Turf Show Times
If the L.A. Rams are going to pull off any midseason trades before the deadline, they could surprise fans with a deal for a player and a position that nobody is even speculating right now but isn’t that what Les Snead always does? That’s why I think that Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman checks a lot of boxes as a Rams trade acquisition before the deadline, so long as Baltimore is willing to listen to offers for a player who they don’t even use right; at a time when the team is sinking fast.
No, Batemen isn’t a guard or a center, but do you really expect Snead to trade for one of those players or for Sean McVay to bench any of his starters midseason? And he’s not a cornerback, which certainly is a need with Emmanuel Forbes ranking among the worst in the league at his position in a number of categories, but L.A.‘s pass defense is actually pretty good because of their pass rushers.
What Bateman is: A red zone threat who scored nine touchdowns in 2024, including five in the red zone. The Rams rank 21st in the NFL with a red zone rate of 50% and for some reason Matthew Stafford has hesitated to use Puka Nacua in those situations. Maybe with Puka doing so much work in between the 20s, and Davante Adams showing his age more than most care to admit, and Tutu Atwell only finally getting utilized (for one play) in Week 4, Bateman is the exact type of under-the-radar target that L.A. should talk about.
If they keep losing
Heading into Week 5, the Ravens sit at 1-3 and rank dead last in scoring defense. Yes, it is early in the year to be talking “sell-off”, especially for Baltimore, but this slow start feels different because we’ve probably never seen a Ravens defense that is this bad.
The Ravens have had arguably the toughest schedule in the NFL and they’re getting tested again with a game against the Rams in two weeks. Consider a scenario in which the Ravens lose to the Texans this week and then L.A., they’d be looking at 1-5 and at that point possibly brainstorming ways to survive 2025 and get to 2026 with most of their pieces intact.
When I peruse Baltimore’s roster for players who fit in-between “good” and “willing to trade”, Rashod Bateman is a great answer, although with some potential setbacks. Number one being that the Ravens just extended him this past offseason.
Cheap player with a lot of upside
The Ravens gave Bateman a three-year, $36.75 million extension in the offseason, which shows that Baltimore felt a real commitment to him at the time. However, this extension may actually make Bateman more attractive on the trade market, not less: **The acquiring team would not owe Bateman very much money in the short-term and they’d also get him under contract long-term already if he plays well enough...
