This changes EVERYTHING...| BREAKING Rams news

This changes everything for the Rams. We have breaking news about star wide receiver Puka Nacua's injury status from yesterday's win against the Commanders and how this will impact the Rams offense going forward and their trade deadline approach as that deadline approaches tomorrow afternoon. All that and more on today's episode of Rams Digest. Welcome back to another episode of Rams Digest. I'm your host, Joshua Feiner. And before we get into today's video, Make sure to leave a like right now for the Rams being on a three game winning streak five and four now and to close out their last game before the bye with a win and get that record up to six and four. But before we get too far into it, today's video, our question for the comments, how should the Rams respond to the latest injury news on Puka Nacua? A, pay a fair price for receiver help or B. Make a bigger investment in a long-term receiver fit next to Puka Nacua, and C, keep the picks and just adjust internally with the guys they already have. Leave your thoughts in the comments down below. I'll be responding as always. Stay tuned to the end of today's video, where I will have my answer to this question. As always, it's a bit tough to predict things, especially in the sports world. And today's video sponsor, Kalshi, makes that a little bit easier. And on Kalshi, you're trading directly against other users and not the house like a traditional sports book. And on Kalshi, you're trading yes or no on event contracts and their outcomes. And you can trade on events across many different venues, including sports. Politics, the news, weather, even some of your favorite TV shows, and I have some Kalshi trades to go over for you right now as well. Starting off here with the Rams and Cardinals game this upcoming Sunday. 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Thank you very much once again to Kalshi for sponsoring today's video. See you in the next video, and now. Let's get into today's news. Well, as I've said, we have some major Puka Nacua injury news to get into, and we're going to be getting into that right now. Puka Nacua faces a likely IR stint. Yeah, that's not the news that we want to hear again. This is the workload that they're going to be losing, the Rams, with Puka Nacua. 70 receptions, 715 yards on 93 targets, and only seven games. Again, we've seen what JSN's done for the Seahawks this year. Puka Nacua's been just as good, and if not better, but he just had to miss that game earlier on in the season, so people are kind of forgetting that a little bit. And then Sean McVay did have the injury reaction to Puka to get to right now. Sean McVay said today that he's bummed for Puka, and you should be, because Puka Nacua has been really, really good for this team. Puka Nacua's official injury is a PCL and MCL sprain plus turf toe. I don't know where the turf toe comes into all this, but we know he had that knee brace on post-game. There were some videos of him limping around post-game, and it was from the final play of the game when the Rams decided to run Puka Nacua on 3rd down 11. Nacua got hit pretty much That knee area, and then it was reported a little bit after the game, a little after we went off live yesterday from Adam Schefter, that Puka Nacua would need some further testing on his knee. And then this is kind of the window that we've seen the Rams use. Again, Nacua hurts his knee. McVay expects IR, the MCL, PCL sprain, plus turf toe. And then the trade deadline is tomorrow. Roster decisions arrive before a potential four-game absence. It is not yet confirmed that Puka is on IR. That is very important to note that that has not yet been confirmed. But it does seem likely from what Sean McVay had to say about it. And this is also important too here that we do go over. Now from Adam Grospord, Puka Nacua was evaluated for a concussion earlier in the game and then cleared. He said post-game any knee injury is unrelated to why he went to the injury tent today. So I did mention it that Puka Nacua did go to the injury tent mid-game and it was officially for a concussion check that it was not for the knee. So that is a good sign that it was only injured on that last play, but still just not really what you want to see there at all. Sean McVay also had some words too. about the last play of the game. I'm kicking myself about those kind of things. I'd be lying to you if I said I haven't questioned the decision making on that last play over and over. In the moment, I didn't really question the decision because we've seen Puka take a ton of end-of-round plays before throughout his time on the Rams. So I was like, okay, Puka end-of-round, all right. So run out the clock, make a defensive stand, win the game. I wasn't really thinking about the injury probability on that play. It was unlucky, but at the same time, the more that I have thought about it post-game, and again, it's the hindsight is 20-20 type of thing where I do get why Sean McVay is kicking himself. They needed to run the ball. Running the ball wasn't the right play call there, but you could have used either Kyron or Corum, especially because Puka had already been in the medical tent for a concussion evaluation. There was no point there