The Rams don’t need another headline-grabbing swing at receiver as much as they need someone who can simply help them get through the season. With Davante Adams out, Puka Nacua has been carrying too much of the load, and the passing game has leaned on him in a way that isn’t sustainable.
He hasn’t been getting targeted deep very often, whether that’s because of injury or because defenses are zeroing in on him. The run game can only do so much.
That’s why ESPN’s Aaron Schatz floated a name that won’t excite anyone on first glance but might actually fit the Rams’ reality: Commanders receiver Dyami Brown.
Brown is the kind of trade target that feels practical rather than flashy. He doesn’t bring the kind of ceiling that would come with someone like Josh Downs, Brian Thomas Jr. or Dontayvion Wicks, but he may be the one LA can actually afford. And for a Rams team with limited draft capital, that matters.
A 2021 third-round pick out of North Carolina, Brown started his career in Washington, spent last year with the Jaguars, and is now back with the team that drafted him. His season line is modest: nine catches for 94 yards, with a long of 48.
That 48-yard grab would rank among the Rams’ longest receptions this season; only Adams and Konata Mumpfield have longer ones. Brown has also added six carries for 30 yards.
The ball security is a concern. Brown has already fumbled twice, which matches his career total entering the season, according to Pro Football Reference.
That’s not exactly comforting for a Rams offense that has had its own issues protecting the ball. If LA went after him, it would be betting that he can clean that up.
There’s at least one other angle that gives him some appeal. Brown has returned three kickoffs this season, including one for 37 yards, even though he hasn’t spent much of his career in that role. The Rams have struggled there, so a receiver who can offer some flexibility has value.
Still, Brown is not the kind of player who changes the ceiling of the offense. His best season came in 2024, when he finished with 30 catches for 308 yards and a touchdown. Compared with a player like Thomas, a former first-round pick and Pro Bowl selection as a rookie, Brown is clearly the lower-upside option.
But he may also be the only type of receiver the Rams can realistically chase. As a depth piece, a former Day 2 pick, and a player on an expiring contract, Brown would not come close to the kind of return Jacksonville would want for Thomas or the price the Colts would ask for Downs. With the Rams short on draft assets, Brown might be available for almost nothing.
There’s also the simpler answer: give Tutu Atwell more snaps. The Rams probably should be doing that anyway. But Schatz also pointed out that Brown is a strong blocking receiver, which could help him stay on the field in ways Atwell can’t.
With Atwell, Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington and CJ Daniels all delivering little or nothing, the Rams’ receiver room needs more bodies. Brown wouldn’t be a splashy fix, but he could be a useful one at a very small cost.
The Commanders, meanwhile, are sitting at 2-4-1 in a division that’s going nowhere fast, and head coach Dan Quinn might not make it through the season. The Rams will get a close look at Brown on Sunday, and if they win, they could help push Washington toward selling before the November 10 trade deadline.
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