The Los Angeles Rams have traded linebacker Alec Ogletree to the New York Giants, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Rams will be receiving two draft picks in the trade, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rams trade LB Alec Ogletree to the New York Giants. Why did this trade happen?
The Rams keep making moves.
Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images
Schefter would later report that they would be fourth- and sixth-round picks in 2018.
Why did the Rams make this trade?
The Rams have been busy this offseason. It was just this past October that Ogletree and the Rams had agreed on a four-year extension. His 2017 PFF grade was a 38.9, putting him as the NFL’s 76th best linebacker, with a “poor” grade.
They’ve made an effort to improve on defense this offseason. They kept Lamarcus Joyner by throwing him the franchise tag, and traded for Marcus Peters to add another solid cornerback. They likely won’t be keeping Trumaine Johnson, who will hit free agency.
Ogletree seemed excited about the move:
But Todd Gurley and a few other Rams don’t appear to be happy about the trade, unless this is an incredibly timed tweet:
It wouldn’t be a surprise. Just hours before Ogletree signed his extension, Wade Phillips told the LA Times, “Besides his athletic ability — his leadership is through the roof. I’m sure he got every vote for captain from everybody on the whole team.”
The Rams are also expected to trade or release wide receiver Tavon Austin and might not be finished making moves this offseason, if the small sample we have is any indication. But getting rid of Ogletree is going to open up more money (maybe to even extend Gurley or Aaron Donald, who knows).
Why did the Giants make this trade?
The Giants went into the offseason needing a linebacker, and now have him in Ogletree. B.J. Goodson was good in spurts for the team when he was healthy, and adding Ogletree gives them something else to work with.
The Giants were 31st in the NFL last season in total defense, and clearly feel that Ogletree is an upgrade over what they currently have on their roster. The team recently hired former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher to fill the same position with the team. He led the Cardinals to a top-10 defensive ranking the past three seasons, so you might imagine he knows a thing or two.
Ogletree and the Giants have a history
In 2014, things got a touch out of hand between the Giants and Rams, after Odell Beckham Jr. got hit near the sideline.
Later, Ogletree gave Beckham an extra push out of bounds, one that OBJ wasn’t happy about.
Now they’re all teammates. They might not even remember that incident, and even if they did, it’s about to be time to bury the hatchet.
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