to really risk an extra hit that he didn't really have to take. And unfortunately, when you do that, he did take that extra hit. And it wasn't his head, but now it is his knee. And the team did say yesterday they didn't think it was anything torn. And it was very, I was very glad to see that there was nothing torn in that MRI. You never want to be... injured at all, but if you're going to be, you definitely don't want anything torn. And then the Rams are going to be missing Puka Nacua, by the way, for those of you who don't know, this is absolutely crazy. Seven straight games with five plus catches since week one at SF. Week one, week four, week five, week eight, week seven, week six, excuse me, week seven, week eight, and week nine. Again, he has been just... amazing for this Rams team ever since he's come in to the league and I think now more than ever that we're really going to see why he is so important because outside of Puka the Rams have not had anyone really step up at the wide receiver position again when Devontae was in there without Puka it was awesome but now that Devontae is gone the Rams do not really have anyone else to Look at, look at in this room. Again, no one's going to be close to Puka in your, in your receiver room. That's not what I'm saying, but they don't have anyone even like remotely close enough. Like when you have Devontae to be a number one wide receiver for a few weeks. And if we do look at, too, some things about Matthew Stafford and that Matthew Stafford must redistribute the targets, that's going to be the key thing for this Rams team while Puka Nakua is out. Because even if they do go and make a trade for a wide receiver, right, the key for this Rams offense, especially passing-wise, is going to be redistributing those targets again. Terrence Ferguson is probably going to be out for another couple weeks just because he did have another setback that we're going to get to a little bit later in this video. And there just isn't another wide receiver that we've really seen. Stafford trust a lot and Matthew Stafford said it's but it's something that will continuously build when talking about the trust of his wide receivers. I don't know how much longer you got Matt to build the trust with these receivers in the middle of a playoff push now. At least it's better than saying your season was over by week seven if you went two and two and five but still like you're in the middle of a playoff push or on the outside looking in right now. You've got to find trust in somebody to be a wide receiver one right now. Because again, even if the Rams do make a trade at wide receiver, that first game, they're not going to be a wide receiver one. They're going to still be learning the offense. You're going to have to rely on someone. Is it Connor Mumphield? Is it Tutu Atwell? Jordan Winnington? These are not guys that can carry a passing offense for a few weeks. They definitely need someone else in there. It is important, too, that for Matthew Stafford, he does have the 2,300 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns. That's all great. But we've seen him throw nine picks this year. And this is another reason why I think we need... A more proven wide receiver. The fact that Matthew Stafford doesn't trust any of these other wide receivers enough yet makes me think even more that the Rams need to add another solid option at wide receiver because he's putting up those turnovers with at least Puka or Devontae in every single game. Again, some of them weren't his fault. Some of them were tip passes, but that play to Puka, that was just a bad pass. Like, he just can't be making that pass. And with the receivers they have right now and the routes that they run, I fear some of those types of reads. It might have to happen just to make sure that he could even get the ball out. Just because, again, Higby's older. Parkinson's been roughed up. Davis Allen was good in one game, but kind of, eh, the rest. And Terrence Ferguson's still out. They definitely need another option out at wide receiver. And if we look at this offensive depth chart right now, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Winnington are your starting receivers with Kona Mumphield. But that's just not great. I would like to see more C.J. Daniels out there, not as a starter, but just give him some run. Like, we saw Max Clair get some run, and he at least looked decent blocking. He even got a pass. We haven't even seen C.J. Daniels out on the field yet, which is still very interesting to me. I know he's a rookie, and I know I didn't expect him to play a lot this year anyway, But with all the injuries... It's worth giving him a shot at this point. Throw him a pass or two and see what he has, because at this point, you're going to have to. And again, from Adam Grospart, Rams left guard Steve Avila aggravated his hamstring yesterday and is expected to miss several games. Sean McVay said the Rams are hoping to avoid putting him on injured reserve because they're running out of IR spots already. Currently, three out of eight, I believe, not including Ferguson. Yeah. Injuries just aren't stopping for the Rams. That sucked for Steve Avila when he went out. Again, Keegan Trost was your draft pick. Hopefully he's healthy by