Getty Jalen Ramsey celebrates a big play with Aaron Donald.
Given the amount of talent he has, Jalen Ramsey would fit most teams in the NFL, but ever since the star has been placed on the trading block, many have honed in on the Detroit Lions.
Detroit needs help at cornerback, and already, many see the addition of Ramsey as the perfect move to help solidify a spot where the team has struggled both historically as well as in 2022.
Another person who thinks Ramsey would be a stud in Detroit is Adam Schein of NFL.com. In a piece, Schein looked at the nine best fits for Ramsey across the league. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Detroit was rated first overall on his list.
The reason for this fit? Not only do the Los Angeles Rams and Lions make fantastic trade partners, Ramsey’s best cultural fit could be Detroit given head coach Dan Campbell, and he could bring a big edge to the team that could take a leap towards being big winners in 2023.
“Los Angeles can recoup some of that draft currency from the Stafford trade, giving its roster a necessary infusion of youth. Meanwhile, Detroit can build on the inspired second half of last season and break through to the postseason. Honestly, the Lions could be NFC North favorites in 2023, seeing how the Vikings’ 13-4 record was fueled by an unsustainable 11-0 mark in one-score games, the Packers could be making a change at quarterback, and the Bears are knee-deep in a rebuild. Ramsey can help show Detroit how to get it done in the regular season and playoffs, giving a hard-nosed team even more edge. Ramsey would absolutely thrive in Dan Campbell’s culture,” Schein wrote.
The culture angle is a big one for the Lions, and perhaps Ramsey specifically. Detroit’s power brokers like Campbell have said that they like certain types of players, and those players must be gritty and have the right principles.
Ramsey, given his Pro Bowl background and tough mindset, could fit that well, and offer the Lions a major locker room leader at a spot on the team that is fairly devoid of talent at the moment.
Of all the teams he could be traded to, the fit could be the best in Detroit when all is said and done according to Schein.
Odds Have Lions a Favorite for Jalen Ramsey
Logistically, how good of a chance do the Lions have at landing Ramsey? A quick glance at early odds show the Lions as one of a pair of favorites to land him this offseason.
A fresh analyst from OddsChecker.com took a look at the odds, and they showed that the Lions are not the current favorites for Ramsey. That status belonged to the Las Vegas Raiders, who are even odds, which implies a 50% chance at landing Ramsey.
Detroit isn’t far behind, however, with +125 odds to land Ramsey, which is an implied 44.4% chance at the Pro Bowl cornerback. No other team was close, with the Cincinnati Bengals coming in third at +900, or only a 10% chance at a deal.
As Kyle Newman of OddsChecker wrote, it could be seen as a bit surprising that Ramsey doesn’t have better odds elsewhere, but that might only point to the fact that these pair of teams are the frontrunners.
“Jalen Ramsey has an argument for being the best cornerback in the NFL. One would expect his market to be robust, but the books don’t see it that way. The Raiders and Lions are the only teams given a real chance to get him, with the Bengals an outsider looking in. It’s the smallest market for any would me moved player this offseason. Saquon Barkley, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields all have bigger markets. Is that because the Rams are making progress on a move, or is it because there just isn’t much interest in the soon to be 29 year old CB?,” Newman wrote in analyzing the odds.
Las Vegas and Detroit as potential frontrunners makes sense, given those teams have been seen as the most active in Ramsey’s market early on. Clearly, they like Ramsey and the oddsmakers agree there could be a match between those teams.
Lions Philosophy May Prevent Jalen Ramsey Deal
As much as the Lions might be in-play for Ramsey theoretically, already, many are beginning to make the case that the team might not be a good overall fit for his services in the end.
During the NFL combine, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell spoke with the media and discussed where the Lions are at. In the last two years, the Lions have signed middle tier free agents and done well to turn things around. As Justin Rogers of the Detroit News explained, this could close the door on a possible Ramsey deal in the end.
Campbell said focus is about getting better, finding guys who can contribute and fill a role this offseason, not swinging for the big-money star.
Reading the leaves, that’s a no on Jalen Ramsey. Probably.
“Campbell said focus is about getting better, finding guys who can contribute and fill a role this offseason, not swinging for the big-money star. Reading the leaves, that’s a no on Jalen Ramsey. Probably,” Rogers tweeted.
In terms of the actual quote, it was a bit longer when Campbell met with the media on Wednesday, March 1, but it did showcase what Rogers was talking about. That the Lions might be content to sign more underrated players than making a huge splash.
“A number of ways you can go with it, but I think we both kind of came away and said ‘alright, we’re going to year three, we’ve got a little bit more wiggle room but let’s just get better. Let’s find a guy that can serve a certain type of role for us.’ Somebody (that) maybe played some ball, he can start at a certain position for us, but we don’t need to acquire these high-level, you’re paying the most for these guys because they’re rated the number one guy in free agency at that position (players). We just need to get better. Let’s just get better in an area that we need to get better at, and I think that’s always been the focus,” Campbell told the media.
While this certainly doesn’t eliminate the Lions from pursuing a player like Ramsey, it could show what the organization thinks of a dramatic move like trading for a top flight cornerback and giving up assets. It could also be a pretty hefty smokescreen at a time of year where truth is hard to find from league decision makers.
At this point, plenty of folks still think Ramsey is a quality fit, but will a deal materialize in the coming days? It’s something to keep watching as the NFL offseason gets set to start.