Would Rams Trade Steven Jackson If They Drafted Trent Richardson?

In his Monday Morning Quarterback article, SI's Peter King believes the St. Louis Rams would "presumably either trade or release Steven Jackson" if the team selects Alabama RB Trent Richardson with the No. 6 overall pick. King does not believe the Rams would pay Jackson $7 million in 2012 to share playing time with a running back who would take over the starting job in the near future.

Jeff Fisher "loves" Richardson, according to King. However, he believes if somehow Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon were there at No. 6 along with Richardson, then the Rams would draft Blackmon, as quarterback Sam Bradford needs a target at the position.

My Take

If the Rams draft Richardson in the first round of this year's draft, the idea of trading Jackson is absolutely ludicrous.

First, let's take it right from the horse's mouth, the horse being Fisher, regarding his philosophy on running backs. "I haven't devalued the running back position," Fisher said. "You're talking to the wrong person. I want as many of them on the roster as you can get."

We have seen what an elite running back like Jackson has done the past two years when teams stack the line due to the Rams' lack of threat at wide receiver. So, how would throwing him away and replacing him with a rookie running back be a positive?

The idea of a running back attack with Jackson and Richardson would be an offensive upgrade.

Plus, the Rams are on shaky ground with the fanbase in St. Louis. How would cutting arguably the best player on the team to free up cap space for non-impact players left in this year's free agency pool go over?

Probably not too good.