now because he might need to step in. Bo Limmer was eh when he had to step in. You know, I'm not a big Bo Limmer guy, but having an O-lineman down as well is another key reason why the Rams should trade for a receiver. You can say they should trade for an O-lineman, but I think Keegan Trost can fill in for a few games if necessary up there. And then as I've said real quick about Terrence Ferguson, From Sarah Barshop, Sean McVay said Terrence Ferguson pulled his hamstring during practice last Friday and will likely be out for another couple of weeks. You can't make it up, can you? McVay said. McVay said Ferguson was going to be a big part of the game plan today. I'm not surprised. And if he was healthy right now, he might even be the wide receiver one. Seriously. I would actually have him be our wide receiver one right now with Puka and Devontae out. Seriously, I think with Ferguson being out, he'll probably come back right after the bye, is my guess. With him now out, too, for another couple weeks, it's even more important now for the Rams to trade for a wide receiver. And going into these two guys here that make a lot of sense for this Rams roster, Josh Townsend and Keenan Allen offer viable options for this Rams team. And we do have some reports coming out of Indiana, Indianapolis guys, such as wide receiver Josh Downs and Keenan Allen, and defensive tackle Grover Stewart are very available from Dan Graziano from earlier today. And that makes sense. Again, even trading for a D-tackle is not the worst thing because Kobe Turner is still on IR. Hopefully, we get an update during the bye week to see how he's doing. But overall, both Josh Downs and Keenan Allen are upgrades over what the Rams currently have in their wide receiver room. And if we do do a brief little comparison of these two players here, they're not wide receiver ones bye-bye trade. That's not what they are. They're not insanely great red zone threats, but it just gives you a better... player than you currently have. I'm taking both of these guys over anyone the Rams currently have right now. I would like to go for Josh Downs over Keenan Allen because Keenan Allen is older and that the risk of injury there does concern me more than if they went for a guy like Josh Downs who's been healthy, who's been healthier, and who I think offers more upside not just for this year, but as a future wide receiver too next to Puka as well. And I've heard the quotes I suppose we're looking for around a fourth rounder. For Josh Downs, and I don't really think that's a bad trade at all. They're not trading a top two-day draft pick, a fourth-round pick. I would do that. For Keenan Allen, I wouldn't be shocked if the Colts even just cut him so he can go sign with a contender because is getting a seventh really worth it for Keenan Allen at this point if you're the Colts? But I certainly think Josh Downs offers more upside, and I think it does make the most sense to go for him. And then looking at Josh Downs' scouting report, he's an established receiver. Receiving workload makes him a certified option for immediate opportunities for Stafford. Catch fund supports a complimentary role while the Rams wait for their stars. Yeah, that's really what we need. We just need someone else who's a capable pass catcher. And Josh Downs is that guy. He's more than that to me. But for this Rams offense, once Puka and Devontae are back, hopefully for a playoff run, you have him as your wide receiver three. That you can make a case as the best wide receiver starting lineup in the NFL. Again, the limited touchdown production, he's not an automatic replacement at the goal line, but it's just something. I think part of that's because Daniel Jones is his quarterback in all honesty, but it just gives you something, something with upside in that wide receiver room. And then looking at Keenan Allen, he's had a better year than I think a lot of people would think. He's had 40 catches, 351 yards on a touchdown. Keenan Allen is a fine player. I'm not saying Keenan Allen's a bad player. I still think he's better than anyone we have right now. I just want someone a little younger. Because the older you get, the scarier it becomes with the injuries. And Josh Downs hasn't had those injuries. And let's knock on wood and make sure that doesn't happen here. But overall, I just think Josh Downs is a much better fit than what we would get with Keenan Allen, potentially. And then for Josh Downs, too, he's never really had... A consistent quarterback in Indianapolis. He hasn't. I mean, Daniel Jones, those first eight games last year looked awesome. But that, I think, was more of a flash in a pan rather than anything else. And what did he do? Was he there with Carson Wentz? Who had Philip Rivers playing games last year? Sam Ellinger? Like, you just had really just a rotating door over there at quarterback the entire time Josh Downs has been in the league. And just playing with someone like Matthew Stafford, again, better quarterback. A better receiver than you have now, I just think, helps this Rams offense get better immediately. And again, it is important to note, you got to do the fit before the name. Receiver acquisition test. Can he execute a useful role immediately? To me, Josh Downs can. Does his