A lot of buzz is already being generated ahead of the upcoming new league year next month. The recent reports surrounding Rams star corner Jalen Ramsey only add to the excitement. The Rams are coming off their worst season yet in the Sean McVay era, with a record of 5-12 to follow their Super Bowl win the season prior. Injuries decimated the Rams, especially on offense, but now they must find ways to shave cap space before the start of the new league year.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Ramsey is expected to be traded “in the coming weeks.” It would make sense, given that the corner is reportedly due to make $17 million this year. The big question right now is, who will make a play at trading for Ramsey should the recent reports remain true soon? At this time, two teams have been mentioned. The Detroit Lions and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Lions have been more frequently linked to Ramsey than the Raiders, according to Jeremy Fowler:
“Now, Jalen Ramsey. This could be a hot market on the trade front. The Rams are talking calls here, so I’ve talked to some teams this weekend to see what’s going on here and the Detroit Lions come up fairly often. It’s just a reasonable potential fit because Brad Holmes, the GM there, was with the Rams for a long time, he knows Ramsey’s game, they need cornerback help.
They’ve been sort of a build through the draft team, but could be one to watch. Las Vegas Raiders need help there, so Ramsey, with his skillset, only 28 years old, even though he’s due $17 million should have some suitors.”
The Lions make sense for a lot of reasons. Both franchises have a recent history of conducting business with one another. The Lions traded away Matthew Stafford in exchange for Jared Goff and two first-round picks (2022, 2023). The Rams won the Super Bowl, while the Lions stockpiled early-round picks for the future.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell saw plenty of offensive success with Jared Goff leading the way. After starting the 2022 season off 1-7, they finished 9-8 (2nd in the NFC North) and had a chance of reaching the postseason. Adding a prime Jalen Ramsey to a secondary that struggled to stop the pass would instantly put them in the conversation of being a playoff contender. Should Aaron Rodgers end up on a new team this fall, one could argue they have a legitimate shot at contending for the division with the Minnesota Vikings.
