LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams became the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl once their trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie went public.As a two-time Super Bowl champion himself, McDuffie is embracing the expectations of helping the Rams get back to the top after being tantalizingly close in each of the previous two seasons against teams that ended up winning it all.“Like I said, this team is ready to go,” McDuffie said. “I don’t think I’m coming in here with a team that doesn’t understand the value that they have. So those little nuggets that I feel like I can just pour into guys that can get us over the hump, I’m going to do everything I can because that’s the end goal. And I know it’s the end goal bringing me in is the Lombardi Trophy, so everything we do to bring a ring back to this city is what I’m going to do.”McDuffie was formally introduced by the Rams on Thursday, having joined in a blockbuster trade from Kansas City for the 29th overall pick, fifth-round and sixth-round picks in April’s draft and a third-round pick next year. He then signed a four-year contract extension that makes McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and will keep him with his hometown team through 2030.Having played in three Super Bowls in four seasons with the Chiefs, the 25-year-old McDuffie has a good understanding of the margins that make the difference between success and failure.For the Rams, who went 12-5 last season and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 23-17 in the NFC championship game, it was their inability to cover high-level wide receivers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the most critical moments that kept them from securing the top seed in …
