The Los Angeles Rams have been busy since the NFL offseason began last month, and executives from rival teams have been fans of how they've adapted to their latest creation for a Super Bowl run.
After falling a bit short of reaching the Big Game earlier this year, the LA Rams brain trust is motivated to finish the story in 2026. And why not? They will bring back most of last year's roster, including reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford.
However, they must improve if they want to overcome division rivals and defending league champions, the Seattle Seahawks. They did so immediately when they made a blockbuster trade for Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Trent McDuffie. He also added teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency. His aggressiveness has earned the praise of a rival executive.
“It doesn't make any difference to me,” the executive said. "If you still think you're in the window and you have Matt Stafford coming back, you've got to do everything you can to try to win it one more time. They still have a first-round pick."
Exec praises visionary thinking of Los Angeles Rams contract for Trent McDuffie
Additionally, pairing McDuffie with Watson in L.A. especially after working well together in Kansas City drew praise from another NFL decision-maker.
"Corner is a position where even the top guys are hard to be consistent year after year, but I like how aggressive they were," the executive said. "Their biggest need by far was to have more size in the secondary, to be more competitive. You're pairing McDuffie with Watson so they can come together, communicate well together, build rapport."
While some NFL evaluators questioned the LA Rams' decision to make McDuffie the highest-paid corner in the league ($31 million annual average), another executive felt the price tag was a smart piece of forward thinking and not a bad overpay.
"I know they gave McDuffie a lot of money. But teams that accept where the cap is going and can adjust the percentages rather than have sticker shock are ahead of the game," that executive said. “They realize that $30 million is going to be (more palatable) because other people will get paid.”
