The Los Angeles Rams got active in another way as they, along with the 31 other teams around the NFL, trimmed their rosters down to 53 players ahead of the 4 PM ET deadline on August 26, sending offensive lineman KT Leveston to the Cleveland Browns.
Leveston is in his second NFL season, but he has yet to log any NFL experience.
Leveston finished second on the Rams in snaps and offensive grade during the 2025 preseason, per Pro Football Focus.
“#Browns trade: Cleveland is trading with the #Rams for OT KT Leveston and giving up a 7th in 2028, source said,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported with a post on X on August 26, just hours before the deadline.
He also had an elite 93.6 run blocking grade
“Last year the Rams spent a seventh-round pick on Leveston, but he spent the entire season on injured reserve. This year he wasn’t going to make the Rams’ 53-player roster, which means he would have been on waivers, and only the Titans could have claimed him ahead of the Browns,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on August 26, noting Cleveland is second in waiver priority.
“The Browns apparently figured that there’s a good enough chance Leveston can improve their offensive line to be worth the meager price of a 2028 seventh-round draft pick. So Leveston heads to Cleveland today, instead of waiting to get claimed on waivers tomorrow.”
The Rams’ offensive tackle situation took a positive turn this week.
That made Leveston expendable. The Rams took advantage, extracting similar value out of the former No. 254 overall pick of the 2024 draft.
Rams’ Trade Raises Eyebrows
GettyLos Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead recalls a story while in his office.
Reactions to the Rams trade sparked intrigue due to the compensation involved just as much as Leveston’s inclusion and move to the Browns. Cleveland is coming off a 3-14 season and allowed the second-most sacks in the league during the 2024 regular season.
“A seventh-round pick three drafts away. Don’t see that often,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo posted on X.
“A 2028 pick being traded?” Fantasy Life’s Thor Nystrom posted.
“Browns were thin at OT after first round of cuts,” TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi posted on X in reaction to the deal. “More moves coming to reshape bottom 5 of roster.”
Fox Sports’ Greg Auman noted that three years is the furthest out that teams can trade draft picks, meaning Rams general manager Les Snead extracted future value out of a player whose four-year, $4.1 million contract will expire the same offseason that the Browns’ pick conveys.
A lot can change before then.
Still, it is a notable trade return on a player the Rams have not had much use for beyond the preseason.
Rams Good News Made Former Draft Pick Expendable
GettyAlaric Jackson #77 of the Los Angeles Rams at day one of training camp.
Earlier this offseason, the Rams found themselves in a bind that would have made their trade sending Leveston out seem short-sighted. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson was sidelined with blood clots, leaving his status uncertain.
The Rams signed former Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs veteran D.J. Humphries in free agency to replace Jackson in the lineup.
He can revert to a reserve role and possibly become a trade candidate now.
They also still have backup OTs AJ Arcuri, David Quessenberry, and Warren McClendon.
Arcuri (No. 261 overall in 2022) and McClendon (No. 174 in 2023) are both former draft picks, just like Leveston. That leaves the Rams with more developmental talent to work with, even after their trade with the Browns.
Jackson is also set to return to team drills in practice at some point next week. That is according to Rams head coach Sean McVay.
That is all the more reason for the Rams to capitalize on Leveston’s strong preseason performance with a trade. The move further bolsters their war chest ahead of a potentially pivotal offseason at quarterback, where Matthew Stafford returns but faces age and injury concerns.
Rams’ Trade Raises Eyebrows as Roster Cut Deadline Draws Near