Should the Rams explore moving Van Jefferson?

[Riverumbbq]

I've never understood the dogpile on Van. He's a decent WR and a good deep threat for us. I don't totally fault him for the drop in production last year given that everybody's production dropped when our OL began to resemble a field hospital on the Western Front of WWI. When he and we were healthy in 2021, he took the top off of more than one D for us. Keep him, hope he breaks out, and we can get the comp pick next year when he moves on.

It's not a dog pile on Van Jeff, it's more of a reaction that some of us are having with regards to already losing Ramsey, Floyd, Wagner, Gaines, Nick Scott, Matt Gay, Mayfield, Powell, Rapp and several others, including the likely loss of A'Shawn, etc. And what have we received for the trouble ? One 3'rd round draft pick. The Rams are fairly deep at WR, Van Jefferson won't be the guy who turns our season around. Sorry.
jmo.

 

[thirteen28]

It's not a dog pile on Van Jeff, it's more of a reaction that some of us are having with regards to already losing Ramsey, Floyd, Wagner, Gaines, Nick Scott, Matt Gay, Mayfield, Powell, Rapp and several others, including the likely loss of A'Shawn, etc. And what have we received for the trouble ? One 3'rd round draft pick. The Rams are fairly deep at WR, Van Jefferson won't be the guy who turns our season around. Sorry.
jmo.

You know who else won't turn around our season? The day 3 pick we get for Jefferson.

And after the injuries we suffered at the position last year, it's probably prudent to keep him. He knows the offense, we know what he can do, and he'll be playing for his next contract. All the more reason to hang onto him for one more year.

 

[Corbin]

Moving Van is not a good idea and I’m sure we would get a 3rd or 4th cómp pick for him. That’s more relastic than some team trading for him for a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Not going to happen gents.

 

[Riverumbbq]

You know who else won't turn around our season? The day 3 pick we get for Jefferson.

And after the injuries we suffered at the position last year, it's probably prudent to keep him. He knows the offense, we know what he can do, and he'll be playing for his next contract. All the more reason to hang onto him for one more year.

And you are more than welcome to that opinion. Personally, since the Rams appear to be entering a new cycle heading into the future, I'd just prefer to get younger, increase our CAP availability for this and next year, and add another draft pick who can develop at a similar pace to the other 11 draftees who will be joining us soon. I'd just as soon see Atwell, Skowronek, McCutcheon, Trammell & a new draft pick get those snaps this year. jmo.

 

[nighttrain]

I can see and agree with both sides of this conversation.
train

 

[Ramhusker]

Keep him this year. If he shines, win-win. He just might be a key cog this season.

 

[dang]

Since 2023 is a ramp up to 2024 any additional moves will be looked at for the impact to next year rather than this year. I think Jeffersons ceiling is as a good WR3 but his durability is a concern. I say let him audition for his next contract this year and if someone beats him out before the trade deadline look to trade him.

 

[blackbart]

Last year he was another of the “let’s see if it will fix itself” method. Hopefully the Rams are done with that strategy, it cost them with both VJ and Brian Allen.

I didn’t see anything from Skow or anyone else that close to replicating what VJ did in 21.

I’d rather extend him and move Robinson.

 

[FarNorth]

No.

He had 50 receptions in 2021 as the #3 behind, Kupp, Woods/OBJ plus Higbee got a lot of touches and DJax was crying for the ball. He was dinged and hampered much of last year.

2021: Kupp 145, Woods/OBJ 72, Higbee 61, RBs 53 and VJ 50. That ain't bad for a #3.

That’s who he is, or appears to be, but we can still hope for a healthy and breakout year. Anyway trading him is a losing proposition and cutting him is just another hole that would cost more to fill.

 

[Merlin]

We're not gonna get a 2nd round pick for him. Won't even get a 3rd round pick for him. So his value to us is probably greater than the value he'd bring in trade. Which means the only reason to move him would be if you were going to bring in someone else and you knew he would be the odd man out. But that is very unlikely from perspective of them bringing in someone better than him, because cap, as well as knowing he's the one who is out, because there are guys who would go before he does.

Btw his cap number is like $1.7M and his dead cap is $.4M so cap probably doesn't factor in to this.

So I'd go with maybe 10% chance of it happening idk. Maybe lower. I think Hav is more likely and that is unlikely as well but at least with that move there's some logic to it.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Should the Rams explore moving Van Jefferson?

Should LA move Jefferson as he enters his contract year?

www.turfshowtimes.com

Should the Rams explore moving Van Jefferson?​

Back in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Rams used the 57th overall pick to select Van Jefferson out of the University of Florida. Jefferson, the son of former NFL receiver and current NFL receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, was a very polished prospect due to being raised by a father that played the position at the highest level.

Through three total seasons with the Rams, Jefferson has logged 93 receptions for 1,391 yards and 10 touchdowns. Most of those numbers came in his second season with the team, the year the Rams won the Super Bowl, as he tallied 50 receptions for 6 touchdowns after establishing himself as a downfield threat for the squad.

