After years of forgetting about draft picks and going all in on the present, the bill came due for the Los Angeles Rams last season. The Rams finished last season with a meager 5-12 record after injuries to Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and almost the entirety of their offensive.
To recoup some draft capital and free up some money on their cap sheet, the Rams moved on from veterans like Jalen Ramsey, Allen Robinson, and Bobby Wagner. Wagner was waived, Robinson was traded for a swap of late-round picks, and Ramsey fetched the Rams a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long.
The Rams continued to get some draft picks back during the season when they traded Van Jefferson and a seventh-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a sixth-round pick. The Rams might not be done making moves like that. They're 3-5 on the season and two games behind both the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West.
To make matters worse, Matthew Stafford injured the thumb on his throwing hand, an injury he has had before and has impacted his play. If Stafford is going to miss time, the Rams aren't going to have much of a chance at all to compete. At that point, they should absolutely try to trade more players for draft picks. One player on offense would make sense to move on from.
Rams trade Tyler Higbee to the Cincinnati Bengals
Rams get: Fifth-round pick
Bengals get: Higbee
Why the Rams do it
In addition to adding more draft picks, Tyler Higbee has been an afterthought for the Rams this season. Higbee has 42 targets in eight games this season. That ranks third on the Rams this season, but Cooper Kupp has only played four games this season and has 38 targets in those games. Higbee has made the most of his opportunities this season; his 11 yards per reception this season is the most he's averaged since 2020.
But it would make the most sense for the Rams to part with him. Primarily for the reasons listed above, but also for the fact that Hunter Long, the player the Rams acquired in the trade that sent Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, is now healthy.
Long has been on the Rams' IR with a hamstring injury, but the Rams have designated him to return before Week 8 and have three weeks to activate him onto their roster. If the Rams felt highly enough about Long to trade for him, they must think he's good.
Long was impressive at Boston College, where he averaged 14.6 yards per reception over three seasons. The Rams can see what they have in Long and get a draft pick back for Higbee. That seems like a win-win for the Rams.
Why the Bengals do it
The Bengals need a security blanket for Joe Burrow. He had one in Hayden Hurst. Not that Hurst was super impressive; he averaged only 1.23 yards per route run last season. But he at least was producing something for the Bengals at tight end.
Irv Smith Jr. was the Bengals' replacement for Hurst. But he has just 10 catches for 57 yards on the season. That is terrible production.
Tyler Higbee would be an instant upgrade. To make the fit even more seamless, Higbee shared two seasons on the Rams with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. They know each other and the transition from Los Angeles' offense to Cincinnati's shouldn't be too drastic for Higbee. The Bengals should make the call.
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