NFL Trade Rumors: Rashean Mathis And Brandon Lloyd

NFL trade rumors have connected the St. Louis Rams to Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. However, another name has become the subject of trade rumors lately that would fit a major need for the Rams. According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, several NFL front office types have told him that they believe Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis could be available for a mid-round pick.

Mathis fits an obvious need for the Rams, given they have Justin King, Rod Hood, Al Harris and a bunch of inexperienced players as their cornerbacks right now. In case you haven't noticed, cornerbacks are more of a rarity on the trade block. This is a deal the Rams would most definitely need to look into. 

Mathis is 31, and has 30 interceptions through his career. He had eight interceptions in 2006, but that was a long time ago. He has one takeaway this year. Takeaways are only a small part of it. He would give the Rams a starting caliber cornerback, something they just don't have right now. 

It's unlikely that the Rams would trade for both Mathis and Brandon Lloyd. They could use both. The secondary is something less than paper thin, but the real mystery on defense is why the linebackers and the line have played so poorly. Part of it is that DT Fred Robbins is having a poor season. That might be age. Defensive tackles tend to go from good to bad quickly as knees and the body give way to the wear and tear of trench play. The linebacker play is simply inexplicable. Of course, in case you haven't noticed, the offense is terrible too. While the pass protection is a big concern, the lack of viable offensive weapons is STILL an issue. 

You can continue playing armchair general manager, looking at the roster thinking so and so still has potential. The fact of the matter is that the coaches have failed to extract that potential, and that potential probably isn't what you think it is anyway among a bunch of late-round and undrafted players.