The Los Angeles Rams have started the season so poorly that the team is now being floated in a variety of trade conversations by fans and analysts.
One such idea loops in the Bryce Yong saga from the Carolina Panthers, too.
The Rams are, at least for NFL analyst Sam Monson, one of just three teams in the NFL that make sense as a possible trade suitor for Young, the former No. 1 pick benched after just 18 games with the Panthers.
And while some might scoff at the idea and move along, there are some interesting parts to consider.
For one, this has always seemed like it could be the last year of Matthew Stafford with the Rams after the front office reworked his deal, removing the guarantees from 2025 and making it a one-year deal worth $40 million, effectively.
The Rams gave themselves such flexibility for a reason. And while there have been droves of injuries around Stafford, the fact he’s off to a 0-2 start with a single touchdown and interception hints at the front office doing some smart, future-minded thinking with the restructure.
That’s not to say the Rams should go get Young and give up on this season before this year’s trade deadline. Young, if the Panthers ever actually trade him, might not move until the offseason—especially considering some of the picks they coughed up to get him still belong to Chicago, anyway.
But the logic is there. Carolina has been a quarterback wasteland since the Cam Newton era and Sean McVay’s system with the Rams appears to represent the exact opposite. The Rams adding a veteran and grabbing upside with Young next offseason is one scenario worth logging as at least mildly possible.
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