By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams have a head coach named Sean McVay that doesn’t play by the rules. The man that should be sponsored by five-hour energy will always be trigger-happy to make the right NFL trades. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine five potential trades for the LA Rams in 2022.

Trade for WR Corey Davis

The Allen Robinson experiment doesn’t look promising — as he’s merely unleashed five catches for 65 yards and one touchdown in two games thus far. If the Rams aren’t able to bring in another toy (such as OBJ), I’d love to see them reel in a big-body WR elsewhere. I feel that Corey Davis would be a splendid fit for the Rams. He has ousted 160 yards and a TD in two contests with the mediocre NY Jets offense. I expect him to be a Pro Bowl WR with McVay and Matthew Stafford. Plus, the Jets may be more lenient to shipping him away — as they still have Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, and Braxton Berrios.

Trade for CB Paulson Adebo

The Rams secondary clearly hasn’t been talented enough to stop opposing signal-callers. Jalen Ramsey also hasn’t been off to a hot start in 2022. It may be wise to bring in a ferocious, young CB moving forward. I’d love to see them target Paulson Adebo, who is coming back healthy for the Saints. The Saints still have Marshon Lattimore (of course), P.J. Williams, Alontae Taylor, and Bradley Roby at the CB spot.

Trade for WR Scotty Miller

The deep-threat Scotty Miller had a disappointing performance against the Saints in Week 2. With that said, it may be wise for the Rams to throw a late-round pick for him and insert his speed into their offense. The Rams had some success with Desean Jackson last season. Perhaps Miller can be an x-factor with the Rams play-action this season.

Trade for DE Montez Sweat

Montez Sweat may be a hard profile to snag, but his talent and fit would be perfect for Washington. Sweat unveiled 21 sacks, 36 QB hits, 7 QB hits, 7 FFs, in his first 42 games. The Rams weren’t able to bring back Von Miller or ink Jadeveon Clowney. Perhaps they can make a creative move by acquiring the explosive, young DE in Washington.

Trade for TE Robert Tonyan

It may be an underrated move to reel in an underperforming, yet talented, face in TE Robert Tonyan. The Packers TE had a whopping 11 touchdowns in 2020. He hasn’t been able to get into the right rhythm with A-Rod over the past year. The Packers TE could resurrect his career with LA and potentially be a legit red zone threat in the Rams aerial attack.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Pack will continue to strive for their second Lombardi trophy with the ageless Aaron Rodgers. Although, it will be difficult to return to the big dance without Davante Adams. So, I’m going to untwine three underperforming profiles on the Packers that need to help their two-time reigning MVP lead the Packers to Super Bowl glory.

Randall Cobb

Randall Cobb might be a Packers legend, but he is also a 31-year-old coming off his least productive season in receiving yards since his rookie campaign. As widely enunciated, Tae is getting milkshakes with Derek Carr, so Cobb needs to bounce back in the young WR room. I expect Christian Watson to be a stud, but Cobb (who may be playing his final season in Green Bay) absolutely needs to be the ole reliable weapon for A-Rod moving forward.

Robert Tonyan

Robert Tonyan was from another planet in 2020, as he recorded 11 touchdowns and garnered comparisons to Gronk. In 2021, he made countless cheeseheads believe that he was a fluke, or perhaps a talent like James Jones that would play above his athletic ability with the Packers HOF QB. Tonyan recorded 204 yds and 2 touchdowns in 8 games a season ago. A-Rod will definitely want the x-factor Tonyan to be healthy, motivated this summer, and in-sync early on.

Jarran Reed

Jarran Reed might be a shiny, $4.5 million dollar face in Green Bay, but he needs to elevate his craft in 2022. Reed has the potential to be a stellar IDL and he’s been a force against the run. It should be noted that his pass-rushing ability has been up and down. He recorded 10.5 sacks and 24 QB hits in 2018 and 6.5 sacks and 14 QB hits in 2020. Although, he took a slight south turn in 2021: 2.5 sacks and 12 QB hits. He will look to return to being a successful pass-rusher next to Kenny Clark moving forward.

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By: Jake Rajala

It may seem like the Packers didn’t have an Albert Einstein-like mind helping their search for WR talent this off-season, but the Pack still recently added numerous talented wideouts in Christian Watson and Sammy Watkins. Most importantly, they can feel delighted that they have arguably the most gifted passing QB of all time in Aaron Rodgers on their roster.

