The Los Angeles Rams acquired Von Miller from the Denver Broncos.
Von Miller is a 32-year-old pass rusher and former Super Bowl MVP. The Los Angeles Rams acquired him for two draft picks, hoping that he can repeat that feat this year.
Sean McVay and Les Snead run the Rams. They are unusual in their sport because of how aggressive they are in making trades. Notably, they traded for Matthew Stafford, their current starting quarterback when they already had Jared Goff. They traded for Jalen Ramsey at a huge price.
Ramsey and Stafford have worked out so far. The Rams are 7-1 and tied for first place in the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals.
They both have the best record in football.
Miller will join three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald on the Rams defensive line. Donald is an interior pass rusher, he destroys quarterbacks from the inside. Miller is an outside pass rusher, he bends around the edge to close the pocket on top of quarterbacks.
By pairing the two together, with Ramsey behind them, the Rams are building a defence to counter Tom Brady.
Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. They are 6-2 on the season and appear on track to win another Super Bowl. Pass rush has always been the one thing that can disrupt Brady. The Rams didn't have a great complement to Donald before acquiring Miller. Now that Miller is there, Leonard Floyd can become a complement to him and improve as a result.
Miller has 110.5 sacks in his career. He had 4.5 sacks in his first four games this season. He hasn't had a sack since then but should be reinvigorated joining a contending team. The Broncos are 4-4 after beating Washington at the weekend.
Importantly, the Rams don't need their defence to be dominant. They have an offence that will score points, led by Cooper Kupp who is on a record-breaking pace. Kupp has 924 yards and 10 touchdowns through just eight games. If the Rams keep pace on that side of the ball, Donald and Miller will be able to pin their ears back and chase quarterbacks without worrying about the running game.
It's a blockbuster trade and a scary prospect for opposing teams in the NFC. But the Rams are sacrificing their future for that shot right now. So maybe going all-out when Tom Brady is still in the league isn't the best idea. We'll find out in February, or rather earlier than then if they can meet each other in the NFC Championship Game.
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