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The Los Angeles Rams' defense ranked near the bottom of the league in passing touchdowns allowed and in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed. Los Angeles finished in the middle of the pack in interceptions on the season.
The Rams' defense allowed more first downs through the air than over half of the National Football League this season. The Rams' defense improved in some areas over the season, but despite the team's success, the Rams' pass defense struggled for most of the season,
Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports recently released his list of one player each team should consider trading this offseason. Vacchiano picked defensive back Kamren Curl as arguably one of the Rams' top trade pieces this offseason. The Rams could replace Curl via the NFL Draft.
Considering the moves the Rams have made this offseason, few ideas are off the table for Les Snead and the Rams' front office. They have already shown they will leave no stone unturned when improving the roster this offseason.
"The Rams' pass defense wasn't good last season and their secondary was a big reason why. Curl clearly didn't have the impact many expected he'd have when he came over from Washington. But the Rams got Curl cheap, signing him to a surprisingly low two-year, $9 million deal, which makes him very tradeable," Vacchiano said.
"He's also still only 26 years old, so there could be someone who believes he can recapture the ability he showed with the Commanders. Maybe there's a better defensive fit out there, and the Rams can get a Day 3 pick back in return."
The Rams have had arguably the most productive offseason of any team in the league. Their playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles might spark another Rams playoff run, but a deeper one next season. Time will tell if the Rams will execute more trades, but their options are open.
Los Angeles is determined to assemble one of the best rosters in the league. However, that sometimes requires making tough decisions. It is debatable how difficult it would be for the Rams to trade Curl, but the Rams must consider anything and everything this offseason.
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Jaydon Blue injury update: Major news emerges on Cowboys RB after Thursday practice exit
According to Nick Harris of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue suffered a bone bruise in his heel on Thursday. Blue was stepped on during practice, initially looking at an ankle sprain. Thankfully, the MRI came back with some positive news. “Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue’s MRI revealed a bone bruise in his heel after it was stepped on in today’s practice, according to a @startelegram source,” Harris said via X. “No ankle sprain. Good news for the young back who has emerged as an offensive playmaker in camp.” Blue previously told Harris that an ankle injury was what he suffered. Questions about the running back’s availability for Saturday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams are now present. Something to watch as kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT from SoFi Stadium. Dallas took Blue in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping to address its running back situation. Blue played his college ball inside the Lone Star State, suiting up for the Texas Longhorns. Plenty of guys at the position have come out of Austin and found quick success. Blue is hoping to be the next one. For now, there is an injury for him to deal with. No exact timeline has been provided per a report or by a team official. Hopefully, Blue is able to get things cleared up quickly and get his first taste of the NFL before Sept. 4’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. More on Jaydon Blue, Cowboys running back situation Running back was a position the Cowboys needed to desperately figure out this offseason. Rico Dowdle, the team’s leading rusher, was no longer on the roster. Behind Dowdle, Dallas did not have much else. A nice mix of veteran presence and youngsters was needed. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders provide the former, while Blue was a part of the draft class alongside Phil Mafah. A combination of those four figures to be on the opening night roster. Exactly how head coach Brian Schottenheimer splits up the carries is not yet known. Blue’s injury certainly does not help the situation. Cowboys players, in general, have been going down throughout training camp thus far. Making sure everyone is healthy will be critical heading into the season. Especially an explosive back like Blue, someone who can change the outcome of any game in just the snap of your fingers.
Yankees' unlikely answer emerges from depth chart to save season — for now
One out, seventh inning, 2-2 tie in Arlington. Ben Rice watched from the dugout as manager Aaron Boone called Paul Goldschmidt to pinch-hit for Austin Wells. When Goldschmidt crushed a 0-2 fastball over the left-field wall for the go-ahead run, the New York Yankees had their first lead since the fifth inning. More importantly, they had it because Rice's catching ability made the crucial substitution possible. The 26-year-old's emergence as a multi-position weapon couldn't be more timely. The Yankees entered Wednesday's Texas series finale having blown a seven-game AL East lead since May 28, sitting 6.5 games behind Toronto and 3.5 behind Boston for the first wild card. They'd started August 0-5, desperate for any break before facing Houston at home. Rice represents the internal solution they've needed. His .779 OPS sits well above the .719 MLB average, powered by 16 home runs and elite contact metrics. Baseball Savant ranks him in the 95th percentile or higher in hard-hit percentage, average exit velocity, expected slugging and expected weighted on-base average. Those numbers seem impossible considering where Rice started. The 2021 12th-round Dartmouth pick hit .171 in 178 plate appearances last season. But knowing he'd catch in 2025, Rice added 10 pounds to his frame and worked relentlessly on his receiving skills. The defensive flexibility pays dividends beyond Wednesday's game. Rice has posted a +2 fielding run value across 84 innings caught and 180 innings at first base. Not spectacular, but competent enough to create the matchup advantages Boone exploited against the Rangers. Rice embodies exactly what championship teams find within their system. Aaron Judge remains the Yankees' best player, but Rice may be their most valuable in pure utility terms. His ability to produce above-average offense while handling two premium positions creates strategic options other teams lack. Wednesday's sequence proved the point. Without Rice's catching ability, Boone couldn't have pinch-hit Goldschmidt in that crucial spot. The move worked because Rice had spent months building trust through consistent performance at both positions. The Yankees still trail Toronto by 6.5 games with the Astros series looming next. Their playoff chances remain fragile yet likely, per FanGraphs, after months of disappointing baseball. But Rice's ascension from .171 hitter to essential depth piece shows what's possible when overlooked talent meets opportunity. If the Yankees accomplish anything meaningful this season, they'll trace it back to moments like Wednesday's seventh inning. Not because of Goldschmidt's clutch homer, but because Ben Rice made that moment possible.
