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AFC linebacker emerges as potential Rams trade deadline target
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- AFC linebacker emerges as potential Rams trade deadline target
If the Los Angeles Rams want to bolster their defense at the trade deadline, Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray should be near the top of their wish list.
That's a position of need for the Rams, while Gray himself has fallen out of favor with the Titans despite an especially productive 2025 campaign.
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Los Angeles isn't necessarily the first destination you think of when it comes to taking a swing on a linebacker. Under coach Sean McVay, the Rams simply have not put much emphasis or capital into building their off-ball linebackers group . But in a year when you've already committed to going all-in for a Super Bowl title, there's no better time than now to take a swing at an oft-neglected spot.
Currently, Nate Landman is the Rams' best off-ball linebacker, and to his credit he's a fine player and contributor for defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Overall, he had a good game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 5, flashing numerous times throughout the game.
However, his limitations were also on display, such as on a long run by Bills quarterback Josh Allen in overtime when Landman was manning the middle of the field.
He needs help, and the Rams need better depth when Landman isn't on the field at all. That doesn't happen often, considering all that's currently asked of Landman (he played 89% of this week's defensive snaps), but this would allow Shula to be more flexible with his personnel.
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CEDRIC GRAY
For Gray's part in this, it's surprising that someone who was so productive just a season ago could now be on the trade block as some outlets have suggested . After all, he set the Titans' franchise record for tackles in a single season last year with 164 stops, a bright spot in an otherwise miserable year for that franchise.
A new coaching regime in Nashville has led to a much different story in 2026, however. Under the new Titans brain trust of coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, Gray has only played 44% of the Titans snaps in the four games he's played. He's also only been a starter in two of the four games after starting 16 a year ago.
Saleh was asked about Gray's playing time last week, and it didn't make the playing time situation any clearer for the third-year pro.
As of now, Cedric does a good job in the run game and pass game. Cody [Barton] is also a very good linebacker, really good communicator. When you look at nickel defense with Cody and Anthony [Hill Jr.], it has been a good combination for us. We've been going more dime, so only one linebacker is on the field on third down, so that's bringing all the snap counts down also. So there's a combination of different things. We're doing a lot of different things personnel-wise. We're playing with five D-linemen on the field several times a game. So, there's certain things that are bringing both our snap counts down, but overall percentage-wise, it's going to be similar.
Something worth noting: Saleh and co. didn't draft Gray. They did draft Hill. These things matter in the NFL.
RAMS LINEBACKER OPTIONS
The Rams also play a lot of dime and don't need tons of linebackers all on the field at once. What they do need, however, is an influx of talent at the position. It also doesn't quite match up that Gray can't play as the dime linebacker if, in Saleh's own words, Gray is good in both the run and pass games.
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We don't need to oversell the caliber of player here. This isn't a potential trade for a Fred Warner clone, or prime Brian Urlacher or anything like that. But it would be a talent upgrade at a position of need.
The Rams want to keep up in the NFC arms race after an admittedly disappointing start to the season. The Titans have been brutal to start the year and there's no light at the end of the tunnel for them for now. If they're taking on calls on a player like Cedric Gray, it only makes sense for Los Angeles to keep going all in.
