In 2023, the Los Angeles Rams found production from unlikely places, with three of their big success stories of the season, Puka Nacua, Quentin Lake, and Kobie Turner all playing massive roles despite being mid-to-late draft picks in the years prior.
Will the Rams find similar success in 2024, plucking premier starters out of thin air on the way to building another contender? Potentially so, but for that to happen, Los Angeles needs to figure out who they want to build around into the future and which players on their roster they could probably do without.
So, with 10 new players added in the draft plus even more additions in the free agency, here are some trades the Rams could execute to optimize their roster heading into Week 1.
Three trades the Los Angeles Rams could pull off before Week 1.
3. Joseph Noteboom
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Joseph Noteboom looked like he was going to be a serious player for the Rams.
A third-round pick out of TCU back in 2018, Noteboom came to Los Angeles after dazzling at the combine, recording 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle numbers that ranked in at least the 94th percentile according to Mockdraftable. Appearing in 16 games as a rookie and 67 games overall during his six-year run in LA, Noteboom started 31 games for the Rams, including eight last season as a semi-starter for Sean McVay's offense, but seemingly every time he was going to turn the corner, something happened that sent the Horned Frog back to square one.
With 2021 undrafted free agent Alaric Jackson expected to start in 2024 at left tackle and stalwart Rob Havenstein locked in on the right side, Noteboom will likely spend much of 2024 as a very expensive reserve with a cap hit of $11.6 million; it's worth wondering what the Rams would say if some team reached out about his availability. Is a reserve swing tackle worth the price on a team with playoff aspirations in 2024? Or do the Rams feel comfortable enough in their depth to take a Day 3 pick? Fans will find out soon enough.
2. Isaiah Likely
When Tyler Higbee went down with a combination ACL/MCL injury during the Rams' playoff game against the Detroit Lions, it not only put a damper on LA's chances in the playoffs but also put his 2024 season into serious doubt, too, as he would only have roughly nine months to return to the field if he was ready for Week 1.
Discussing Higbee's injury, McVay told the Rams' official website that he expects the fourth-round pick to start out the season on PUP, with no clear 1b to step up and into his shoes.
“You just feel terrible with Tyler Higbee getting injured. He’s meant so much to our team, but you know he’s gonna be a PUP guy for sure. Don’t know exactly when to expect them back, but being able to have somebody in addition to what Davis Allen did, I think that gives us the opportunity to maybe mix up some personnel groupings, and then hopefully having Hunter Long come back. And really, really fortunate to be able to have [tight ends coach/pass game coordinator] Nick Caley stay, because he had some opportunities to leave. I’m glad we kept that crazy guy around, he’s a h*ll of a coach.”
While the Rams did add a veteran tight end in free agency, stealing Colby Perkins from the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year $22.5 million deal, if they decide they want more help at the position, they could turn to Isaiah Likely of the Baltimore Ravens, who is about to head into Year 3 as a pro.
Standing 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, Likely is a very fun player at the tight end position, catching 66 balls on 100 targets over the last two years for 784 yards and eight touchdowns. He's a threat in the endzone, a massive target in space, and the sort of player who can move around offensive formations instead of just playing on the line or off of it.
If McVay wants to go big with multi-tight end looks or simply future-proof the position, Likely is certainly a player to watch.
1. Tutu Atwell
Heading into 2023, fans genuinely weren't sure who would have a bigger season for the Rams, Nacua or Tutu Atwell.
Now granted, that question was answered rather quickly, as Nacua went on to have the most prolific rookie season in NFL history while Atwell, a second-round pick out of Louisville, had an encouraging but not particularly noteworthy season, catching just 39 of the 67 balls thrown his way for 483 yards and three touchdowns. Despite his reputation as a speedster, Atwell only averaged 12.4 yards per catch, and while he did haul in a few big bombs from Matt Stafford, he was a distant third option playing alongside two of the top wide receivers in the NFL.
With those top two options plus Demarcus Robinson all back for the 2024 season, who knows, if another team comes calling with a decent enough offer or rookie Jordan Whittington immediately catches on, who knows, maybe Atwell will play out the final season on his rookie season elsewhere.
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