Last season, the LA Rams recorded an unwanted record – the worst season by a defending Superbowl champion. A team that was all in for so many seasons, that was all about f-ing them picks, has now had its Superbowl window, albeit a successful one, and seems to be undergoing what is at least a partial rebuild. Last offseason’s star acquisition, Bobby Wagner, has been released; last season’s team leader in sacks, Leonard Floyd, has been released; and now it appears that last season’s team leader in interceptions could also be leaving.

In 2019, the Rams sent two first round picks and one fourth to Jacksonville for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Four pro-bowl selections, two first team all-pro selections and one Superbowl ring later, it looks like Ramsey’s Rams career could be coming to an end. Rumours abound that the Rams are open to trading their star cornerback, so let’s have a look at which teams could be in the hunt for him.

The Lions and the Rams have a history of doing business. In 2021, former first overall draft picks Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff switched teams in a blockbuster trade and just a couple of months later, Michael Brookers also made the trip from LA to Detroit. Could Jalen Ramsey be the next player to make this journey? The two teams do have very close ties and a good working relationship due to Brad Holmes who, after 18 years working with the Rams, also left LA for Detroit and became the new GM of the Lions. Since then, with head coach Dan Campbell, he has transformed the Lions into one of the most exciting young teams in the league. Last season, they finished with a top 5 offense and with exciting young players such as, Amon-Ra St Brown, Deandre Swift, Jameson Williams and Jamaal Williams (if he re-signs) on the roster, this side of the ball is in good hands. Unfortunately, the Lions defense wasn’t so effective, finishing 28th in PPG allowed and rock bottom in yards allowed. Improvements need to be made if they are to become serious challengers in the NFC North and bringing in a player of Ramsey’s quality would be a tremendous addition for them. Not only would his ability automatically improve the secondary but his presence would lift a defense containing promising young players such as Aiden Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez and 2020 first round pick Jeff Okudah, who finally started to show glimpses of his talent last season. The Lions currently have around $18 million in cap space, so they could afford to pay him, and with the Rams reportedly seeking a first round pick for Ramsey, they could give up the 18th overall pick for him and still have the 6th overall pick they got off the Rams in the Stafford trade. Ramsey could be the exact sort of veteran Detroit need to help this young Lions team reach the next level.

In the 2016 draft, the Dallas Cowboys were giving serious consideration to drafting Jalen Ramsey with the fourth overall pick before deciding on Ezekiel Elliott. Seven years later, they could end up finally getting him. The Cowboys have not made the NFC Championship game for 27 years and the pressure is on Mike McCarthy to end that run this season. They have made the playoffs in the last two seasons but have gone out to the Niners both times. Dallas are expected to be very active this offseason as they aim to take the next step and cornerback is a priority for them. Since Anthony Brown tore his achilles in December, the position has been a major problem and with Brown now entering free agency, they will be looking for someone to play opposite Trevon Diggs. They recently freed up $30 million in salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of Dak Prescott and Zack Martin and this leaves them with $14 million to play with ahead of free agency opening. This money could be used to bring in a veteran like Ramsey. It would be a very Jerry Jones type move to move for the star cornerback and it would be one that would turn their defense into one of the very best in the league. They finished 3rd in sacks last season so transforming the secondary into an elite unit too would put them in a great position to make a push next season. They have the 26th overall pick they could trade to the Rams, or they could try to tempt them with their 58th overall pick and a 2024 second round pick. They do need help at receiver too though so whether they could afford both Ramsey and a new wideout could depend on some more manoeuvring by them. If they could pull it off though, they would have one of the strongest rosters in the NFC.

The Cincinnati Bengals are most definitely in a Superbowl window right now. The Bengals have been very close to lifting their first Lombardi trophy, falling at the final hurdle against the Rams two seasons ago and falling to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game last season. They have an outstanding young offense, led by Joe Burrow, Ja’Maar Chase and Tee Higgins, and had a top five defence by PPG allowed in 2022. Their pass defence was only ranked 16th in yards allowed though and this is clearly an area that the Bengals need to improve. Adding a player of the quality of Ramsey to the secondary would certainly do this. They have the cap space to do it too. They are currently around $34 million under the cap and although some of this money may go on a new contract for Joe Burrow or an extension for Higgins, they could possibly afford Ramsey too. They are in a similar position to the Cowboys in terms of draft picks and could decide to offer the 28th overall pick to the Rams or two second round picks. Traditionally, moving for a star veteran is not the sort of move this organisation makes but maybe this is what they need to do right now. The AFC is packed with explosive passing offenses, like the Chiefs and the Bills, and so giving Lou Anarumo a player like Jalen Ramsey to work with could be the exact thing that enables this Bengals team to take that final step.

After a blockbuster trade for Davante Adams last season, the Raiders were one of the biggest disappointments of 2022. Finishing with a 6-11 record, Josh McDaniels’ first season as head coach in Las Vegas was a huge let down and while a lot of focus was on Derek Carr’s struggles to adapt to McDaniels’ offense, their defense was a big reason for this. They finished the season 26th in PPG allowed, 28th in yards allowed and 29th in passing yards allowed and improvements definitely need to be made if they want to be competitive again. They do have a lot of cap space with which to do this though, currently having the third most in the league with $43 million, and although a large part of this could be spent on a new quarterback, I think they should also be looking to splash out on Jalen Ramsey. If they want to compete in an AFC West that contains Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, a strong secondary is a must. The Raiders already have one of the best defensive players in the league in Mason Crosby up front so having another one of the league’s best defensive players at the back could help to turn around this team’s fortunes. Then, if they could also bring in a new QB, the Raiders might be in a position to push for the postseason next season. They will not give up their first round pick to the Rams but their high second round pick (38th overall), plus another pick like a second next year, could very well be enough to get Ramsey. He was linked with the Raiders in 2019 before he joined the Rams and at the time, he said that Vegas would be an ideal playing situation for him. Four years later, Vegas might be an ideal landing spot for him again.

The Minnesota Vikings were a team that were very heavily debated in 2022. On one hand they finished the season with an impressive 13-4 record as they won the NFC North but on the other, it wasn’t a huge surprise when they were one and done in the playoffs, losing to the Giants 31-24. The reason for this was their defence. While their offense, which boasted arguably the best receiver in the game, Justin Jefferson, as well as players of the quality of Dalvin Cook and TJ Hockenson, was ranked 7th in yards and PPG, their defence ended the season ranked 28th in PPG allowed, 31st in yards allowed and 31st in passing yards allowed. If the Vikings want to compete next season and take advantage of their impressive offensive weapons, they must improve their defense. They have made a very good start at this with the outstanding hiring of Brian Flores at DC and now they need to give him the pieces to work with. Ramsey is exactly the type of player they need and having a veteran of his ability would improve the defense as a whole and give Flores a player to build around. The issue though is whether the Vikings can afford him. They only have five picks in this year’s draft and would likely have to part with the 23rd overall pick to get the Rams to part with Ramsey. This would leave them waiting until the third round of the draft for their first selection which is not an ideal situation to be in. They are also currently $7 million over the cap so would need to do some work to make space for Ramsey’s contract. This probably could be done but will the Vikings want to give up so much for one player? That will depend on whether they see themselves as legitimate Superbowl contenders who just need one or two pieces to get over the line. The mid-season trade for TJ Hockenson last season hints that they possibly could see themselves in this way, but it may be wiser to not go all out for a player like Ramsey and to instead rebuild their defense gradually over the next couple of seasons.

Daniel Rowe

Ramsey to leave the Rams?

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