How the Los Angeles Rams doing right by Robert Woods led to him landing with the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have been criticized a bit over the last few days for a perceived slow start to free agency. Tennessee watched numerous tight ends sign deals with other teams before finally signing Austin Hooper to a one-year deal worth $6 million. The Titans also released wide receiver Julio Jones, leaving the team in […]
The Tennessee Titans have been criticized a bit over the last few days for a perceived slow start to free agency.
Tennessee watched numerous tight ends sign deals with other teams before finally signing Austin Hooper to a one-year deal worth $6 million.
The Titans also released wide receiver Julio Jones, leaving the team in need of a No. 2 wide receiver.
On Saturday, Titans general manager Jon Robinson seemingly erased the questions about Tennessee's "slow offseason" by pulling off one of his most shrewd trades yet.
Robinson traded a sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for wide receiver Robert Woods.
Woods is coming off a torn ACL and turns 30 in April. But aside from those two "negatives", there's nothing to dislike about this trade. Before the ACL injury, which occurred in a practice last November, Woods had missed only one game in the previous three seasons.
The former USC wide receiver was in the midst of the most productive stretch of his career, coming off three straight seasons with at least 85 receptions. Woods also topped 1,100 receiving yards in 2018 and 2019.
Woods and his $13.5 million salary-cap hit became expendable after the Rams signed wide receiver Allen Robinson this week. The cap hit is also a reason why Los Angeles wasn't able to get more out of a highly productive and highly respected wide receiver like Woods.
The Rams didn't necessarily go with the best offer, either. Los Angeles thinks so highly of Woods and his contributions to the franchise over the last five seasons that they worked to find a perfect fit for the veteran wide receiver.
And the Titans were deemed by all parties involved to be that perfect fit.
Other teams wanted Woods. Michael Fabiano reported that the Philadephia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and Cleveland Browns were all "very interested" in Woods. The Green Bay Packers also had some interest.
Woods, however, felt like the Titans were the best fit for him (in a way that means Woods chose Ryan Tannehill over Aaron Rodgers). And the Rams made sure that's where he landed, though they were under no obligation to send Woods to his preferred destination.
Jon Robinson has built a roster that's a perennial contender in the NFL. He makes measured moves, which sometimes results in splash additions (like the Julio Jones deal last summer). Not all of his moves work out as intended (also like the Julio Jones deal last summer), but for the most part, Robinson has proved to be one of the best general managers in the NFL.
That's why it's always best to let the entire offseason play out before rushing to judgment.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports
