Jason La Canfora reported on Monday morning that the Denver Broncos traded wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to the St. Louis Rams, and according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, they will receive a sixth round pick that can escalate to a fifth based on Lloyd's catches.
Lloyd made the Pro Bowl with Denver last season after catching 77 passes for 1,448 yards and a career high 11 touchdowns.
He was acquired by the Broncos as a free agent in 2009 after stints with the 49ers, Redskins, and Bears.
This trade is interesting for the Rams because they are already 0-5 and seemingly out of contention in their own division with the 49ers already 5-1, so barring some kind of historic collapse, this move doesn't make sense in the short term unless St. Louis believes they can re-sign Lloyd after this season and he can help Sam Bradford develop into the quarterback everyone thought he was turning into last season.
Bradford has been a wild disappointment so far this season, so adding a playmaker like Lloyd could be just what the doctor ordered.
As for the Broncos, this deal makes sense because Lloyd has no long-term future in Denver and they needed to get something out of him while they still could. Even though he is a highlight reel catch machine, Denver is deep enough at wide receiver to make this move, especially with the anticipated return of Demaryius Thomas.