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Rams rumors: Why LA is in position to make a Jalen Ramsey trade work

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints | By Ben Strauss | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 11:33 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams could be a frisky team once again during the 2025 NFL season. LA exceeded expectations in 2024, making the playoffs and narrowly losing the Eagles with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line. Now the Rams could be set to make a bold trade to upgrade their secondary before the summer.

ESPN’s Sarah Bishop suggested on Tuesday that the Rams could be in position to trade for Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey.

Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed before the 2025 NFL Draft that the team would explore trade options for Jalen Ramsey.

Rams GM Les Snead confirmed that he spoke with Grier about a possible trade. Both sides agreed to wait until after the 2025 NFL Draft to continues those talks.

Rams head coach Sean McVay added that “there are a lot of layers that would need to be worked out with a player of his magnitude and some of the different things that accompany that, but you would never eliminate the possibility of adding a total stud and a guy that can do a lot of different things.”

“He’s a great player,” McVay concluded. “We know him very well. We know him intimately.”

The Rams famously traded Ramsey to the Dolphins during the 2023 offseason.

LA sent him to Miami to avoid paying him a contract that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time.

Could the Rams afford to trade for CB Jalen Ramsey?

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) looks on during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Much has changed with the Rams since Ramsey was last with the team. As noted above, the Rams originally traded away Ramsey because they could not afford to extend him.

Now the situation is different in Los Angeles. The Rams have perhaps the best salary cap situation that they’ve had in year, currently sitting at $17.66 million below the cap.

Does this mean that Ramsey is an easy addition for the Rams? Not necessarily.

Ramsey has a cap hit of $16.66 million in 2025. The way his contract is currently structured, that number will skyrocket in future seasons.

However, Bishop proposed a few ways that the Rams could make his contract more palatable ahead of the 2025 season.

“The Dolphins could pay some of Ramsey’s salary as part of the trade, or Ramsey and the Rams could agree to an adjusted contract to make his cap hit easier to absorb,” Bishop noted.

If the Rams really want Ramsey, they will find a way to make his contract work with their salary cap.

This will be an interesting situation to follow as the NFL heads into the lazy summer months.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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