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The Los Angeles Rams pushed all of their chips into the middle of the table during their 2021 Super Bowl run. Unfortunately, that mentality had ramifications for the future of the team. They fell to 5-12 last season and don’t own their first-round pick. It’s not going to be easy to fix problems that became apparent in 2022.
According to Spotrac, the Rams are set to be $14 million over the salary cap at the start of free agency. If they hope to improve their roster, they’ll need to make some room. That could lead them to make a big trade. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey has a $25 million cap hit in 2023. He’s still playing at a high level but the Rams need to get some draft picks. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Rams are taking trade calls on Ramsey and named the Las Vegas Raiders among possible suitors.
“Now, Jalen Ramsey,” Fowler said on ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” via Bleacher Report. “This could be a hot market on the trade front. The Rams are talking calls here, so I’ve talked to some teams this weekend to see what’s going on here and the Detroit Lions come up fairly often. It’s just a reasonable potential fit because Brad Holmes, the GM there, was with the Rams for a long time, he knows Ramsey’s game, they need cornerback help. They’ve been sort of a build through the draft team, but could be one to watch. Las Vegas Raiders need help there, so Ramsey, with his skillset, only 28 years old, even though he’s due $17 million should have some suitors.”
Should Raiders Trade for Ramsey?
Cornerback is one of the Raiders’ biggest needs this offseason. Rock Ya-Sin was the team’s best cornerback last season and he’s a free agent. Even if they brought back Ya-Sin, he’s a good No. 2 cornerback at best. Adding Ramsey would give the Raiders arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. He’s also only 28 so should still have a few strong years left in the tank.
Now, whether or not the Raiders should trade for him depends on the asking price. There’s no way the team will give up the No. 7 overall pick for Ramsey. If he’s available for a second-round pick, then Las Vegas should strongly consider it. Ramsey may even be willing to restructure his contract to go to the Raiders considering he’s been honest about the fact that he wanted to play there before getting traded to the Rams.
Why Adding a Proven Vet Is Better Plan Than Drafting Rookie
Cornerback is arguably the most difficult position to play in the NFL outside of quarterback. Great ones are very difficult to find and Ramsey is a great one. The Raiders have tried to address the position in the draft many times but have continuously failed. There’s a good chance the team will use their second-round pick on a cornerback regardless. Why not use that pick to bring in a proven star?
Now, Ramsey is expensive and could start declining in the coming years but adding him give the Raiders a top-five cornerback and top-five defensive end on defense in Maxx Crosby. Just having those two on the same team would greatly improve the defense. The Raiders’ defense has been bad for decades but it won’t take much to get it to a respectable unit with Ramsey and Crosby on the roster.
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