Just a year after helping the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI, one of their best players appears to be on the verge of getting traded. Friday’s reports suggested the Rams have already had Jalen Ramsey trade conversations with other NFL teams, meaning a deal could be in the works.
If so, it would be just three and a half seasons after the Rams acquired the now three-time All-Pro cornerback for two first-round picks. These selections gave the Jacksonville Jaguars the 20th pick in 2020 (K’Lavon Chaisson) and the 25th pick in 2021 (Travis Etienne). But the Rams got a Super Bowl victory.
Either way, now the Rams could be looking to move on from the 28-year-old who finished with the third-highest grade among cornerbacks (min. 50% of team’s snaps) per Pro Football Focus.
While Ramsey is sure to garner a lot of interest from contenders looking to improve their pass coverage, not only will they have to part with either valuable players or picks, but they may also need to give him a raise.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk speculates that Ramsey may be trying to get a new contract with either more years or more money annually. The NFL insider believes this is the real reason why the Ramsey trade rumors have ramped up this offseason.
- Jalen Ramsey contract: Set to earn $17M in 2023, $18.5M in 2024, $19.5M in 2025
As we enter the offseason, Ramsey’s contract currently has him in line to have the second-highest cap hit at his position (Darius Slay is higher at 26.1M compared to $25.2), but he’s fourth in the amount of cash he’s set to receive.
With Ramsey still playing at a very high level, he appears to be angling for a reward for his strong play since joining the Rams franchise. To that point, he has come away with four interceptions each of the past two seasons and was named a first-team All-Pro in both 2020 and 2021.
With signs pointing to a trade, the next question becomes not only who will add the shutdown cornerback to their roster, but also, what type of amended contract Ramsey receives upon landing in town.
Related: 5 NFL Draft trades we’d love to see in 2023