Los Angeles Rams: Outside linebacker trade targets this offseason
By Jason Reed
1. Jabaal Sheard, Indianapolis Colts
Last season the Los Angeles Rams traded for a former first-round pick in Dante Fowler Jr. to help on the outside and Fowler ended up playing pretty decent for the Los Angeles Rams. He was not elite by any means but he made some big plays, which included the hit on Drew Brees in overtime of the NFC Championship that led to the interception and subsequent win.
This season, the Los Angeles Rams could make an identical move and trade for a former high second-round pick, that will also be a one-year rental like Fowler, in Jabaal Sheard on the Indianapolis Colts.
The caveat is that Sheard is much better than Fowler. Sheard has 16.5 sacks over the last three seasons, has 50 tackles over the last two seasons and has added seven pass deflections the last two years.
Why would the Indianapolis Colts want to trade him? He is in the final year of his contract and has an $8 million cap hit in 2019. If the Colts are approached with draft picks in return for one year of Sheard it is hard to see the Colts saying no.
Sheard is great but he is not a huge impact player and is not going to make or break the Colts’ defense next season. Los Angeles can send a 2019 third-round and 2020 fourth-round pick, which is slightly better than what the team gave for Fowler.
The Jaguars have the Rams’ 2019 third-round pick, however, the Rams have two compensatory picks in the third-round for losing free agents last offseason.