Odell Beckham trade rumors, big free-agent signings products of Rams' new vision

Alex Marvez

Odell Beckham trade rumors, big free-agent signings products of Rams' new vision image

ORLANDO, Fla. — Odell Beckham Jr. to the Rams?

Sure, it’s a long shot. But considering all the gonzo roster moves made by Los Angeles since 2016, the possibility of the talented but temperamental Giants wide receiver heading to SoCal can't be dismissed.

After all, nobody at this time two years ago could have predicted the Rams would complete one of the boldest maneuvers in NFL Draft history and leap from No. 15 to the top overall pick for quarterback Jared Goff. Likewise, nobody could predict the trades this offseason that landed elite cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib while also sending two players considered cornerstones of the LA defense not long ago — linebacker Alec Ogletree (Giants) and edge rusher Robert Quinn (Dolphins) — to different locales.

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And then there's the latest bold stroke: adding Ndamukong Suh in free agency to a defensive line that already features Aaron Donald, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and another standout in Michael Brockers.

All of this sounds like the machinations of someone using the Ultimate Team feature on "Madden NFL 18." But it’s not a video game. It's real life thanks to some outside-the-box thinking of the Rams' brain trust.

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"We started with a vision this offseason — getting our defense better," Rams general manager Les Snead told co-host Mark Dominik and me Tuesday on Sirius XM NFL Radio at the NFL's annual meeting. "Even though last year was fulfilling when we won 11 games and the (NFC West), we still lost in the playoffs.

"We knew that we didn't want to just sit still and rest on our laurels. We wanted to do what we could where we thought we needed to add to get better. That's what we've been doing."

The Suh acquisition epitomizes that.

Snead admitted he wasn't sure whether the Rams would even be financially competitive in the bidding for Suh, who was released by the Dolphins just before the start of the free-agent signing period. Los Angeles, though, offered something other serious suitors — the Saints, Titans and Raiders — could not: the chance to play alongside another defensive tackle who would actually command more double-teams than Suh at this point in his nine-year NFL career.

Although having never played in a 3-4 system like the one deployed by Rams coordinator Wade Phillips, Suh agreed to the plan that will have him at nose tackle in base packages. The one-year, $14 million salary tendered by LA sealed the deal Monday, giving the Rams their scariest defensive front since the Fearsome Foursome's heyday in the 1960s.

"We struggled to stop the run up the middle," said Snead, referring to the Rams' 28th-ranked run defense (122.3 yards) in 2017. "Suh is a big, strong body. We feel like we can use him to improve us there and obviously in passing situations getting the matchup with somebody having to deal with both Aaron and him."

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Getting the deal done wasn't made in a vacuum, either. LA was aware of the sensitivities in paying Suh while at the same time trying to negotiate a long-term extension with Donald, who missed all of the 2017 preseason in a holdout and could do the same this year if forced to play out the final year of his rookie contract.

"Before we did all this, we sat down with Aaron and let him know," Snead said. "He's well aware we're going to work to get something done this spring. But we (said), 'Oh, by the way, we've got the chance to acquire Ndamukong. He would actually get paid before you do. Are you good?'

"Aaron is the type of guy who (believes), 'If he helps us and he gets better, let's do it. My time will come here soon.'"

When that day finally arrives, Donald will become the NFL's highest-paid defensive player. That means the Rams have to cut corners in other areas and find less-costly solutions. Parting ways with high-priced veterans like Ogletree — who just received an $8 million signing bonus last October as part of a four-year contract extension — and Quinn is an example. Snead said their departure has left the Rams still looking for replacements with the draft approaching.

Other top-tier young talents like Peters, Goff and running back Todd Gurley also will be angling for big-money deals as their rookie contracts move closer to expiration. The same goes for safety LaMarcus Joyner, who was designated as the team's 2018 franchise player. And it would apply to Beckham, who won't practice for the Giants until he receives a contract extension, per NFL Network.

As history has shown, not every one of Snead’s personnel moves has paid dividends. Extending the contract of wide receiver Tavon Austin in 2016 has proven a huge mistake. Snead also was not able to re-sign Sammy Watkins after sending a second-round pick to the Bills during the 2017 season for the wide receiver’s services. That still stings even though Watkins’ departure to the Chiefs will be mitigated by LA receiving a third-round compensatory pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

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We'll know by then if all these marquee names have moved the Rams closer to their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1999 season — and if Beckham is part of the group.

But one thing already is certain: Snead’s unconventional roster building has put the Rams in their best position to compete for a Lombardi Trophy since the "Greatest Show on Turf" era. At the same time, it has generated the buzz that was sorely lacking when the franchise left St. Louis and returned to Southern California two years ago.

Alex Marvez can be heard from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET Tuesday and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET Wednesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Alex Marvez

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Alex Marvez is an NFL Insider at SportingNews.com, and also hosts a program on SiriusXM NFL Radio. A former Pro Football Writers of America president, Marvez previously worked at FOX Sports and has covered the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals.