Los Angeles Rams: Is Odell Beckham A Trade Too Far?

The Los Angeles Rams have been exceedingly aggressive this 2018 off-season. It’s clear enough what they’re intent is. That’s the Super Bowl.

After going 10-6 last season, the general feeling is this Rams team is ready to take on the best of the NFC for the right to challenge for the Lombardi Trophy. They certainly gave the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles a game last season. So it’s only logical they’d think a couple of strong moves to upgrade the roster might push them over the top.

GM Les Snead has decided to do that in the way he knows best. That’s through trades. It started big when the Rams dealt multiple picks to the Kansas City Chiefs for star cornerback Marcus Peters. Then they struck again with a deal for veteran Pro Bowl corner Aqib Talib, completely reshaping the Rams secondary in just two moves.

This doesn’t even include them trading away Robert Quinn and Alec Ogletree during that run. Now it appears Snead is poised to strike again. This time higher than ever before.

Rams’ pursuit of Odell Beckham would be their last big move

There is no question why the Rams have interest in Odell Beckham Jr. He’s one of the best receivers in the league and would solve one of their biggest roster holes after they lost Sammy Watkins to Kansas City. Word persists the New York Giants are looking for two 1st round picks in the deal but smart money says that could be haggled down to something around a 1st and a 3rd.

Los Angeles has both of those. Were this deal to go through, it would be the last major move they’d be capable of for a long time and likely the most dangerous. Beckham is a star but he’s going to be expensive and brings a ton of baggage with him. Never mind his recent video that spread on social media involving pizza and drugs. There’s the long history of being unable to control his emotions on or off the field.

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Head coach Sean McVay had a great first year, but he’s never had to juggle these many personalities in a locker room before. Beckham, Talib, and Peters? Not to mention Ndamukong Suh? Those are four volatile personalities. Things will be fine as long as the team wins, but what happens if there’s a slump or even a confrontation during practice? That’s the sort of minefield Los Angeles would be stepping into by going after Beckham.