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With the NFL Trade Deadline approaching in a little less than a week, most of the St. Louis Rams' trade rumors have been generated by two events: Danny Amendola's injury and Steven Jackson's slow disconnect from his only NFL home. The Jackson story continues to unfold, but the Rams' needs at wide receiver were thrown into relief on Wednesday when Amendola made a surprising return to practice. It seems more likely than not that he'll still miss Week 8 against the Patriots—and the trade deadline—but he seems suddenly like a good bet for Week 10.
Which means all the rumors about the Rams pursuing a No. 1 wide receiver—Dwayne Bowe, et al—are now rumors about the Rams pursuing a guy who'll make Danny Amendola the No. 2 wide receiver. That would make a pretty respectable Rams team better, but is it worth it?
Turf Show Times's Ryan Van Bibber says no, ultimately, and I'm inclined to agree. The Rams aren't going to win the Super Bowl this year, and they probably aren't going to make the postseason, with or without a rental. They've already brought themselves up to respectability from the bottom of the NFL barrel, and it's more valuable at this point to see what targets like Chris Givens, Lance Kendricks, and the exquisitely raw Brian Quick can do—something that's already started to happen as the Rams adjust to life without Amendola.
Next year, between the draft and the free agent market, the Rams will have a chance to get Sam Bradford the star receiver he needs. In the meantime—especially with Danny Amendola officially on the mend—it's been enough to watch as he improves, from week to week, with the ones he's got.