7 NFL players who will sign the next massive contract extensions

5. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Los Angeles Rams

Since the Jacksonville Jaguars tabbed Jalen Ramsey with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, he’s firmly established himself as an elite cornerback. The Florida State product, though boisterous, has backed up every bit of talk on the field. His combination of athleticism, length and physicality allow him to match up with just about any wide receiver in the league.

Of course, we all know the story by now that the Jaguars and Ramsey never quite saw eye-to-eye. Therefore, he eventually got his wish and was sent to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first-round picks. Subsequently, it’s always felt like a formality that Les Snead’s club would end up signing him to a long-term deal.

At the same time, though, Ramsey was not necessarily an elite individual player in the 2019 season. In fact, he was merely above average. That’s still worth hanging onto but it does likely cause some trepidation from the Rams about what his long-term prospects are. At the same time, the financial situation in LA now and moving forward is troublesome.

Because the Rams have already hamstrung themselves under the salary cap, they have major holes on the defense with the money tied up in star players. Not only does that make paying Ramsey difficult but it creates a catch-22 in that he becomes less effective because the defense as a whole is now worse.

How LA chooses to navigate this conundrum will be fascinating. After giving up the draft capital they did, though, it’s hard to imagine that a deal won’t get done between Ramsey and the Rams.