2. Jalen Ramsey to the Detroit Lions
One of the more surprising names to enter the 2023 NFL trades mix could be Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey has been arguably the best corner in the game for most of the last seven years, but after a dismal 2022 campaign, the Los Angeles Rams may have one eye on the future and it’s possible they could really recoup some assets for Jalen Ramsey.
I don’t know that the Rams would be able to get their 6th overall pick back from the Detroit Lions for Ramsey, but they might get the 18th overall pick and a future third-rounder in exchange for his services. Those would be two major assets for Les Snead, who has gone from “F*** them Picks” to “Hey, we could use some picks” in a hurry.
The Rams won the Super Bowl after making their barrage of trades for veteran players, so it’s hard to say it wasn’t worth it. Now, they have to think about reloading this roster and Ramsey looks like one of the odd men out.
Some say he’s coming off of a “down” year in 2022, but Ramsey had 88 total tackles and four interceptions, both a career-best or at least tied for it. Another career-high reached in 2022 by Ramsey? He finished with 18 total passes broken up.
He will be 29 this coming season, so it’s not like he’s a bad investment over the next 3-4 years. I think you could see a team like Detroit really view Ramsey as someone who could be the difference-maker their team needs to get over the hump.
Keep in mind — there’s a significant connection between the Rams and Lions beyond just the fact that they came together on the blockbuster Matthew Stafford trade in 2021. Lions GM Brad Holmes is a direct disciple of Rams GM Les Snead. These two have a great relationship and that could come into play when we’re talking about a blockbuster trade for one of the game’s premier cornerbacks.