The St. Louis Rams and New York Jets shook up their respective tackle positions when they swapped former No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith for the recently benched Wayne Hunter. The two players had been statistically two of the least impressive tackles in the league in 2011.
For the Rams, the trade leaves Barry Richardson as the likely starter at the right tackle position, which Ryan Van Bibber of Turf Show Times calls a risky proposition since Smith's play had been improving recently despite the recent benching:
On the surface, this is not a good deal at all for the Rams. Smith was improving his play under offensive line coach Paul Boudreau. Hunter and Richardson were two of the worst tackles in the league last season. Hunter had already been benched for the Jets after allowing constant pressure on their quarterbacks.
The Rams are doubling down on their commitment to Richardson as a starter, a potentially risky move given that their season rests on the shoulders of a quarterback struggling with pressure.
The Rams did save some cap space by making the trade, opening up about 1.5 million dollars.
For more on the Jets roster as the preseason wraps up, visit Gang Green Nation. For all your Rams news, check out Turf Show Times. And for all your roster transaction news as teams cut down, stay with SB Nation's NFL news hub.
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