Five potential landing spots for Rams star Jalen Ramsey
Rams GM Les Snead said his roster has too many stars to rebuild, but he will "remodel" it after a 5-12 season. CB Jalen Ramsey’s string of cryptic tweets over the past two weeks hints that his tenure with the organization might be over.
Assuming that's true and the 28-year-old is available, he should have plenty of suitors. Ramsey wasn’t named a Pro Bowler this season, the first time he hasn’t earned a selection since his rookie year, but he’s still an elite talent.
Ramsey is entering the third year of a five-year, $100 million extension; he’ll carry a $25.2 million cap hit in 2023 and have a $17 million base salary. Here are possible fits for the three-time All-Pro:
Detroit Lions
The Lions have the assets and need a premier cornerback. Ramsey would provide a much-needed boost to the secondary that was 30th in passing yards allowed per game in 2022.
Pro Football Focus gave Will Harris the highest grade of any Detroit CB this season, but he ranked as the 64th-best CB in the NFL. In a down year, Ramsey ranked third among the league’s CBs in PFF's rankings (84.6).
Los Angeles could swap Ramsey for the 18th overall pick. Detroit also has an extra second-round pick (56th overall) after sending TE T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota’s defense was a nightmare in 2022, allowing the third-most points per game and second-most passing yards. The Vikings fired DC Ed Donatell after Giants QB Daniel Jones, who ranked 27th in passing yards per game, threw for 301 yards to eliminate Minnesota from the playoffs.
CB Patrick Peterson is a free agent but wants to return to Minnesota, per the Pioneer Press. It would be wise to keep Peterson, considering he was PFF’s 13th-highest-graded corner. However, he'll be 33 next season, so Minnesota should consider a younger option such as Ramsey.
Las Vegas Raiders
Offensively, the Raiders have plenty of holes, but their defense is also a mess. It ranked 29th in opponent passing yards per game and made the fewest interceptions in the league (six). If QB Tom Brady joins Las Vegas, he'll expect to compete for a Super Bowl. Bolstering the defense can help him achieve that goal.
In the offseason, the ineffective Las Vegas pass defense could suffer a more considerable blow. Rock Ya-Sin is one of three of the team’s CBs scheduled to hit free agency. While he is solid when he plays, he is often injured. Bringing him back wouldn't prevent the Raiders from pursuing Ramsey, but the Raiders shouldn't count on Ya-Sin as their CB1.
Ramsey appeared on the “Behind The Cut” podcast in September and admitted he begged to be a Raider before his 2019 trade to the Rams. Could he force his way to the silver and black?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh fleeced Chicago at the trade deadline, picking up what is now the 32nd pick in the draft for WR Chase Claypool. GM Omar Khan could be inclined to swing a deal for another defensive star.
CB Cameron Sutton broke out this season and will aim to cash in during free agency; Pittsburgh should do its best to retain him. Awful play by Arthur Maulet on the other side of the field led to him being the 90th highest-graded CB by PFF.
By adding Ramsey, the sack totals of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith would rise, and he and Minkah Fitzpatrick would form the best DB tandem in the league.
Cincinnati Bengals
QB Joe Burrow reportedly could get a massive extension this offseason, and WR Ja’Marr Chase will get one eventually. The two moves are no-brainers but could force the Bengals to trade WR Tee Higgins. Instead of shipping Higgins off immediately, acquiring Ramsey allows the Bengals to go all-in while their young stars are still on their rookie deals.
It might be a long shot to trade for Ramsey, but does Cincinnati really need its picks? Burrow is a top-three quarterback, and as long as he’s the starter, Cincinnati might not have a first-round pick inside the top 20.
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