Rams' Jalen Ramsey trade is good news for 49ers, Seahawks and Cardinals
Written By Vinnie Iyer
www.sportingnews.com
The Rams made their latest splash move Tuesday by
trading for Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. On the surface, it seems Los Angeles made a necessary move to upgrade its struggling 3-3 team after putting top corner Aqib Talib on injured reserve and trading No. 2 corner Marcus Peters to the Ravens. Acquiring Ramsey, however, helps the Rams only a little in the short term and hurts them in the long term. Not only did Ramsey cost LA first-round draft picks in 2020 and '21, but now the team is virtually locked into giving him a lucrative contract extension.
Going into Week 7, the Rams have the NFL's No. 14 pass defense. Ranked right behind them is Ramsey's former team, the Jaguars, and that's with the star corner having missed half of their games. With Ramsey unlikely to give the Rams an adequate return on their huge investment, the rest of the NFC West should be thrilled they decided to exhaust such resources on him. What's worse for LA it that Ramsey does not equip them better to handle San Francisco, Seattle and Arizona.
Acquiring Ramsey, however, helps the Rams only a little in the short term and hurts them in the long term. Not only did Ramsey cost LA first-round draft picks in 2020 and '21, but now the team is virtually locked into giving him a lucrative contract extension.
Going into Week 7, the Rams have the NFL's No. 14 pass defense. Ranked right behind them is Ramsey's former team, the Jaguars, and that's with the star corner having missed half of their games. With Ramsey unlikely to give the Rams an adequate return on their huge investment, the rest of the NFC West should be thrilled they decided to exhaust such resources on him. What's worse for LA it that Ramsey does not equip them better to handle San Francisco, Seattle and Arizona.
The 49ers (5-0) and Seahakws (5-1), now the two best teams in the division, just beat the Rams in back-to-back weeks. Don't look now, but the Cardinals at 2-3-1 are only a half-game out of third place and improving each week.
San Francisco smashed LA in Week 6 because it dominated the Rams' offensive line. Seattle edged LA in Week 5 because it handled the Rams' defensive front by keeping Russell Wilson clean and rushing with high effectiveness. But the biggest reason the Rams are losing is their running game with Todd Gurley and others is down to No. 23 after ranking No. 3 last season. Their run defense remains mediocre at best, and even with Aaron Donald up front, they are tied for 19th in the NFL with just 13 sacks.
Offensively, the Rams miss the inside blocking combination of Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan, and the season-ending knee injury to left guard Joe Noteboom prompted the desperation trade for Austin Corbett, a bust of a Browns draft pick. Defensively, they also miss the supporting inside pop of Ndamukong Suh next to Donald, who is on pace for only 8 sacks. Clay Matthews was a welcome addition off the edge, but now he is out for a while with a jaw injury.
The combination of those issues means Ramsey is not capable of making the Rams that much better, especially against their division rivals.The 49ers don't have a go-to wideout in their run-heavy offense, and Ramsey does not match up well with tight end George Kittle.The Seahawks also are a run-heavy team, and their most dangerous receiver, Tyler Lockett, mostly lines up in the slot.
The Cardinals have not yet played the Rams, but their 10 personnel looks, spreading the field with four receivers, will limit how much of a factor Ramsey can be in that matchup.
Sure, Ramsey can help the Rams right away in trying to slow down the Falcons' Julio Jones in Week 7. But the Rams can win that game with offense, anyway. They can do the same in upcoming games against the Bengals and Steelers. But for matchups in the second half of the season against teams like the Bears, Ravens and Cowboys, plus their four remaining division games, the Rams will still have plenty of defensive (and offensive) woes elsewhere.
Beyond this season, the Rams thanks to the Ramsey trade are now further salary-cap strapped. The Gurley contract looks bad now, and the big investment in Jared Goff doesn't bring a good vibe, either. They also don't have the critical high draft capital to address some glaring holes over the next two years.
With the Ramsey move, the Rams are doubling down on their all-in approach with limited chips. But it's a gamble that will only put them in a bigger hole, much to the delight of their quickly rising division foes.
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
