The Los Angeles Rams may have an opportunity to address their most pressing roster concern before the season kicks off. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has proposed a deal that would send Chicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones to Los Angeles in exchange for cornerback Derion Kendrick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
For the Rams, the logic is straightforward: Matthew Stafford needs stability on his blindside, and the team can’t be sure it has that right now. Alaric Jackson is expected to return from a second bout with blood clots, but his condition has created ongoing uncertainty. Veteran D.J. Humphries was signed as insurance, yet his 2024 season in Kansas City was plagued by injury and inconsistency. That leaves Los Angeles with questions heading into Week 1 — the kind Jones could answer.
Proposed Trade Gives Rams an Answer at Left Tackle
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Jones, 26, has 49 career starts and graded out well last season before a leg injury cut his year short. While Chicago once viewed him as a long-term building block, rookie Ozzy Trapilo and undrafted standout Theo Benedet have complicated his role in the Bears’ future. That makes him a possible trade chip, and Barnwell argues the Rams should take advantage.
On the other side of the proposal, Kendrick represents the type of flier Chicago might accept. A sixth-round pick in 2022, Kendrick flashed early in his Rams career but missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL. With Ahkello Witherspoon re-signed and Emmanuel Forbes added to the cornerback group, Kendrick has fallen out of favor in Los Angeles.
Barnwell summed it up this way: “If Jones isn’t in the long-term plans for the Bears, they might want to move him now. Landing a cornerback in Kendrick… would give a Chicago defense without much depth at the position a potentially useful contributor.”
For Los Angeles, the trade would be less about upside and more about insurance. With Stafford entering his age-37 season, keeping the pocket clean is the top priority. Acquiring Jones could give the Rams a reliable option at their most vulnerable position.
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