No. 1 overall.
San Francisco 49ers Looks like Blaine Gabbert will be starting for the 49ers next year. Both Carson Wentz and Jared Goff will be off the board, so San Francisco will be forced to stage a “battle” between Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick in training camp. The latter will be considered the favorite by the media, but Chip Kelly will undoubtedly fall in love with Gabbert’s short accuracy. San Francisco fans: Get ready for more Blaine action! How excited are you!?
Rams-Titans Trade Poll
What do you guys think? Who won this trade? Cast your vote here and discuss below!
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