The Los Angeles Rams pulled off a blockbuster earlier this month. The Rams traded four draft picks, including this year’s No. 29 overall pick, to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. Rams general manager Les Snead has a reputation for making aggressive trades, so it is interesting to hear the Rams “are out” of the A.J. Brown sweepstakes.
According to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, the Rams “tapped out.”
Last Friday, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported that the Rams and New England Patriots “remain interested” in acquiring Brown, a star wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles since 2022, “but no move is imminent.” She added, “If a trade were to happen, it would likely heat up closer to June 1.”
According to Florio, the Rams won’t be involved at any point moving forward.
“They were talking to the Eagles about A.J. Brown,” Florio explained. “They got scared off by some of the preliminary medical research. They decided, ‘Too much of an investment for a player of this age, general wear and tear. We’re not gonna do it.’ But they were lining it all up, so if they get A.J. Brown, they trade Davante Adams. They were looking for trade partners for Davante Adams. Now, they paid him the $6 million [roster bonus] over the weekend. It’s done.”
On Monday, Florio provided more context on another episode of ProFootballTalk. “It wasn’t at a physical, but there’s still ways you can check medical information without bringing the guy in for a physical. So, it didn’t get to the point, as I understand it, that they brought him to L.A. and gave him a physical and said, ‘Go home,’ and just managed to keep it all quiet. It didn’t get that far.”
Florio clarified that every NFL has “a different standard” for risk tolerance, and every player in his late 20s “is going to have something” after so many years of playing that “if you really want to focus on it can freak you out” when considering an expensive trade.
Elsewhere, Albert Breer said on his and Conor Orr’s “The MMQB” podcast that he remains skeptical of how interested the Rams ever were in Brown. “I’m not sure the Rams were more than a stalking horse here,” Breer said, in part.
Wide receiver is the least of the Rams’ worries. Reigning NFL MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford will have All-Pro Adams and All-Pro Puka Nacua to throw to yet again. Last season, that resulted in Adams leading the NFL in touchdowns (14), and Nacua posted a career-high 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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