In an offseason defined by two blockbuster trades for star defenders, the Rams made a much smaller swap on the offensive side Thursday, reuniting with wide receiver Tutu Atwell and sending the Dolphins running back Jarquez Hunter in return, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Atwell, 26, signed a one-year deal with Miami this offseason after four seasons in Los Angeles, though he'll end his short time in South Beach before appearing in a regular-season game. Hunter, 23, was a fourth-round pick last year but appeared in just five games and did not record a single offensive snap.

The two teams involved, of course, are on complete opposite ends of the the spectrum when it comes to Super Bowl aspirations. The Rams will see anything less than lifting the Lombardi Trophy as a failure given they came up just short of a Super Bowl trip last year and have added Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to their defense. Miami, meanwhile, is in the extremely early stages of a rebuild in Jeff Hafley's first season as coach and figure to have one of the youngest rosters in the sport, as well as one of its worst records.

We'll keep both situations in mind as we assess this swap.

Rams grade: B-

Atwell caught six passes last year and only two from Week 6 onward. When he did make a catch, though, it was often a big one. He averaged 32 yards per reception, with his biggest one coming against the Colts in Week 4.

He also had a big catch against the 49ers the next week. After an extended absence with a hamstring injury, though, the diminutive speedster basically disappeared from the offense.

Atwell had larger roles in 2023 and 2024 (39 and 42 catches, respectively) but will be, at best, a distant third option behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams in the wide receiver pecking order. And considering how much the Rams deploy three tight ends, the WR3 role in Los Angeles isn't an especially prominent one.

There is, of course, a chance that Atwell isn't even the third wide receiver. The Rams still have Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield and rookie CJ Daniels, among others. Atwell adds legit speed to an offense that, for as excellent as it is, isn't super speedy. If Atwell contributes even one significant catch in a big game, this will likely be a win for the Rams. His chances of doing so are slim, but they're not zero.

The Rams get a slight ding here for their process. They've parted ways with a player they picked in the middle rounds just 16 months ago for a player they could have just kept earlier this offseason. It's not like he was expensive. Still, it's hard to be too upset about a swap of two cut candidates.

Dolphins grade: B+

This is a nice bit of business for Miami. The Dolphins get more than three years younger and inherit a player under contract for three more years in exchange for a player who was a long shot to make the roster.

Miami is going to play its youngsters a ton. The Dolphins' 13-player draft class included three wide receivers -- third-round selections Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell as well as fifth-rounder Kevin Coleman Jr. Douglas has been a training camp stud, and Bell was recently activated off the NFI list. The three rookies will join 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington and free agent Jalen Tolbert in the wide receiver rotation, leaving Atwell on the outside looking in.

To be able to turn that into a 23-year-old former fourth-rounder is a win. Obviously the Rams weren't exactly keen on him behind Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, but Hunter had his fans coming out of Auburn. He ran for 1,201 yards and eight touchdowns on an SEC-leading 6.4 yards per carry in 2024. At 5-foot-10 and 211 pounds, he is a load to bring down.

Miami has two other recent draft picks -- Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II -- as backups to De'Von Achane, but it's worth kicking the tires on another potential complement. If he works out, even as just a solid second- or third-string option, great. If he doesn't, he came at basically no cost. This is the right approach given Miami's situation.

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