Jalen Ramsey outlook

By: Jeremy Trottier

The Los Angeles Rams are once again in win-now mode entering a season, and as week 1 of the 2025 NFL season grows ever closer, they still have some positions of need to fill. With the draft in the rearview mirror now as well, it becomes more and more clear what positions teams intend to fill with signings ahead of camp, or may just not view as a necessity at all. 

With that in mind, the Rams seem to have a need at cornerback, and with the team not selecting any defensive backs in the draft, it seems a prime opportunity to sign or attempt to trade for a quality starter. While they do have some good complementary pieces like Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Cobie Durant, there is no clear elite standout cornerback in the room as of this moment. 

Previously, Los Angeles traded away star Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins ahead of the 2023 season, receiving the No. 77 pick in that draft class (Byron Young) and tight end Hunter Long in return. In hindsight, this was solid value, but now the need at the position is once again high, and there have been discussions surrounding a potential return trade. 

Recently, when head coach Sean McVay was asked if the team would consider the trade, and what the process looks like, he would respond with the following (transcribed by Kevin Patra of NFL.com)

“There are a lot of layers when you’re talking about a player of his caliber with regards to the contract, the compensation that they would be looking for in exchange for receiving a player of his magnitude. And so those conversations are ongoing, as I’m sure they are with multiple teams. And we’ll see, but we’re never going to shy away from opportunities to increase the competitiveness of our roster or add great players as long as it fits within the framework of everything that an acquisition like that would entail.”

This sounds pretty definitive in that they would like Ramsey to return, but it will come down to potential picks going out, and what parts of his contract may be covered in return. The contract would be a pretty large difficulty for this situation, as the Rams currently have $19,864,807 in cap space (according to OverTheCap), and Ramsey is set to make $16,661,000 this year, all the way up to $36,168,000 in 2028.

While he would fit into the available room Los Angeles has left, it is a lot of money to shell out for a 31-year-old cornerback who will also cost draft compensation in return on top of that. 

Ultimately, Ramsey is an outstanding player and brings veteran leadership to the teams he is on in many scenarios. While the contract is not great, it is something that can be worked around, given the void years tacked onto the back of it already. Additionally, the need at cornerback for the Rams is huge, especially if they are looking at this season as one last run before Matthew Stafford decides to leave. It seems like a good deal to make at the end of the day, but it will come down to cost and whether it is worth it to forego draft selections for a veteran.