After dropping to 3-4, Les Snead now has a decision to make and not much time to make it with Week 8’s matchup occurring barely more than 48 hours before the NFL trade deadline. The Los Angeles Rams are coming off one of the most ill-timed losses of the last several years. Heading into the game, the team had a chance to climb above .500 and place themselves squarely in the playoff hunt.
With a win against the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams will be back to .500 and back vying for a playoff spot. However, if they drop to two games below .500 at the trade deadline, the temptation to move on from older players might be greater than holding out hope for a sudden explosive run. As it stands, the game against the Cowboys might define the Rams’ season.
If they can defeat the current sixth-seed Dallas Cowboys, they have a shot to get to January. However, if they fall short or, even worse, get blown out, Les Snead might not be able to say no to a sell-off at the NFL trade deadline. If they were one game under .500 following Week 8, there likely would be no discussion. That said, falling to two games below .500 and riding a 2-5 slide after starting 1-0, the writing would be on the wall.
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At this point, unless Snead finds gold for pennies on the ground, trading for a player before the NFL trade deadline seems to be out of the question. Over the last week, Sean McVay has been keeping expectations in check, per NBC Sports. The team has already parted ways with wide receiver Van Jefferson and Cam Akers. Granted, both trades were the result of another player blooming.
The Rams organization seems to be content letting 2023 be whatever 2023 will be. But Les Snead is known for his cavalier attitude toward draft picks. We will learn how much he values the Rams THREE top-100 2024 picks in the coming days.
Are The Rams Sellers At The NFL Trade Deadline
However, if Snead sends away a big piece like Cooper Kupp or even Aaron Donald, he would be declaring the season to be over. Now, conversations like that shouldn’t be seriously on the table unless the Rams lose to the Cowboys in a similar fashion to the New York Giants in Week 1, when they lost 40-0. If that happens against the wild-card hopefuls in Dallas, it might be impossible to bounce back.
Also, if Snead elects to part ways with age-30 Cooper Kupp or age-32 Aaron Donald at the NFL trade deadline, it would signal a complete rebuild.
The hope for fans is that Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Cooper Kupp remind the NFL of all that they’ve accomplished. Nacua has been a Rookie of the Year candidate. Stafford and Kupp won a Super Bowl together not too long ago.
That performance does still exist under the skin of the team. Sunday’s the day for the players to rise up and put together a game that leaves the Cowboys doubting, not the Rams.
