Forget that 1-1 start, folks. The Los Angeles Rams are still flashing serious Super Bowl contender vibes thanks to a roster absolutely loaded with stars and a potential that screams “championship run.” Seriously, they’re not messing around, and it’s all tied back to one guy who loves to gamble with future assets for immediate glory: General Manager Les Snead.
The “Expletive Them Picks” Mantra Continues To Deliver
Snead’s infamous “(Expletive) them picks” philosophy has become legendary around the league, and for good reason. His strategy is simple: package up those draft picks and send ’em out the door for proven, veteran talent. We’ve seen it pay off in spades before, right? Just look at Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, and Von Miller. Stafford and Miller arrived in 2021, Ramsey in the 2019 season, and all those moves came at the cost of high draft picks. It wasn’t just for show either. That aggressive approach pushed the Rams to Super Bowl appearances in both the 2018 and 2021 seasons, capping it off with a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at their own house, SoFi Stadium, in that 2021 game. Stafford is still there, leading the charge as that veteran presence in the locker room.
New Faces Arrive, More Picks Depart
And Snead ain’t stopping. This past offseason, he doubled down on his commitment to “proven talent,” making two more jaw-dropping trades that sent ripples across the NFL. They snagged cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs for a haul of four draft picks, including a huge 2026 first-round pick. Then, in an even bolder move, they brought in edge rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. What did that cost? Only outside linebacker Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick! Think about that for a second. When was the last time the Rams even made a first-round selection? Since 2017, they’ve picked in the first round just twice: Verse at 19th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and quarterback Ty Simpson at 13th overall in 2026. This is an organization built on flipping future potential for current firepower, going all the way back to the 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff being sent to Detroit for Stafford.
This is the Les Snead way, plain and simple. With the Super Bowl returning to Los Angeles this season, it’s a familiar opportunity for the Rams. They’ve loaded up the roster and, despite an early 1-1 record, they’re clearly signaling their intentions. What they’ve built for this year is going to be incredibly exciting to watch unfold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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