Rams Make Biggest Move of Offseason, Trade for Myles Garrett
The Rams have had a roller coaster of an offseason.
They appeared to be in win-now mode in March when they addressed the biggest hole on their roster by trading a late first-round pick for cornerback Trent McDuffie and then signing Jaylen Watson.
That mindset seemed to shift as they used their 13th overall pick on a quarterback of the future despite having the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford.
But now, it seems like they’re right back to pushing all of their chips into the middle.
The Rams made the most significant move of the offseason on Monday, trading three draft picks and edge rusher Jared Verse for the biggest game-wrecker in football, Myles Garrett.
You don’t need me to tell you how good Garrett is. He set the NFL single-season sack record last year on a team that generally didn’t have the lead late in games. His combination of speed, power, and bend are ridiculous. He’s the most dynamic pass rusher in the game:
He’s also a very good run defender, an area of his game that doesn’t get as much attention:
It’s also an area where he is a significant upgrade over Verse.
O-lines, protection schemes, and quarterbacks have to be aware of Garrett at all times, which can be very disruptive to any offense’s gameplan.
Just think back to the below play from the 2023 season. The Titans had two tight ends follow Garrett on a 3rd-and-12 as he moved back and forth from one side of the formation to the other, which eventually forced them to waste a time out:
He’s regularly one of the most chipped or double-teamed pass rushers in the game, and that still didn’t stop him from setting the NFL sack record last season:
Aside from how good Garrett is, this move is so impactful for a variety of reasons. First, opponents don’t go into a matchup against the Rams saying to themselves, “We need to hold them to 14 points and try to win a low-scoring game.” Their offense is too good to be completely shut down.
The way to beat them has been to stand toe-to-toe and throw haymakers offensively in more of a high-scoring game like the Seahawks did in the NFC Championship, winning 31-27.
That task just got far more difficult, though. I’m not sure how many offenses are looking forward to the prospect of getting into a shootout and throwing the ball on down after down with Garrett lurking.
On top of that, defensive coordinator Chris Shula now has more options for how he can deploy his defense.
Shula has done a great job over the last couple of seasons of covering the defense’s holes, winning with scheme and disguise. It’s always fun to pop on the Rams’ defensive tape to see the different tactics he’s utilizing.
Last year, for instance, the Rams stunted more than any other defense in the NFL and were 5th in sim pressure % according to Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters. Those are great ways to generate pressure and create confusion across the offensive line.
But now protections will have to worry about that as well as stopping one of the best pass rushers in the history of the NFL. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
The bottom line is that Garrett won’t be left on an island very often, though. Offenses will continue to give him extra attention by keeping more receivers in to block (making the secondary’s job easier) or sliding the protection to him, leaving them susceptible to 1-on-1’s, stunts, and pressure schemes targeting the other side of the D-line.
Combine the addition of Garrett with the additions of McDuffie and Watson, and the Rams now have more options for how they can play coverage. They can play zone and keep the passing game in front of them behind what should be a fierce 4-man rush. Or they can play more man coverage than they did last year if they want (23rd in frequency). They can choose to jam at the line, re-route receivers and disrupt the timing of the passing game, forcing the quarterback to hold the ball with Garrett bearing down on them.
With the upgrades the Rams made across the defense, Shula can be a chameleon and attack differently each week based on the opponent and the situation.
To win a championship, though, teams cannot solely rely on smoke and mirrors. Opponents eventually pick up on scheme and figure out how to counter it. Seattle was certainly able to do so against the Rams on their way to a Super Bowl title.
So defenses have to be able to get a stop or generate pressure when the offense knows what they’re going to do. They need to lean on the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s, not just the X’s and O’s.
The Rams had some ability to do that with Verse last year. Garrett is a different animal, though. And he’ll be able to help them close out games when the protection has seen every stunt and pressure and knows what’s coming.
Either way, L.A. now has multiple ways to win on both sides of the ball. They are the best team in the NFL on paper. 2026 is officially Super Bowl or bust.