The Los Angeles Rams are famous for their cavalier attitude towards first-round picks over the last decade. Los Angeles acquired Trent McDuffie from Kansas City on March 4th in yet another example of trading a first-round pick for proven talent. It should be no surprise that LA supports one proposed rule change during the 2026 offseason.
The Cleveland Browns are proposing a rule change that would allow NFL teams to to trade draft picks up to five year into the future. Teams are currently limited to trading picks no more than three years out.
Rams president Kevin Demoff posted on social media on Wednesday explaining why he thinks that is a great idea.
“Nothing creates more interest in the NFL than trades,” Demoff wrote. “This is why Cleveland’s proposal to allow teams to trade picks up to 5 years out as opposed to 3 years out makes so much sense. More picks to trade = more trades = more interest & team building options.”
Demoff has first-hand experience seeing how trades involving future draft picks can upgrade a team.
General manager Les Snead has pulled off several trades involving first-round pick over the last decade. In fact, the Rams did not pick in the first round from 2017-23 as a result of several trades to add veteran talent. Los Angeles added Brandin Cooks, Jalen Ramsey, and Matthew Stafford during that span.
Los Angeles has also traded out of the first round twice since the 2019 draft.
The NFL is a copycat league. It is fair to wonder if other teams will be tempted by this proposal at the NFL's Annual League Meeting, which takes place from March 29th through April 1st.
Proposed rule changes require 24 votes from NFL teams in order to pass.
