Former Rams Corner Serves as Warning to Adding Jalen Ramsey

When the argument of Jalen Ramsey gets brought up on whether the Rams should go after him, the cautionary tale of Tre'Davious White's short tenure in Los Angeles serves as a cautionary tale of signing veteran players.

White was supposed to be a massive piece of the Rams' secondary in 2024, but things didn't work out. Younger players stepped up, White wasn't performing in the way the Rams needed, and despite the Rams wanting to keep him, both parties agreed that seperating was the best.

And both sides were right. Sometimes things don't fit, and after finishing 2024 with the Ravens, White is back with the Buffalo Bills, the team that drafted him coming out of LSU in 2017.

The Bills and White reached an agreement Thursday, reported ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal is for one-year/ $6.8 million.

White was one of the best corners in the NFL until injuries severely affected his career. He was supposed to find a new home that sustained his play with Los Angeles but clearly things didn't work out.

To White's defense, it might not be a him problem. His age did show in Baltimore, but he did have to learn a new system on the fly. Maybe being at home in Buffalo is where he is best.

Maybe it's a Rams problem. John Johnson's return wasn't as successful as planned. Neither was Troy Hill's. But in the same breath, Kam Curl and Darious Williams have been displaying starting-level play, and Ahkello Witherspoon has outplayed his contract twice.

So what are the common factors so that the Rams could get a proper read if they're interested in Ramsey?

It's a tough question to answer, and perhaps their answer lies in their contracts. When was the last time Les Snead gave a free agent a massive cornerback deal?

Snead trades for them. Marcus Peters and Ramsey. Two corners still on their rookie deals when they were traded for. As close to a sure thing as you could get while still giving the Rams an opportunity to dump them if it didn't work out

And that's why White serves as an example on why Snead signs cornerbacks in the way that he does. He might not be able to get a read on them, but he's going to give himself an out if it doesn't work out.

He takes away the punishment of not knowing when he makes these moves. He had an out with White, with every corner. Only one of the best in the NFL, Ramsey got the extension. He was great and he was in his prime.

If Snead can't find an out in Ramsey's deal, White's time in Los Angeles serves as one of the reasons why he won't make a move for him.