Did Jalen Ramsey's Rams Exit Prevent His Return?

"Usually, those are scenarios and situations that you have to have plans in place prior to executing some of the decisions that have occurred," McVay said. "Definitely don't want to rule anything out because we're always open-minded to onboarding and acquiring quality players and people like him if we're able to do that, but there would be some obstacles that are real that are in the place of maybe preventing that from occurring."

When Ramsey was still a Dolphin, the Rams made a roster move with Derion Kendrick that freed up cap space, space that I perceived was being used to acquire Ramsey. That's not what ended up happening, obviously.

So I spoke to my good friend and Jacksonville Jaguars on SI beat writer John Shipley, a man who covered Ramsey's departure during his time in Jacksonville, about Ramsey's recent move.

"Ramsey's bravado and Florida State Seminoles ties led to plenty of Deion Sanders comparisons early on in his career," wrote Shipley. "And now after a third trade to a new team in six seasons, it looks like Ramsey is following Sanders' footsteps as one of the NFL's most popular guns for hire."

Let's go back to Ramsey's exit from Jacksonville. The Sacksonville era was over, the franchise sucked again, and Ramsey had legitimate beef with the front office over fines imposed by Tom Coughlin. So Ramsey made moves to ensure his release.

Fast forward to his trade to the Rams. The Rams extended him by making him the highest paid corner in football. After 2022, the worst season in the McVay era, Ramsey was traded to the Dolphins for pennies on the dollar.

The Dolphins proceeded to give him more guaranteed money on his remaining deal made with the Rams, and then gave him a record-setting three-year extension.

Now Ramsey is a Pittsburgh Steelers and the Steelers just gave Ramsey $1.5 million extra this season.

It is my opinion that Snead's initial trade of Ramsey to Miami was done to dump him financially from the Rams' books, and the reason he didn't return in 2025 wasn't about the 2025 cap for the Rams. Ramsey, considering Shipley's words and his own actions, would have demanded more guaranteed money to facilitate the move.

Shipley said he's a gun for hire, and he doesn't stay at any place where they're not competing for championships.

Snead knows he can't leverage the future of the franchise for another season of "f them picks" but instead of picks, it's cap space.

The Rams are a young team who may have to pay Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Quentin Lake, and others next summer. Terrance Ferguson remains unsigned because he wants a fully guaranteed deal like his draft classmates. Matthew Stafford's contract issues almost ruined 2024 and 2025.

Perhaps Ramsey's money-first mindset is the reason talks virtually ceased after the 2025 NFL Draft. Snead would probably have to give Ramsey more guaranteed money for each year he's under contract or Ramsey, as he has done in the past, would hold out or demand a trade. Snead can not deal with that right now or honestly ever from a player in his 30s that's not a Super Bowl winning quarterback.

That's not a critique of Ramsey, and I'll never not support a player getting his money, but Ramsey needed an organization willing to pay him, and there's no way Snead is taking on Ramsey's cap hits all the way until Ramsey is in his mid-30s, especially when void years gets thrown into the mix.

Just think about this. What if Stafford retires after 2025 and the Rams aren't in a position to compete for a title? What does history say Ramsey is going to do?