Multiple source including Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and Chris Mortensen of ESPN have confirmed The St. Louis Rams and Denver Broncos have completed a trade for Wide Receiver Brandon Lloyd. His presence adds a legitimate threat down field along with Danario Alexander and should allow Salas and Gibson to slide into more comfortable roles.
Of course this likely means the Rams will be good-bye to their off season splash signing of Mike Sims-Walker. A lot was expected of Sims-Walker but a team high 8 drops through four games and the emergence (potentially) of Salas and Alexander make cutting Sims-Walker the most logical choice.
Compensation is being reported as a sixth-round draft pick that could become a fifth-round pick depending on Lloyd’s receptions. To me the difference between a 4th and 6th rounder is big and moved me off the fence on this deal making it a no brainer. Even if it ends up turning into a 5th, that is not a lot to give up for what he potentially brings to the table.
The trade reunites Lloyd with his former head coach Josh McDaniels, the Rams’ offensive coordinator. When together in Denver Lloyd led the league with 1,448 yards receiving, catching 77 passes, 11 of them for touchdowns. Something seriously lacking from the Rams first 5 games. After another 0-3 Red Zone performance against Green Bay on Sunday the Rams NEEDED desperately to find a solution.
Lloyd is 30-years-old and in the final year of his deal that pays him about $1.4 million this season. Lloyd missed one game with a strained groin this season and has caught 19 passes for a Bronco high 283 yards but hasn’t reached the end zone yet. So perhaps he will fit in well here. The Rams now have the remaining 11 weeks to convince Lloyd to stick around in St. Louis beyond 2011.
During his 2010 breakout season Lloyd had 18 catches for 25 yards or more and posted the third-highest receiving average (18.8 yards) since the1970 when the AFL-NFL mergered.
