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4 Realistic Trades the Rams Could Make Before the Deadline, Ranked by Likelihood
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- 4 Realistic Trades the Rams Could Make Before the Deadline, Ranked by Likelihood
Two straight wins have the Los Angeles Rams back at .500, and the timing couldn't be better for a team that was 2-4 two weeks ago. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum powered a win in Las Vegas , then the defense held the Chargers to nine points at SoFi Stadium in a 24-9 victory. Now the 4-4 Rams head to Washington with a deadline decision that is mostly about money.
Sean McVay has said the Rams don't plan to add externally, ESPN's Sarah Barshop wrote in ESPN's deadline preview , and she described the goal as staying put and counting on players returning from injury. The Rams also have few 2027 picks, with Cleveland owning their first-rounder , and they have $8,001 in cap space, according to Over the Cap . Here are four deals ranked from the one that won't happen to the one that should, before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.
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Nonsense: Jerry Jeudy comes over from Cleveland
Oct 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens safety Malaki Starks (24) as safety Jaylinn Hawkins (21) defends in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Davante Adams' hamstring injury sent Rams fans searching for receivers, and Jerry Jeudy was one of the first names to come up. We wrote that the Browns aren't shopping Jeudy , and nothing about Cleveland's 5-3 record suggests that has changed.
The money makes it even less likely. Jeudy carries a $10.37 million cap hit, and trading him would leave the Browns with $22.3 million in dead money, per Over the Cap . Los Angeles would have to send back almost that much salary to make it legal. Jeudy has 16 catches for 171 yards this season, a far cry from the 1,229-yard receiver he was two years ago, and the Rams can't afford to pay for the old version.
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Unlikely: Jauan Jennings heads to Los Angeles
Sep 27, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jauan Jennings (14) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) line up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler named Jauan Jennings as the Vikings player who could be traded, and the Rams were named a fit for Jennings last month. He knows the NFC West from his time in San Francisco, and he has only six catches for 54 yards in six games in Minnesota.
The cap is the problem, and it has gotten worse. When we looked at this on Oct. 28, the Rams had $206,406 in space. Over the Cap now has them at $8,001, a drop of $198,405 in nine days. Jennings has a $1.63 million base salary and a $9.53 million cap hit, and Minnesota would carry $4.5 million in dead money. He also turned down a 49ers reunion , and the Vikings have been working him back into the offense. It would take a salary-matching deal the Rams haven't shown any interest in making.
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Realistic: Dyami Brown adds speed on the cheap
Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown (2) runs the ball during the first quarter against Detroit Lions in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
ESPN's Aaron Schatz named Commanders receiver Dyami Brown as the Rams' target, and he fits the one missing piece we identified in this offense. Brown has nine catches for 94 yards, including a 48-yarder, and he has returned three kickoffs for 82 yards. Washington is 2-4-1 and has receivers it likes more, starting with rookie Antonio Williams.
Brown is cheap by any standard. His base salary is $1.22 million and his cap hit is $1.72 million, with only $250,000 in dead money left behind in Washington, per Over the Cap . Even half of that base salary is more than the Rams have, though, so a deal would need a second move. The two teams meet Sunday, which gives both front offices a close look before Tuesday.
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Likely: Emmanuel Forbes Jr. moves for a late pick
Sep 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Wesley Bailey (47) and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (1) tackle Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Fowler named cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. as the Rams player who could be traded, and the Rams already told the league where they stand on his future when they declined his fifth-year option . Forbes has played well in a limited role, with an 80.8 PFF grade and a 77.6 passer rating allowed on eight catches, but he isn't a regular starter in a secondary that also has Trent McDuffie .
This is the move that makes every other move possible. Forbes has a $1.95 million base salary and a $2.85 million cap hit, and Over the Cap shows the Rams would carry no dead money in a trade. That would take Los Angeles from $8,001 in space to roughly $2.86 million by our math, enough to absorb a player like Brown. A former first-round pick playing well on an expiring deal should bring back a Day 3 pick from a team that needs corner help, and it keeps McVay's promise about staying put mostly intact.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
