What the Rams' History of Blockbusters Has Defined

"The Colts were unwilling to pay Faulk, so they shipped him to the St. Louis Rams for a pair of draft picks. It was a huge win for the Rams, who won the Super Bowl in Faulk's first season. During that year, Faulk rushed for 1,381 yards at a career-high 5.5 yards per rush clip. The following season (2000), he won the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award".

Marshall Faulk was traded to the St. Louis Rams for a second and fifth-round pick, which is immense value for one of the catalysts of the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams that dominantly won the Super Bowl.

This trade is listed as the second-largest in NFL history, and I have to assume that's due to the immense value the Rams received in return. In Faulk's tenure as a Ram, they made it to two Super Bowls and won one. He also won an MVP award, and came in second place another year behind his teammate Kurt Warner.

Once he was eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a Rams legend. Without Faulk's dominance on the ground and his receiving upside, the Rams' offense wouldn't have been as dominant as it was, which defined an era.

Eric Dickerson

"Dickerson's first season in Indianapolis was successful, as he ran for 1,659 yards and 14 touchdowns. But after that, his career started to trickle off as he only made one more Pro Bowl".

In another instance of the Indianapolis Colts and Rams trading a running back, this time it was the Rams who traded Eric Dickerson to the Colts in one of the biggest deals of the time. It was a three-team trade, including the Rams, Colts, and Buffalo Bills, which saw multiple draft picks sent the Rams' way in exchange for the former second overall pick.

The reason why this is considered one of the biggest trades, and most lopsided, in NFL history is that, although the Rams got many draft picks in exchange for Dickerson, none of the players they got in return got close to matching the value that Dickerson gave them.

In his rookie year, he was named to the NFL's All-Pro Team, Pro Bowl, and won Offensive Rookie of the Year. His second season with the Rams resulted in a playoff berth, with him impressively rushing for more than 2,000 yards and breaking multiple records.

He was never able to replicate the level of success he had with the Rams with any other teams, but his time with the Rams left such an impression on the franchise that in 2017, he signed a one-day contract with the team to officially retire as a Ram.

Matthew Stafford

"Many view the Stafford for Goff deal as a win-win. The Rams lost the Super Bowl in 2019 before missing the playoffs the next two seasons. So, in order to capitalize on a win-now window, they moved the younger Goff for the wily veteran Stafford".

The exact details of this trade saw the Rams sending Jared Goff, a third-round pick, and their first-round picks for the next two years to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford. Despite this trade being listed as the fifth biggest, it wouldn't be crazy to say this is the biggest trade in the Rams' franchise.

"In his first season in Los Angeles, Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl title. While the deal instantly paid off for the Rams, it took a few seasons for Detroit. The Lions rebuilt around Goff as the city fell in love with the culture-setting quarterback. In 2025, they put it all together, going 15-2 as Goff threw for a career-high 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns".

What gives the Rams the advantage in this trade is that they already have their Super Bowl ring, leading one of the best offenses in Super Bowl history once again, but they're looking to compete for another Super Bowl this upcoming season with Stafford at the helm.

Jerome Bettis

"Bettis became one of the best Steelers of all-time, earning the nickname "The Bus." He finished his career in Pittsburgh, and his final game came during the Steelers' Super Bowl victory in 2006".

This is the only trade on the list where the Rams came out the losers, but when they drafted Jerome Bettis tenth overall, the Rams were in no position to compete. Having Bettis wasn't going to do anything for them, and he was able to flourish with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The former Offensive Rookie of the Year saw the bulk of his career's production with the Steelers, but he was able to get some impressive feats in his time with the Rams. The Rams are no strangers to pulling off big trades, and it's obvious with how many Hall of Fame players they've traded for and to other teams.

Ensure you follow us on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @BrockVierra for all Rams content.

Please let us know your thoughts on all these Rams trades when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.