Les Snead has never been shy about calling around for veterans, and the Los Angeles Rams’ general manager should have Baltimore on the line before the Nov. 10 deadline. Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman is drawing trade buzz, and he would take some pressure off a heavy Puka Nacua workload.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler listed Bateman as a name to watch, noting that other teams “have had interest in the past” and that he’s due $6.5 million this year and $8.25 million in 2027. Bateman has 16 catches for 233 yards and a touchdown as Zay Flowers’ No. 2.
Why Bateman fits in Los Angeles
Snead doesn’t sit still. He traded for Trent McDuffie in March and pulled off the Myles Garrett trade in June. A 2-3 start with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford under center doesn’t change that approach.
Nacua has been spectacular when available. He has 31 catches for 337 yards in three games, including a Monday night record 17 grabs in the overtime loss to Buffalo. He has also missed two games with a hip injury after dealing with a core-muscle issue in training camp.
Davante Adams leads the team with 441 receiving yards and four touchdowns, but he’s 33, and the final year of his deal is a void year, according to Over the Cap. Behind those two, Konata Mumpfield has six catches and Tutu Atwell has three.
Bateman answers both problems. He’s 26, he put up 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, and he’s under contract beyond this season. If Nacua goes down again, Sean McVay has a starter. If Adams walks in March, Stafford still has a proven second option.
The obstacle is money. The Rams have just $724,461 in cap space, per Over the Cap, so Snead would have to send salary back or restructure a deal. He also doesn’t own a 2027 first-round pick after the Garrett trade.
Neither has stopped him before. A Day 3 pick and a contract going the other way could get it done, and Bateman would arrive in time for the Rams’ Oct. 25 trip to Las Vegas.
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