Los Angeles acquired guard Austin Corbett from Cleveland on…
Los Angeles acquired guard Austin Corbett from Cleveland on October 15, 2019 for a 2021 fifth-round draft choice that became No. 169 overall, safety Richard LeCounte. Corbett quickly became a Rams starter, opening 40 of 41 regular-season games for Los Angeles from 2019 through 2021 and starting all four postseason games during the Rams' 2021 Super Bowl championship run.
Cleveland Browns Received
- pick 2021 5th round pick (169th overall, Richard LeCounte )
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Austin Corbett
Trade Analysis
This trade became one of the clearest examples of a change of scenery creating substantially more value than the original club received in return. Cleveland's official transaction record and trade announcement confirm that the Browns sent Austin Corbett to Los Angeles in October 2019 for an undisclosed 2021 draft choice. Cleveland's 2021 draft recap later identifies that compensation as a fifth-round pick, while Pro Football Reference traces the Rams' selection to No. 169 overall, which the Browns used on safety Richard LeCounte. Corbett had barely played in Cleveland after being selected 33rd overall in 2018. He appeared in 14 Browns games across 2018 and the first part of 2019 and started only once. Los Angeles found a much larger role for him almost immediately. Rams reporting notes that he started seven of eight games after the trade in 2019, then Pro Football Reference records him starting all 16 games in 2020 and all 17 games in 2021. That produced 41 regular-season appearances and 40 starts for Los Angeles over three seasons. The 2021 season gives the deal its strongest hindsight value. Corbett started every regular-season game and all four playoff games for a Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI. Carolina's later media guide likewise summarizes his Rams tenure as 40 starts in 41 regular-season games and specifically notes his role on the 2021 championship team. Cleveland's return did not approach that level of realized production. NFL and Pro Football Reference records show LeCounte appearing in nine games with one start as a rookie in 2021 and one game in 2022 for the Browns, mostly in a reserve and special-teams role. He later appeared briefly for Tampa Bay. Cleveland deserves some credit for converting a player who was not contributing into a fifth-round asset, but the downstream pick produced only limited on-field value. TradeVerdicts therefore flips the legacy verdict. Los Angeles receives an A- for turning a fifth-round pick into a multi-year starting guard and Super Bowl starter. Cleveland receives a D+ because the club surrendered a former high draft pick just before he became a durable starter elsewhere and received only modest production from the pick. Confidence is high because the trade terms, pick chain and both players' realized NFL production are well documented.