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The Philadelphia Eagles could be the perfect landing spot for one of the biggest names in the NFL.
In a CBS Sports roundup of “nine different blockbusters” that would “would make sense for both sides,” analyst Cody Benjamin forecasted the Eagles as the team to acquire Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey in exchange for a 2023 first-round draft pick and a 2024 conditional fourth-round draft pick.
“The Rams are finally paying for their all-star investments, shopping Ramsey three years after giving him a record $105M extension,” wrote Benjamin. “Fresh off his second Super Bowl appearance in six seasons, Eagles GM Howie Roseman loves himself a splashy upgrade, especially in the secondary. And with two starters — CB James Bradberry and S C.J. Gardner-Johnson — hitting free agency, he’d essentially be swapping them out for a single shutdown complement to Darius Slay in Ramsey, whose ultra-competitive spirit and swagger would fit right in with the Philadelphia market.”
Why Eagles Acquiring Jalen Ramsey Makes Sense
As Benjamin wrote, the Eagles will have a couple of key defensive backs hitting free agency. In fact, Philadelphia likely will not be using its franchise tags on any player, which means safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson will hit free agency.
Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “The NFL’s deadline for franchise and transition tags is today at 4 p.m. and the #Eagles are unlikely to use either on safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson or any other player.”
Acquiring Ramsey should make up for any loss in the defensive backfield. According to Pro Football Focus, the 28-year-old posted a sensational 86.4 defensive grade during the 2022 season despite playing on a lackluster defense — the Rams ranked 21st in the league in points allowed. Ramsey ranked fourth among all cornerbacks in defensive grade, along with ranking second in run defensive grade (91.8) and second in pass-rushing grade (91.5).
Considering Ramsey — who signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Rams in 2020 –remains an elite cornerback, can you imagine how he’d play on a stacked defensive unit alongside Darius Slay?
James Bradberry May Have Priced Himself Out of Return
There’s little doubt that cornerback James Bradberry was one of the best corners in the league in 2022 after signing a bargain one-year deal with the Eagles. The 29-year-old cornerback clinched a Second-team All-Pro selection after starting all 17 games and allowing a completion percentage of just 45.3% his way.
However, he may have priced himself out of a return to Philadelphia after his sensational season. Spotrac projects Bradberry’s market value to be $15.1 million per season across three years at a total of slightly over $45 million. Such a deal would make Bradberry the 10th-highest-paid cornerback in the league.
This isn’t the first time the idea of the Eagles trading draft picks in exchange for Ramsey has been thrown around. In fact, Sportsradio 94WIP’s Joe Giglio previously proposed that Philadelphia trade the 10th pick in the 2023 NFL draft in exchange for Ramsey.
“I would trade the 10th pick in the draft this year to go get Jalen Ramsey,” Giglio told co-host Hugh Douglas. “I would trade a premium pick to go get Jalen Ramsey and keep what the Eagles had here this past season, which is a pair of elite corners. Hugh, he’s only 28 years old and he’s still playing at a high level.”
Considering Ramsey has won a Super Bowl and when factoring in that the Eagles did come up short against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII — in part due to Bradberry’s holding call towards the end of the game — maybe it’s the right time for Philadelphia to pull off a blockbuster deal that puts them over the hump.
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