The Los Angeles Rams offensive line has seen better days. Left tackle Joe Noteboom and left guard Steve Avila both suffered injuries in Week 1, decimating an offensive line that already lacked depth. Los Angeles recently signed offensive tackles Geron Christian and Ty Nsekhe, but these players are nothing more than emergency short-term options. If they want to find adequate play at tackle and along the interior, they might turn to the trade market.
Matthew Stafford is one of the league’s best quarterbacks when healthy, but the 16-year veteran has taken far more than his fair share of hits throughout his professional career. With his 37th birthday fast approaching, the Rams must find better blockers if they want to get the most out of Stafford’s final years, especially with star wideout Puka Nacua landing on the injured reserve. With limited options in free agency, the Rams could trade for Brady Christensen of the Carolina Panthers or Ben Cleveland of the Baltimore Ravens.
2 Trade Targets Who Could Fix the Rams Offensive Line
Calling Brady Christensen a tackle is a little misleading, as the former third-round pick spent the past few seasons working along the interior offensive line. However, he spent the 2021 season at tackle and could fill in at the position in a pinch. Christensen entered the 2023 season as Carolina’s starting left guard but missed the vast majority of the season thanks to a Week 1 biceps injury. With free agent signees Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis holding down the starting guard spots and Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton locked in at tackle, Christensen has no spot on the current offensive line. Given the state of the Rams offensive line, Christensen could step in and provide some much-needed protection for Stafford.
The Los Angeles Rams need help at every spot on the offensive line, and the Panthers have every reason to trade Christensen for whatever they can get. Despite hiring a new head coach and revamping the offense with the Diontae Johnson trade and first-round pick Xavier Legette, Carolina’s offense looked as lifeless as ever in their 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Seeing as he’s entering the final year of his contract, Carolina should happily accept a late-round pick in exchange for a player who could fill in at all five offensive line positions for a Rams team hoping to go on a deep playoff run.
Ben Cleveland Gone?
The Baltimore Ravens selected Ben Cleveland in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft hoping he could turn into a starting-caliber player. That hasn’t happened, as the Georgia product spent most of his career in a backup role and couldn’t win a starting job in 2024 despite watching John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler depart in the offseason. Cleveland doesn’t have a home with the Ravens, but he could be a decent fit in the Rams makeshift offensive line.
The old saying goes that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and the Rams could try to catch lightning in a bottle to solidify their offensive line. Ben Cleveland probably won’t amount to much in a new environment, but it can’t hurt to try. Chances are, a sixth-round pick would be enough to get a Ben Cleveland trade across the finish line.
Main Photo: Stephen Lew – USA Today Sports
