What does Trent McDuffies addition mean for Rams?

There could actually be power in talking something into existence.Just ask Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie.Last year, while speaking at an event at his Los Angeles-area high school alma mater, the Chiefs’ lockdown cornerback mentioned the possibility of someday returning to Southern California to play for the Rams.“You’re going to get me in trouble,” McDuffie said when asked what other team he could see himself playing for.“Let’s think.

If I could play for another team, I’d probably want to play close to my family, so that would probably be the LA Rams, so that my family could come see every single game.”Less than a year later, the 25-year-old McDuffie appears to be on his way home after the Rams agreed to send four draft picks to the Chiefs for one of the best young corners in the game.Trades can’t be finalized until the start of the 2026 league year, which begins March 11 at 1 p.m.

PT.The compensation was steep, to be sure.The Rams are giving up their 2026 first-round pick at No.

29 and their fifth and sixth round picks this year, plus their 2027 third-round pick.They kept their first-round pick at No.

13 overall, though.In addition, they are expected to reward McDuffie with a lucrative new contract extension.But from their perspective, it’s assets and money well spent.They didn’t just fill their biggest offseason need ahead of the opening of free agency.

They did so by acquiring a certified impact cornerback, the caliber of which won’t be available on the open market and is unlikely to be available in the NFL draft.The Rams were also involved in trade talks with the Raiders for edge rusher Maxx Crosby, but the Raiders’ asking price, coupled with Crosby turning 29 years old before the start of next season, resulted in the Rams bailing out.The club also believes it is set at pass rush, where youngsters Jared Verse, Byron Young and Braden Fiske are the foundation of a formidable group.Cornerback, on the other hand, was a far bigger ...