Years of trades have footed the bill. Now Brandin Cooks Jersey , the bill is due."WhiteSections 2019 offseason2019 free agency2019 NFL DraftFull ArchiveLibrary 2019 NFL calendar2019 Rams regular season sched2019 Rams preseason schedMasthead Community Guidelines NFL Odds StubHub 鉁?019 NFL DraftWith compensatory picks for 2019 NFL Draft set, the Los Angeles Rams are in a clear position to trade back because of roster timeline gapNew,75commentsYears of trades have footed the bill. Now, the bill is due.CSTShareTweetShareShareWith compensatory picks for 2019 NFL Draft set, the Los Angeles Rams are in a clear position to trade back because of roster timeline gapLos Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead celebrates in the locker room after the Rams’ victory in the NFC Championship, Jan. 20, 2019.Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY SportsSince the 2016 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams have remade their roster through the conventional means of the draft and free agency coupled with an aggressive posture on the trade front.That posture Ndamukong Suh Jersey , though, has meant that while the Rams were aggressive in bringing in top talents, they’ve brought in less players than what they’ve traded out.I went back and compiled all the trades since the 2016 draft (not including any previoustrades such as those that included QB Nick Foles and QB Case Keenum that involved picks in that draft for example) both leading up to drafts and throughout. You can see them in this table here that I’m not going to embed because it’s a bit of a hot mess, but what you can see is that for all the trades since 2016 is that the Rams have brought in 13 less players than what they’ve traded away.Put simply, those deals have left the cupboard a bit bare at the back end of the roster.Deals like the trade for the #1 pick that we used to take QB Jared Goff in which we sent the Tennessee Titans six picks and received three back. Deals like the trades for WR Sammy Watkins and CB Aqib Talib and potentially EDGE Dante Fowler, Jr., where the Rams sent away draft picks that would have been on the roster for several more years than the players we brought in.The bottom line is that were it not for the trades (and I’m not advocating against them, I’m just pointing out the cost) Dante Fowler Jersey , the Rams would have 13 more players shoring up their roster. And when you look at all the role players on expiring deals, it’s clear that the Rams have a ton of work to do just to fill out the roster with capable talents this year and next.That means one thing.The Rams severely need to trade down this year.Specifically because of the trades, the Rams are in the unusual position of needing to backfill a gap in the roster timeline because of the sheer number of trades General Manager Les Snead has pulled off. Had the Rams held on to all those picks, they might already have a quarterback on the roster to supplant Sean Mannion as the QB2. They might have had an edge rusher that would have negated the motivation to trade for Fowler in the first place. They might already have the cornerback depth they severely need once Talib and perhaps even CB Marcus Peters are gone after the 2019 season.The Rams have been aggressive in bringing quality. But it has come at the expense of quantity.For that reason alone, the Rams need to balance the scale in favor of quantity this year by scaling back the quality of their draft capital.Work your magic, Lester.2019 NFL Draft LA Rams OrderRd#Rd#PickPlayerPOSSchoolRd#Rd#PickPlayerPOSSchool Le'Veon Bell might be ready to head back to work. The Pittsburgh Steelers don't exactly look like they need him.The star running back tweeted "Farewell Miami" on Monday, possibly indicating the end of his months-long standoff with the club. Bell hasn't been inside the Pittsburgh locker room since last January, opting to stay away rather than sign his one-year franchise tender. The two-time All-Pro has sacrificed half of the $14.4 million he's due this season but needs to report by Nov. 13 to make sure he accrues enough service time to reach free agency in March.Bell's extended absence initially created a furor inside the locker room. Now C.J. Anderson Jersey , it seems almost like an afterthought. The Steelers (5-2-1) have ripped off four straight victories heading into Thursday night's visit from Carolina (6-2), relying heavily on James Conner — Bell's replacement — to surge into the lead in the AFC North.Conner topped 100 yards rushing for a fourth straight week during a 23-16 victory over Baltimore on Sunday, and caught his first career touchdown pass when he took a short flip from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and bulled past Baltimore safety Eric Weddle at the pylon."He's showing that no challenge is too big for him, against the No. 1 defense or whoever it might be," Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva said of Conner. "You know when you're so close to him, and he lowers his shoulder, and you see him get a couple yards, it's extremely motivating."Conner is second in the league in all-purpose yards and touches behind Los Angeles Rams standout Todd Gurley and tied for fourth in total touchdowns. The second-year back hardly seems bothered by the heavy workload Eric Weddle Jersey , saying he's built for it. So does his coach."I agree with James," Mike Tomlin said Monday when asked about Conner's personal assessment.Tomlin smiled as he answered, mirroring the considerably lighter mood around his team these days. The problems that plagued the Steelers during September have vanished, though Tomlin is reticent to point to any one area where his team has improved."I'm not trying to look for specific areas, I just try to challenge these guys to get better every day," Tomlin said. "That's what we're focused on. I think that if we do that daily that will give us a chance to produce consistent performances that are on the rise. Not only in the second quarter (of the season) but as we continue through this journey."It's a pattern that's become well established during Tomlin's 12 years on the job. The Steelers have been traditionally slow starters under his watch, then get it together as the days grow shorter.Pittsburgh hasn't allowed more than 21 points during its four-game run and the secondary that was torched regularly in the opening month has settled in. Coty Sensabaugh has taken over for Artie Burns at the cornerback spot opposite Joe Haden and rookie safety Terrell Edmunds has filled in capably while veteran Morgan Burnett heals from a series of injuries that have slowed him since training camp.The Steelers aren't exactly overwhelming opponents but considering the firepower on offense, overwhelming teams isn't required. Pittsburgh gave up at least 327 yards in each of its first four games. The Steelers haven't surrendered more than 324 yards over their last four."Our defense is working in the right direction Austin Blythe Jersey ," safety Sean Davis said. "We held the Ravens to 16 points ... and I feel like we're putting together winning performances. As long as the defense continues to do that, and with our offense playing the way they're playing, we're just going to continue riding the roller coaster. Our trajectory is high."Considerably higher than it appeared while getting repeatedly torched during the opening month. Yet the job is still only halfway done. The schedule remains daunting. If Bell — whenever he shows up — can return to at least some semblance of the form that made him an All-Pro last season, Pittsburgh could be a tough out. If he can't, they like their chances anyway."It's still going to be a long ride," linebacker Bud Dupree said. "It was great that we got the win to get on top of the division again. We've got another game against the Bengals. We just need to be sure to dominate everywhere."