However, following a nagging knee injury that kept him out of a majority of training camp and the first six games of the season, Van Jefferson took a step back in production. Not only that, but he seemed to get outshined a little bit even after both Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson went down with injuries, as both Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek stepped up to the plate and proved they were capable of making noise at the position.

With that being said, Van Jefferson is now entering his final year of his rookie contract with the Rams, meaning he will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023-2024 NFL season. Unless Jefferson has some sort of ridiculous season next year, I cannot see a world where the Rams would re-sign him, allowing Jefferson to seek the best deal possible elsewhere.

But, should the Rams let Jefferson walk for a late-round compensatory pick? Or, should the Rams try to move Jefferson for, let’s say, a third round or even a fourth round selection prior to the 2023-2024 season? Maybe they can even get a player for Jefferson instead of a pick but, regardless, the Rams should find a way to move on from Jefferson, and here is why:

BENNY SKOW AND TUTU EMERGENCE

Let’s be honest, no one expected 2021 7th round pick Ben Skowronek to be anything more than a depth piece/special teamer. However, Skowronek was forced to step into some big games in his rookie year, showing that he is capable of being a serviceable player in this league. Then, in 2022, Skowronek became a starter when he filled in for Van Jefferson early in the year, posting 23 receptions for 221 yards and a touchdown, stepping in nicely for an injured Jefferson.

Then, as the season progressed, Tutu Atwell finally got involved, averaging 78.2% of the offensive snaps in the final five games of last season. In those contests combined, Atwell had 12 receptions for 111 yards receiving along with a rushing touchdown, showing he’s fully capable of becoming an integral part of the L.A. offensive attack.

In my opinion, it makes sense for the Rams to at least explore moving on from Jefferson, especially considering the way Skowronek and Atwell stepped up last season. What do you folks think, should the Rams explore trading Van Jefferson?

.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I think we need to keep VJ and reap the benefit of his contract year.

If he balls out… it’s good for our 2023 season and we get a better return on the 2024 comp pick than anything we could get now.

We may also choose to extend him.

 

[Merlin]

Yes or flip him at the trade deadline to a playoff contender. I'd be fine with that or them moving him as part of a package to move up in the draft but he probably doesn't really add much to the equation so you'd still be selling low. But if he has a strong first half and you put him on the market at the deadline maybe someone ponies up that third rounder out of desperation due to injuries on their roster or something.

 

[OnceARam]

My opinion (without reading the board yet) is that we should not trade him.

Let's see that promise of talent come to fruition.

 

[Faceplant]

I have always liked Van. I would let him play out his contract with the Rams and see how it goes. Worst case, he leaves and we get another comp pick for about what we would get in trade anyway.

 

[RamDino]

If Van stays healthy he should have a good year. Then the rams can get a decent comp pick. Win win.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I would, suffers a lot from nagging injuries and contract is almost up. I'd trade him at the deadline rather than him leave for nothing.

That’s the only way I’d do it and teams would be willing to trade higher picks at the deadline.

 

[oldnotdead]

I guess you guys don't understand the differences between the WR positions. Jefferson came into the NFL as a Y/Z WR. That position is off the LOS therefore harder to jam in man coverage. It's why Kupp played that position as it gives him a natural advantage. It allows him to read the DB and set him up for his break.

When the Rams traded Woods who was an excellent X WR (they play on the LOS) who understood how to play DB jams, they were left without an XWR. That is why until they brought in Robinson, Jefferson began to make the transition to X WR which required a change in the technique he's always played in. Last year Jefferson proved he has made that transition and plays it well. With Robinson on the block, you guys want to trade away the only other X WR on the roster? Get real dudes.

It's only because Jefferson has successfully made the transition to X WR that makes Robinson and his hefty cap number expendable. So in plain English "IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN" in regards to trading away Jefferson. He's the only WR who can play that position. All the others on the roster are Y/Z type WRs. Not all WRs can make that transition successfully. Just remember no draftee has proven shit in the NFL. An X WR can play all three positions making them very valuable when an OC wants to scheme matchups.

Draft picks are overrated. People decry the talent drain but now think that losing more is somehow better? All this talk in the media just proves they don't know shit about football positions.

 

[muggmeister]

Moving Van is not a good idea and I’m sure we would get a 3rd or 4th cómp pick for him. That’s more relastic than some team trading for him for a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Not going to happen gents.

Since we will most likely be players in acquiring free agents next year we won't get shit for VJ in a compensatory pick. If he's not gonna be a part of the future due to Kupp's and ARob's contracts then get what you can for him now. Now if we were Super Bowl or bust this year I would say "keep him", but we're not NOT. If we can get a 4th or more realistically a 5th, then we should acquire more assets now than receive nothing later.

 

[So Ram]

I can see and agree with both sides of this conversation.
train

Well why would you trade Van Jefferson? What will he get you in a trade?
He could bring back a nice comp next year next season.
Having Van Jefferson & Allen Robinson with Kupp would probably be Top 5 WR group in The NFL.

I know the doubters are out there.I can’t see The Ram with OBJ again.The Rams view having good WR’s.Don’t see how 2022 view would change in 2023.