ESPN: Rams' Trade Offers to Panthers for Christian McCaffrey, Brian Burns Revealed

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead maintained his blasé attitude toward draft picks ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Rams put two first-round picks and a second-rounder on the table for Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns. They were also willing to part with Cam Akers and picks in the second, third and fifth rounds for Christian McCaffrey.

The Panthers held onto Burns but sent McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for 2023 second-, third- and fourth-rounders and a fifth-rounder in 2024.

The Panthers didn't initiate a total fire sale in the wake of firing head coach Matt Rhule, but they've clearly started focusing on a rebuild.

Burns is coming off a Pro Bowl in 2021, and he has five sacks to open 2022. Still only 24, he has a bright future ahead. Still, you can't help but wonder whether Carolina was better off cashing in on his trade value now.

By turning down Los Angeles' offer, the Panthers might have done the Rams a favor.

Snead's approach to team-building has served the franchise well in the short term. L.A. reached the Super Bowl in 2018 and claimed a title last year.

The downside to consistently leveraging draft picks into ready-made talent is becoming apparent now, however, with the Rams getting off to a 3-4 start. They've been hammered by injuries and lack the depth to compensate.

Los Angeles has an aging core and might face a painful transition when the likes of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Jalen Ramsey retire. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Wednesday on The Rich Eisen Show that head coach Sean McVay "in all likelihood" will leave when those four are no longer on the team.

The Rams already owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Detroit Lions as part of the Jared Goff trade. Losing out on two more first-rounders in pursuit of Burns would've further hamstrung Snead's ability to fill out the squad with young, cost-controlled talent.

At some point you have to demonstrate some faith in your own talent development.

Assuming he doesn't turn around and deal the picks later, Snead should send a gift basket to Panthers GM Scott Fitterer if he winds up getting valuable contributors in the first round in 2024 and 2025.