role still help when the Stars return? For Josh Downs, to me, yes, especially Devontae being older, coming off a serious injury. Does the compensation match that role? A fourth round pick? Yeah. I don't think that's an overpay. Can the Rams accommodate the remaining salary? That is also very, very important to note here as well, because we know that the Rams do have their own salary cap issues. And if we do look at the Josh Downs contract here, it is $4.2 million for this year, which again, the Colts have already paid some of that. And then after this year, he's a free agent. So again, it's not like you're taking on a very high salary either. That's also why I think it's very important that they look into this as well. Sean McVay, too, in his press conference about Puka's injury, did reopen trade deadline options, as in, I think it is a bit more likely now than before that the Rams do make a wide receiver trade. And this is from Sean McVay today. I think you've got to look at all avenues to try to be able to solve some of the issues or situations or scenarios that have come up. And I think that's very important for Sean McVay to really look in the mirror and say, yeah, it's time to address this. I think it is, too. I think it's very important that they do something about this. And again, just looking at the deadline plan, opportunity cost matters. McVay was weighing the roster last week. And then they explore all avenues, and then obviously tomorrow at 4 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Pacific time, the trade deadline will have passed. And then something else important to note here too. The price still does matter. I would never rule out opportunities to get better, but at what opportunity cost from Sean McVay? And I do agree with that. We shouldn't overpay for somebody. I don't want to trade a second rounder for Pickens. Like, I don't think that's worth it, especially because he's going to want real, not like real, but you know what I mean, way more money than Josh Downs would in the offseason in terms of re-signing a player here as well. And it's important to note that there should be more urgency with all the Rams injuries and the new injuries. Adam Grossbard, Sean McVay had previously ruled out a trade deadline move for adding a new receiver, but now said the Rams will explore all avenues as they try to figure out how to move forward after Puka's injury. Yeah, I think Puka's injury was definitely a bit of a wake-up call at the Rams' need to make a move at the receiver position. And then, this is a deadline recommendation. Prioritize an immediately useful receiving role. Set the compensation limit before negotiating. Verify remaining salary in the required cap move or moves. Keep developing the internal passing plan. I don't know how much more developing you can have of these guys. I haven't seen much of it this year with these other guys left on the roster. I think it's time to make some sort of a trade here. And now to today's question for the comments. How should the Rams respond to the latest Puka Nacua injury news? A, pay a fair price for receiver help. B, make a bigger investment in a long-term receiver. Or C, keep the picks and adjust internally. Leave your thoughts in the comments down below. I will be responding as always. For me, I think it's A, pay a fair price for receiver help. Again, a guy like Brian Thomas Jr. Haven't even seen it this year in Jacksonville. I don't think it's worth it. George Pickens, I think is too expensive. That would be a B. option move, but I don't think the Rams should do it again, considering the price he'd probably want to re-sign at as well in the offseason. And I don't think you can just keep the same guys. I don't think that's going to be good enough for the Rams to make a playoff push with the way their roster is currently situated. So I would definitely say, A, pay a fair price for receiver help. Josh Downs for a fourth, I think is a very fair deal. Again, leave your thoughts in the comments down below. I will be responding as always. And that is all for today's episode of Rams Digest. Make sure to leave a like on today's video right now for the Rams to end their season before the bye on a four-game winning streak, currently on a three-game winning streak. So leave a like for that to happen as well. And thank you everyone who tuned into the solo stream yesterday. I really, really appreciate it. We hope to have Josh G back this coming week for the Cardinals stream. So make sure to stay tuned for that as well. And hit that subscribe button. We just hit 6K. Now we're on the long road to 7K. 7,000 subscribers. Make sure to hit that sub button and click that notification bell as well. Click all so you get notified and never miss whenever we post our daily new Rams Digest video content pieces covering all things Rams. Make sure to leave your thoughts on today's video in the comments down below. I will be responding as always. And make sure to share today's video with a friend because it helps out the channel a ton. I've been your host, Joshua Finers, as always. Thank you very much for watching another episode of Rams Digest. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll see you soon for another one. And have a great rest of your day.