The leadership of the Los Angeles Rams was quite clear: for the 2021 season, everything necessary had to be done to give the franchise the best opportunity to play the Super Bowl at home.
A) Yes, Les Snead, general manager of the Rams, began looking for the cornerstone to achieve the goal. Read, a quarterback.
And since the NFL is the land of opportunity, the Detroit Lions agreed to a trade involving starting quarterbacks from both franchises.
The exchange began to cook in January 2021, when matthew stafford he asked the Lions to explore trading him, which became a reality in mid-March when free agency began.
Stafford went to the Rams and Detroit took Jared Goff and three college picks, including first-round picks from the 2022 and 2023 Drafts.
Stafford did not disappoint in Los Angeles. He passed for 4,886 yards and tied his career high with 41 touchdown passes. In addition, he recorded the most passing yards in a single season in franchise history and tied the mark for Kurt Warner most touchdown passes in a single season, with 41.
After years and years of frustrations in Detroit, Stafford finally landed on a team talented enough to contend for a title.
It was not, of course, the only move made by Snead, who with two separate trades added another couple of headlines.
In late August, the Rams acquired running back sonymichel in a trade with the New England Patriots for two draft picks, a sixth-round pick in 2022 and a fourth-round pick in 2023.
Michel, a starter in seven regular-season games, led the team with 845 rushing yards, an average of 4.1 per attempt, and four touchdowns.
After the two fumbles of Cam Akers in last week’s Divisional Play in Tampa, Michel is likely to get more chances in the NFC Championship game against San Francisco.
Finally, on Monday, November 2, the Rams obtained another key piece of this “Juggernaut”. It was a new trade, now with the Denver Broncos, and so they acquired the linebacker Von Miller.
Miller joined a defense that includes two other stars: tackle Aaron Donald and the cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
In exchange, the Rams gave up their second- and third-round picks in the 2022 Draft. In the Divisional Round against the Buccaneers, Miller sacked once Tom Brady and he also forced and recovered a fumble from the legendary quarterback, in what was probably his last NFL game.
Free agents and college picks
In 2021, Cooper Kupp became the fourth player since 1970 to lead the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and touchdown receptions (16) in the same season.
Jae C. Hong (AP)
The Rams have also done a good job in free agency, adding players like wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (2021), linebacker Leonard Floyd (2020), the kicker Matt Gay (2020), The Tackle Andrew Whitworth (2017) and the also wide receiver Robert Woods (2017).
But, as is the norm in the NFL, the Draft is the foundation of every roster and that’s where the Rams have built this contender in the NFC.
It all started in the first round of the 2014 Draft, with Aaron Donald; three years later came cooper kuppin the third round.
In 2021, Kupp became the fourth player since 1970 to lead the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and touchdown receptions (16) in the same season.
His 1,947 yards were the second-most in a single season, behind only 1,964 for Calvin Johnson (2012), and the 145 receptions are only surpassed by the 149 of michael thomas (2019).
In 2020 the Los Angeles team recruited the running back Cam Akers and to the wide receiver van jeffersonwhile the safety taylor rapp he was a second-round pick in 2019.
However, with so many picks given up in trades, the Rams will be short on ammunition in the 2022 and 2023 Drafts, something that will, of course, be overlooked if the team makes history and becomes the second Super Bowl winner in your own stadium.
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Trades, the ‘secret weapon’ of the Rams to go to the Super Bowl