A-Rod has been from another planet in 2020 and 2021 (both MVP-winning seasons). Although, many fans believe that the Davante Adams-less offense will noticeably hurt A-Rod’s chances of winning MVP for the third straight season. Well, I’m still going to untwine three reasons why burning man Rodgers could return to the throne and win MVP with his current weapons next season.

Healthy tackles

The mammoth-like LT David Bakhtiari played in a mere one game last season. The Packers may have lost a star in Tae, but they are receiving a healthy and amazing face in Bakhtiari. The Packers LT is arguably an Top-3 LT in the NFL and he will be happy to protect his buddy that likes to ride in the back seat of his truck.

It should also be noted that RT Elgton Jenkins missed nine game last season. The injury-riddled Packers OL was beaten badly by the Nick Bosa-led 49ers pass rush in the playoffs. A-Rod will be very confident that he can stay clean and utilize his wideouts to the best of their ability.

Robert Tonyan

A-Rod threw 11 touchdowns to Robert Tonyan in 2020. Yes, you read that correctly. Well, Tonyan (9 missed games last season) hauled in a mere two touchdowns from his QB in 2021. The Packers QB will be happy to have his gifted and healthy TE catching passes from him moving forward.

Christian Watson

It appears that cheeseheads across the globe should feel ecstatic that their second-round pick is turning heads in OTAs. If the 6’5 WR can be in-sync with Rodgers on the outside early on, while the deep-threat Sammy Watkins and red-zone threat Tonyan excel in their roles, the well-protected Rodgers could find himself crowned MVP for the third straight season.

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By: Emerson Beery

The tight end landscape has become the most talented bare, and hardest position to predict in fantasy. Every year there are talented tight ends who get drafted with high expectations and struggle to produce (looking at you Evan Engram). Due to this, it has become a popular strategy to fade the position if you don’t get one of the top guys like Travis Kelce or George Kittle. This is a strategy I approve of after spending years over drafting guys like Engram, Hunter Henry, and Austin Hooper. In this article, I will examine some tight-end prospects going late in drafts that have high upside in 2022 and beyond. None of these players are likely to be league winners, but at a position this thin they have starting potential. 

Robert Tonyan

Tonyan is coming off a disappointing 2021 campaign in which he struggled to produce on the field before ultimately tearing his ACL in week 8. Through these 8 games, Tonyan mustered only 18 catches for 204 yards. His 29 targets were actually on pace for almost exactly the same amount he received in his breakout  2020 season. The problem was he couldn’t replicate his 11 touchdown receptions, which made up the bulk of his fantasy points. As a result, Tonyan’s dynasty value dropped dramatically since last season, as he can be found as a low TE2 according to most outlets. I believe he has a chance to outproduce this ranking in 2022 as one of Rodger’s most trusted offensive weapons. 

In 2020, Tonyan managed to catch a touchdown on a ridiculous 18.6% of his targets. This wasn’t sustainable and his production dropped last year. As a result, no receiver outside of Davante Adams was able to maintain consistent fantasy value. Adams is now gone, and the Packers are left with Tonyan, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Amari Rodgers as their best-receiving weapons. The Packers will be a candidate to acquire receivers this off-season, however, there will be plenty of targets to go around in this now wide-open offense. Rodgers has had a habit in his career of forcing the ball to receivers that he trusts. Since 2012 the only wide receivers to surpass 900 yards are Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and Adams. Rodgers knows who his elite playmakers are, and he tries hard to run the offense through them, even to a fault sometimes. 

That won’t be the case this season, as there is no receiver on the team besides Cobb who has had over 55 receptions or 600 yards in a season. Cobb himself is turning 32 this Summer and isn’t capable of carrying a heavy workload at this stage of his career. Rodgers will be looking for someone in the offense who he’s had success within the past. Tonyan is an obvious candidate to take a major step forward as someone who’s shown chemistry with Rodgers in the past. In 2020, Rodgers had a 148.3 passer rating when targeting Tonyan, who also had one of the best target separation grades in the league. 