Gap between star WR Terry McLaurin, Commanders revealed
As of Thursday morning, the Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin remained in a contract stalemate after the 29-year-old wide receiver in the final year of his current deal requested a trade. During Thursday's edition of the ESPN "Get Up" program, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler noted that the Commanders and McLaurin are locked in "a classic standoff" as McLaurin allegedly looks to secure "parts" of the five-year, $150M deal that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf this past March. "They have been far apart," Fowler said about the negotiations between the Commanders and McLaurin, as shared by Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report. "...[McLaurin] has wanted metrics of the DK Metcalf contract, which is $32M. I'm told the Washington Commanders have only been slightly above where he was before, which is $23M. So take that gap, that's $7M to 8M that they have to bridge." Fowler added that Washington "has got some calls about McLaurin" this summer because "there's some interest league-wide" in learning whether or not the wideout could become available. For what it's worth, numerous reporters have said since McLaurin went public with his trade request that he likely won't go anywhere before Washington opens the season with a home game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7. ESPN's John Keim mentioned that Washington's joint practice with the New England Patriots on Wednesday showed that the Commanders "need McLaurin back on the field" as soon as possible. That's understandable, as McLaurin recorded team highs of 117 targets, 82 receptions and 1,096 receiving yards to help quarterback Jayden Daniels become the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season. Additionally, McLaurin finished the 2024 campaign ranked second in the entire NFL with 13 touchdown catches. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to list a Washington team coming off a trip to this year's NFC Championship Game sixth among the betting favorites at +1800 odds to win Super Bowl LX. Perhaps Wednesday's joint practice will spark more positive conversations between McLaurin's camp and the Commanders that will result in the playmaker rejoining summer practices as soon as early next week.
Colts lose impressive rookie for the season due to devasting injury
Justin Walley had impressed during the offseason program and into training camp, pushing hard to start alongside Kenny Moore and Charvarius Ward. A major injury will change the Indianapolis cornerback equation. The Colts third-round rookie suffered an ACL tear. Shane Steichen confirmed postgame, via the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins. This comes shortly after the third-year Colts HC confirmed Anthony Richardson had suffered a dislocated finger. Initially coming up as an option in the slot behind Moore, Walley made an offseason leap to the point he was being given real consideration to beating out JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones for the Colts’ boundary spot opposite Ward. The Colts have experienced issues at outside corner for multiple seasons, and this development thins their latest competition. Brents has experienced frequent injury trouble since being drafted in the 2023 second round, missing 23 games. This included a 15-game absence last season, altering the Colts’ CB plans early. Walley’s setback comes as both Brents and Jones — a regular CB starter over the past two seasons — had missed camp time because of hamstring issues. The Colts chose Walley 80th overall in April, further augmenting a position group bolstered by winning the Ward free agency derby. GM Chris Ballard followed through on his stripe-changing proclamation by handing both Ward and safety Camryn Bynum big-ticket deals on Day 1 of free agency. Moore is already tied to a three-year, $30M deal. This still left one spot open at corner, and Walley had regularly mixed in with the first team — to the point he may have been moving ahead of Brents and Jones in the competition. A Minnesota alum, Walley intercepted seven passes in four seasons with the Big Ten program. The 5-foot-11 corner returned an INT for a touchdown last season and blocked two kicks, earning second-team All-Big Ten acclaim. Walley’s rookie contract runs through 2028, but this injury will impact his time spent to claim a 2026 starting job, as a lengthy rehab odyssey is on tap.
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