Jason Cole at Yahoo! Sports has an article out today opining on players that should be traded. Trade talk is everywhere with the NFL trade deadline set for next Tuesday, October 18, and Cole steps into the foray with some interesting suggestions. He pitches the St. Louis Rams put one of their younger players on the block: Jason Smith.
I hesitate to call Jason Smith a bust, but he's has certainly failed to live up to his lofty draft status as the second player picked in a woeful 2009 draft class. The Rams continue to wait for Smith to develop the consistency required of an NFL offensive tackle, but it just doesn't seem to be happening.
Part of the problem with Smith is the matter of having the attitude and mean streak required of an NFL offensive lineman. One former Rams player recently told me that in 2009, he recalls telling one of his teammates that Smith would not last in the NFL. The addition of Harvey Dahl is supposed to help Smith with that aspect of his development, but so far, it's led to an ill-timed confrontation with Ray Smith, of all players.
Smith isn't a bad player. Like his fellow 2009 draftee Aaron Curry, he just is not meeting expectations. A fresh start might be good for him, and that's exactly what Cole suggests. Trading Smith would free up the Rams to find another tackle, be it in the draft or elsewhere, who can make an impact. It would also free up considerable cap space, and therein lies the rub. Another team may be unwilling to take on Smith's hefty price tag for middle of the road play.
Anyway, it's just a suggestion. Who from the Rams would you look at trading this year?
Oh, and if you're looking for cornerbacks on Cole's list...forget it. There's really nothing that can help the Rams at cornerback until next year.