The Los Angeles Rams can certainly take their current group of wide receivers into training camp and, ultimately, the regular season. But the Rams could also further bolster what is viewed as a Super Bowl roster with a trade for DeMario “Pop” Douglas.
Douglas is undersized, but he has a skill set that the current Rams lack, and he is coming off a productive season in which he helped the New England Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
Perhaps he could do the same for the Rams.
Rams Land Patriots’ DeMario Douglas in New Trade Pitch
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)DeMario Douglas could be a fitting trade target for the Los Angeles Rams.
Douglas, 25, would bring a true slot option for the Rams, who otherwise get by with less traditional options like Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, one of their several other wideouts, or even a tight end like Terrance Ferguson.
A sixth-round pick by the Patriots in 2023, Douglas was the 210th overall pick of his class.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton suggested him as a trade target for the Rams, suggesting a deal sending draft capital to the Patriots.
Rams get:
- DeMario Douglas
Patriots get:
- 2027 draft pick
“Los Angeles may be able to acquire Douglas in exchange for a late 2027 draft pick,” Moton wrote on July 14. “He saw a drop-off in his receiving numbers last season, and the Patriots added wideouts A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason. If New England doesn’t trade Kayshon Boutte, Douglas could be on the move.
“As a result, Los Angeles can pounce on an opportunity to bring in a 25-year-old wideout with a solid resume. Douglas has 146 receptions for 1,629 yards and six touchdowns.”
Douglas has always been an outlier at his size.
DeMario Douglas Overcame Being Undersized
GettyDeMario Douglas is undersized, but he has been productive in the NFL.
Douglas has posted at least 30 receptions and over 500 yards in every season of his career so far, and tacked on 3 receiving touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Despite his size, he is not a strong returner, which was a concern coming out, but for specific reasons.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien properly projected Douglas as a sixth-round pick. A lack of refinement was part of the wideout’s issue, but so was an inability to secure the ball on returns.
Douglas returned 11 punts as a rookie, tallying 56 yards, and has never returned another.
“Smallish slot receiver with adequate speed and quickness but inconsistent route running and ball skills,” Zierlein wrote in 2023. “Douglas has the ability to slip press and can be a tough route-runner for defenses to read, but he needs to get better at the finer points of the craft to separate from NFL coverage. He won’t be a plus ball-winner on contested catches, but he can make challenging grabs. Douglas has late-round potential but his lack of size and history of muffed punts could work against him.”
The Rams could be wary of surrendering more draft capital for Douglas after the offseason that they have had, particularly if Boutte could be a better fit. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Rams are still being viewed as thin at the wide receiver spots behind Adams and Nacua.
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