The Los Angeles Rams have proudly shown in recent years that they value proven players way more than draft picks, and it does not sound like they have any immediate plans to change that approach.
Albert Breer of The MMQB said during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN 1000 Chicago’s “Kap and J Hood” show that the Rams offered two first-round picks to the Carolina Panthers for star pass-rusher Brian Burns. The Panthers turned it down.
.@AlbertBreer just confirmed it was the Los Angeles Rams who offered multiple first-round picks to the Carolina Panthers for Brian Burns.
I can't believe Carolina didn't take that trade.
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) November 1, 2022
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that the Panthers turned down an offer for Burns that included two first-round picks. That surprised a lot of people, but it would make more sense for them to decline it from the Rams.
The Rams do not have a first-round pick in 2023. They sent that pick to the Detroit Lions as part of their trade package for Matthew Stafford two years ago. If the Panthers were to trade a star player like Burns, they would likely want at least a first-round pick in next year’s draft.
Burns has four sacks through six games this season. The 2019 first-round pick has gotten better every season. He had 7.5 sacks as a rookie and then back-to-back 9-sack seasons heading into this year. The Panthers picked up the fifth-year option on Burns’ rookie contract this past offseason, which will pay him roughly $16 million in 2023. He is making a base salary of $2.3 million this year.
As always, the Rams are looking to gear up for a championship run and are willing to part with high draft picks to do so. GM Les Snead sent a clear message about the team’s mindset with the shirt he wore during L.A.’s Super Bowl parade.
