The Los Angeles Rams are still alive in the playoff race, but the team could target Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie via a trade. According to Bleacher Report, the source believes McDuffie might be a reliable, shutdown corner for Los Angeles as the team gave more than 200 receiving yards to the Panthers in their wild-card win. Los Angeles still has a high chance of winning a Super Bowl, which would be the second one in Matthew Stafford’s career, but they could come up short due to the secondary unit. If the Rams miss the big game in February, the team still has a bright future as long as Stafford is still playing, but they are looking forward to almost $82 million in cap space.
Rams Could Target Top NFL Trade Candidate Trent McDuffie After Playoffs
This means that the Rams could afford the standout cornerback if they want him. McDuffie became one of the league’s best shutdown specialists following the Chiefs trading L”Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. It gave McDuffie and impending free agent Jaylen Watson a chance to receive more reps. Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach is never afraid of moving on from top talent if it means they can’t afford it anymore.
This doesn’t mean they will, as the team tried to negotiate a contract extension with McDuffie, so they could revisit the talks if the cornerback is interested in returning. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, the team will need to rebuild its offense. It could come at the cost of their defensive talent to rebuild their offense for Patrick Mahomes, so it makes sense why the Rams could trade an early-round draft pick for McDuffie. Here are other teams that could make sense.
Other Potential Trade Partners
Dallas Cowboys
Despite coming back to life after a 3-5-1 record, the Dallas Cowboys failed to reach the postseason for a second consecutive year. However, the team built one of the most promising interior defensive lines between Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa after trading Micah Parsons this past offseason. Dallas can easily be a good football team again if they put their attention into upgrading its edge rush and secondary unit.
While most of their attention will be on extending George Pickens, Jerry Jones must find ways to improve the secondary. It was one of the worst between DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs. While Shavon Revel Jr. is waiting for a larger role in the wings, they’re better off getting a shutdown talent like McDuffie. The Cowboys have an extra first-round draft pick, and they should use it on McDuffie.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings had one of the best defenses besides the Houston Texans this season credits to Brian Flores, who could leave for a new opportunity. While they were able to sign Isaiah Rodgers this past offseason, but released Nahshon Wright, who had a standout campaign with the Bears. They lost veteran Stephon Gilmore, too, which was a huge blow to the secondary, and now they may lose safety Harrison Smith to retirement.
The Vikings have a lot of moving pieces, so they should target someone like McDuffie. He and Byron Murphy Jr. could be something special as a duo in Minnesota, even if Flores is gone.
Washington Commanders
While the Commanders need to rebuild the defensive line following the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Whitt, they must upgrade their secondary. Washington has one of the best safeties between Jeremy Reaves, Will Harris and Quan Martin, but the cornerback room needs an overhaul. Veteran Marshon Lattimore might’ve played his last snap as a Commander in 2025, which means the Commanders are in the market for a cornerback.
Mike Sainristil is a promising long-term solution, so they should consider looking into adding McDuffie to fill not only the much-needed void but also become a standout with the Commanders.