There is a long list of general managers who have played with draft pick fire and gotten burned.
The most famous example was Minnesota GM Mike Lynn, who traded a boatload of picks for star running back Herschel Walker in 1989. The Vikings never made the Super Bowl with Walker and the Dallas Cowboys turned the bounty into running back Emmitt Smith, defensive tackle Russell Maryland, safety Darren Woodson and cornerback Kevin Smith.
That trade was partly responsible for kicking off one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.
More recently, the Seattle Seahawks badly blundered by trading two first-rounders for safety Jamal Adams, and there are myriad other examples over the years.
Thank you, Jamal Adams… #Jets pic.twitter.com/NhMDH3015j
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) December 27, 2021
Despite the obvious potential downside, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead has thrown all caution to the wind over the past half-decade, continually trading picks for premium talent.
Since he was hired in 2017, here are some of the major the players Snead has acquired via trade and the top-shelf draft capital it cost to acquire them:
- WR Sammy Watkins: Second-round pick
- CB Marcus Peters: Second-round pick
- WR Brandin Cooks: First-round pick
- OLB Dante Fowler: Third-round pick
- CB Jalen Ramsey: Two first-round picks
- QB Matthew Stafford: Two first-round picks
- EDGE Von Miller: Second- and third-round picks
If Ramsey and Stafford ended up like Adams — questionable fits on a declining team — Los Angeles would have blown its championship window and Snead would have gotten roasted.
Not only would the precious draft capital have been gone, but the star players’ high salaries would have made it impossible to adequately reinforce the roster in free agency.
But even after inconsistent results from the early trades, Snead remained steadfast in his philosophy, and 13 days from now, the Rams could well be celebrating that decision with a Super Bowl victory.
Ramsey, Stafford and Miller have been critical pieces throughout the postseason, and combined with other stars like Aaron Donald, Andrew Whitworth and Cooper Kupp, make up the finest top-end portion of a roster in the NFL.
By compiling a super team, the Rams became attractive when Odell Beckham was unexpectedly released by the Browns midseason. He joined Los Angeles in November and has played a critical role in the team’s run to the Super Bowl.
Beckham had nine catches for 113 yards in the NFC Championship Game win over the 49ers, and it’s doubtful the Rams would have won that game without him.
"I was wrong about Odell Beckham."@PriscoCBS says OBJ has proven his doubters wrong with his play for the Rams. pic.twitter.com/lDJiAOAmSX
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) January 31, 2022
When general managers get hired, they have one eye on the present and one on the future. However, too many can get caught up in future roster flexibility to the detriment of present-day success.
The Rams may well be in serious trouble down the road because of all the picks Snead has traded. But two Super Bowl appearances in four years makes it well worth that potential cost, and it’s not like Los Angeles’ window is slamming shut any time soon.
The Rams clearly believe that if they have superstars in key positions, cheap players can fill in the roles around them, and that plan can be executed for the foreseeable future.
When Snead got the Rams’ GM job, he dared to zig when others zagged, trading away draft capital when it was en vogue to hoard it. In the process, he built a roster with dynamic superstars on both sides of the ball, one that is the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl title.
Long-term success is fleeting in the NFL, anyway, so Snead took shot after shot on the trade market. And right about now, he looks like Steph Curry.
