Rams had 2 of the 5 biggest NFL trade deadline moves of the last decade

With the Los Angeles Rams sitting at 3-5 entering Week 9, the team is sitting at an unusual place head of the October 31 NFL trade deadline. LA also had three wins prior to the 2022 deadline as GM Les Snead failed to make another signature blockbuster deal.

The Rams are unlikely to be active following a back-breaking blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Los Angeles standing pat at the trade deadline is an odd feeling. Snead has been uncharacteristically quiet the last two years but fans know that hasn’t always been the case.

Greg Rosenstein of The Athletic placed LA’s trades for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Von Miller among the five biggest NFL trade deadline moves of the last decade.

The Rams paid a steep price for Ramsey and it worked out to perfection. Los Angeles sent two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Jaguars and got outstanding play from Ramsey in the secondary during his time in Southern California.

“Ramsey made the Pro Bowl all three seasons in Los Angeles, starting 56 of 57 games. He had 209 tackles and 10 interceptions during that span and, most importantly, helped Los Angeles win Super Bowl 56. He had four tackles and a pass breakup in that matchup.” via Greg Rosenstein of The Athletic

Jalen was a First-team All-Pro from 2020-21. His 2020 campaign was nothing short of dominant as the Rams finished the season with the top-ranked defense. Ramsey allowed a career-low 354 yards in pass coverage as opposing quarterbacks only completed 50.7 percent of passes against him.

The All-Pro corner was instrumental in LA’s win over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI and he wasn’t the only one. Broncos legend Von Miller was acquired prior to the 2021 trade deadline and put together a Hall of Fame resume in the Mile High City.

“He made an impact from (literally) his first play, forcing a fumble on Oakland Raiders receiver Jacoby Ford on “Monday Night Football.” Miller was a wrecking ball in Denver for the next decade, starting all 142 games and compiling 490 tackles, 225 QB hits and 110 1/2 sacks. The eight-time Pro Bowler was named Super Bowl 50 MVP following a six-tackle (five solo), 2 1/2-sack performance as the Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10.” via via Greg Rosenstein of The Athletic

At the time, Denver was sitting at 4-4 in a brutal AFC West race. Once the Broncos decided to go in a different direction, the Rams happily scooped him up for a second and a third-round pick. While Von was only an 12-game rental for the Rams, LA wouldn’t have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy without him. Miller had five sacks in the regular season but was at his best in the playoffs. Through four postseason games, Miller had four sacks including two in the Big Game on Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

The NFL often stands for Not For Long which was definitely the case for both of these players during their brief Hollywood stay. Ramsey and Miller didn’t play long-term in Los Angeles and you’d bet that the organization would make either trade again in a heartbeat. Both players and brothers on the defense will be forever bonded by that Super Bowl team.

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