The Los Angeles Rams went all-in for their Super Bowl title in 2021, and now it’s time for them to pay the bill. Two years after winning it all, the team has one of the worst rosters in the league and a desperate need for some more young talent. With this in mind, Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio speculated that the Rams could trade superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald at the deadline, assuming Los Angeles gets off to a rough start.
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An Aaron Donald Trade Could Be on the Horizon
The State of the Rams
It’s worth noting that Florio’s article does not specifically mention any league sources indicating that an Aaron Donald trade is inevitable – this is purely an analysis piece. However, with that in mind, you can easily see where Florio is coming from. Years upon years of trading away picks for veterans has finally caught up with the organization, as the Rams are going to be bad in 2023 and it’s hard to see them turning the ship around any time soon.
Matthew Stafford is a solid quarterback, but he’s not one of the elite arms capable of turning any roster into an annual contender like Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady. Cooper Kupp is the only real offensive weapon on this team, and he’s battling a hamstring injury that could keep him sidelined for a few weeks. On the defensive side of the ball, Aaron Donald is the only proven veteran left on the roster. Sean McVay is a good coach, but you need talent to win football games, and the Rams just don’t have it.
#Rams star WR Cooper Kupp is in Minnesota today visiting with a noted body specialist to further understand his hamstring issue, sources say. With two pulls in one summer, the hope is to fully comprehend the root of the issue. Coach Sean McVay has described him as “day-to-day.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 2, 2023
Additionally, Los Angeles faces a gauntlet of tough opponents to start the season. The Rams will play eight games before the trade deadline, going toe-to-toe with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, and Dallas Cowboys. Even with Aaron Donald, it’s hard to envision the Rams winning more than two or three of those games, so they probably will be sellers at the trade deadline.
Possible Aaron Donald Trade Destinations
Every single team in the NFL would be better with Aaron Donald on their roster, but not every team is in the right position to trade for him. For one, Donald is only under contract through the 2024 season and has openly mulled retirement in the past, so he’s probably nothing more than a rental. Any team trying to trade for Aaron Donald would need to be in the midst of their Super Bowl window with a big need along the defensive interior.
The Los Angeles Chargers fit this description to a tee. This team should be one of the best in the AFC with Justin Herbert, a reliable receiving corps, and an actual offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. However, this team still needs help along the defensive line. The Chargers were notoriously bad against the run last year, and Donald will turn that weakness into a strength while getting after the quarterback.
The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, might not be contenders in the traditional sense, but they clearly believe they can compete in a weak division with Derek Carr. The team lost a lot of talent along the defensive line, and unless Bryan Bresee hits the ground running, they’ll probably have some weaknesses along the interior. Alternatively, the Dallas Cowboys have been linked to a Chris Jones trade, and if the Cowboys are in the market for a defensive tackle, then there’s nobody better than Aaron Donald.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are something of a dark horse, as they won’t have too much need for Donald if Michael Pierce returns to form. The former undrafted free agent is a reliable starter when healthy, but a torn biceps injury limited him to just three games in 2022 and nine games since 2021. Now entering his age-31 season, he might not be able to recapture his old form, which makes an Aaron Donald trade all the more likely.
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