Coming off a season-ending injury, Tonyan is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab. The Packers hinted at having him back early on in the season, but we’re noncommittal which is typical at this stage. With how fast players are coming back from injuries nowadays, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Tonyan on the field in week 1. He will likely be limited at least to start the year, but is ranked as a borderline top 25 TE, he is basically free in startups. This is a player who could have value deeper into the season as Rodger’s go-to red zone target. At a position that is touchdown or bust for the most part outside the top 6 players, Tonyan provides more upside than some of the tight ends drafted around him. He’ll be a player that I’ll be consistently targeting later in my drafts this Summer. 

Brevin Jordan

Jordan is another tight end who’s being ranked as a lower TE2 who could have a major role going into 2022. The Texans selected him in the 5th round of last year’s draft from the University of Miami.  He was a player who was known to play all over the field and was a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands. His accolades include earning second-team All-ACC twice, first-team All- ACC once, and being a 2020 Mackey Award finalist. Jordan went to a great spot in Houston, which didn’t have any high-level tight ends to compete with for playing time. After starting off on the inactive list for the first seven games, he caught 20 passes for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns to finish his campaign. Jordan managed to score double-digit fantasy points in three of those outings and was Houston’s most effective fantasy tight end. Although not exciting numbers, the offense as a whole struggled. No one outside of Brandin Cooks was able to maintain fantasy relevance. 

In 2022, Brevin Jordan has the chance to grow into a more full-time role with Houston and could become a focal point of the offense. Jordan Akins is gone, and Pharaoh Brown is hardly inspiring competition. Furthermore, Brandin Cooks might not be on the team in 2022 as he is rumored to be on the trading block. With Nico Collins and Chris Conley as the leading receivers behind him, the offense is completely devoid of talent. The Texans have holes across their entire roster as well and are unlikely to add significant competition at tight end. With David Mills showing competent quarterback ability, Jordan has the opportunity for a high volume of targets. I’ve seen Jordan go a bit early for me in some drafts this off-season, as he’s not a top 15 guy for me. However. in the TE20s we’re drafting long shots anyway, and Jordan has as good a shot as any in this range to succeed. Tight ends tend to take a year or two to develop, so taking a shot on a young and talented one late in drafts could pay dividends down the road. At a talent bare position, any player who is projected to be a key part of the offense has value. 

Hayden Hurst

For my last tight-end sleeper, I’m going deep down the ranks to a rarely talked about, but talented player. Hayden Hurst is finally going to have an opportunity to lead a depth chart after playing behind Mark Andrews and Kyle Pitts over the last few years. Hurst is a former first-round pick in the 2018 draft, who recently signed a 1 year/$3.5 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. He will be looking to bounce back with a new franchise after a disappointing start to his career in Baltimore and Atlanta. Despite being drafted ahead of Mark Andrews, he was overtaken quickly by the pro bowl tight end and was never given the opportunity to flourish with the Ravens. After being acquired by Atlanta in 2020, Hurst had a mini breakout going for 571 yards and 6 touchdowns. This was good for TE9 in PPR leagues. Unfortunately for Hurst, the Falcons added Kyle Pitts in last year’s draft leaving him once again in a secondary role. His playing time dwindled as the season went on, and there was little room for him on the Falcons rebuilding roster. 

Fast forward to 2022 and Hurst projects to be the starting tight end for one of the best offenses in the league. Hurst is still a former first-round pick who came into the league as a fierce competitor with great hands. Gaining separation from defenders and blocking have been a problem in the NFL. However, he did show he has low TE1 upside in his one starting season with the Falcons in 2020. Burrow is an elite NFL quarterback who has shown he can support multiple fantasy options. With so much attention being devoted to Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, Hurst will likely have opportunities to feast underneath. A high-powered offense like this also will feature plenty of red zone opportunities, which are essential to most tight ends fantasy production. 

C.J Uzomah had developed into a solid player for the Bengals, but he’s far from an elite tight-end talent. Hayden Hurst has the upside to at least hold a similar role in this offense as a mid-tier TE2. Currently being ranked as a borderline top 30 TE in most dynasty rankings, Hurst likely won’t cost you anything to acquire this off-season. While not likely a weekly starter, Hurst could be a great bye week filler, or a low-end flex option when injuries begin to set in. The upside is always there for a tight end in an elite offense. I expect Hurst to rise in rankings over the Summer as media coverage of his work with Burrow emerges. 

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