Los Angeles Rams trade Alec Ogletree to New York Giants

The Los Angeles Rams have traded linebacker Alec Ogletree and a 2019 seventh-round pick to the New York Giants for a 2018 fourth and sixth-round pick.

The Los Angeles Rams are not done wheeling and dealing this offseason. Weeks after trading for cornerback Marcus Peters of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Rams have made yet another move to adjust their roster heading into 2018.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Rams have traded inside linebacker Alec Ogletree to the New York Giants for two picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick. Los Angeles will be sending a 2019 seventh-round pick to New York as well in the deal.

This deal comes off last week’s decision to slap safety Lamarcus Joyner with the 2018 franchise tag. Along with the Peters trade, that means the end of the Trumaine Johnson era in Rams football. Tagging Joyner also complicates things on the Rams being able to retain wide receiver Sammy Watkins this spring in free agency.

Could this deal with the Giants mean the Rams are more likely to keep Watkins? That could be the case. It also means that New York might finally have a suitable NFL linebacker. Historically, Giants linebackers have been a black hole when it comes to on-field productivity. It is in the same vein as Cleveland Browns quarterbacks, Green Bay Packers running backs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kickers.

Overall, the Giants are getting a solid starting inside linebacker in Ogletree. The Rams initially drafted Ogletree No. 30 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Georgia. While the Rams had high hopes that Ogletree would be a perennial Pro Bowler in the middle of their defense, that did not prove to be the case. He was still a productive player for them, recording 367 tackles in 67 games in Rams uniform.

Clearly, the Rams are trying to free up cap space with this deal. Ogletree signed a four-year, $42,750,000 extension this past offseason. He would not be a free agent until 2022, but does have a potential out in 2019 free agency. With the Giants willing to take on this money, Ogletree should be with New York for a long time.

Even though the Giants did give up two late-round picks to get him, New York could conceivably get some compensation back and here is how. The Giants may not take a franchise quarterback No. 2 overall in the draft. They might really like Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and could trade down from that second overall selection.

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While the Giants went a miserably 3-13 in 2017, it feels like the team is in win-now mode under new head coach Pat Shurmur and new general manager Dave Gentleman. They could very roll with an aging Eli Manning at quarterback and give him the young stud running back he needs in Barkley. Trading for an excellent starting inside linebacker seriously echoes the notion that the Giants aren’t looking to rebuild in 2018 at all.