The Los Angeles Rams could go after Jacksonville Jaguars’ CB Jalen Ramsey in a trade...but at what cost?

It’s been a shaky past few weeks for the Los Angeles Rams secondary. Both starting corners - Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib - have given up some big, costly plays that resulted in giving up touchdowns either immediately or as a result of failing to lock down their receiver in critical situations. And while there is still ample time for each to turn things around, the clock is ticking on their stay in LA with both being in the last year of their contacts and set to test free agency next spring.

So what is the solution for the Rams, both in the near and long term?

If Peters and Talib both walk, that leaves only Nickell Robey-Coleman, Troy Hill and David Long Jr. set to return next year. That...clearly won’t work.

Over at ESPN, Bill Barnwell tossed around a few trade ideas and one, in particular, landed the Rams an elite corner who’s under contract until 2021. That player, none other than Jacksonville Jaguars’ CB Jalen Ramsey.

What would it take for all this to happen? Here is Barnwell’s suggestion:

Rams send:

• 2020 1st-round pick
• 2021 2nd-round pick
• 2022 2nd-round pick (conditional)
• CB Marcus Peters

Jaguars send:

• CB Jalen Ramsey
• 2022 4th-round pick (conditional)

Here’s a little more insight as to how the conditional picks play a factor:

The Jaguars would get a first- and second-round pick for Ramsey and what amounts to a season-long audition for Peters, whom the team could insert in the lineup as a replacement. The Jaguars could extend the audition by franchising Peters in 2020, which is why the 2022 picks come into play. If the Jags find that Peters is a long-term solution and he plays at least one game for the team in 2021, the conditional picks on both sides don’t transfer. If the Jags move on from Peters before the 2021 season, though, the Rams will swap their 2022 second-rounder with the Jags’ fourth-round pick.

Long story short, it looks like the Rams would be giving up a significant amount of draft capital to make this work. BUT if the Jags like what they see from Peters and he plays a single game in the 2021 season, it’s essentially just the Rams coughing up a 1st and 2nd round pick (in 2020 and 2021, respectively), which you’d figured would be late round picks. That actually sounds very reasonable considering the caliber of player they’d be getting.

As Barnwell notes, the Rams haven’t been shy about trading draft picks to acquire players they feel can help them contribute immediately and in a big way. Over the past few seasons we’ve seen them do it with Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters, and Dante Fowler Jr.

There is the little matter of new deal, which I’m certain Ramsey would want and definitely deserves. Without getting too far into the weeds, let’s just say the Rams would have to shuffle some money around to make it work. And there is always a way to make it work.

In your humble armchair GM opinion, is Jalen Ramsey worth a late 1st and 2nd round pick? Would you approve of this trade knowing the Rams could have a lockdown corner on the field against the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday?

Or is it just too much to give up?

Something to consider is that Jalen Ramsey’s don’t just grow on trees. Sure, the Rams could use a late first round pick to draft a corner, but Ramsey is a proven product and with the draft always comes uncertainty.

At any rate, I’ll leave you to it. Hit up the poll below (which will be stripped for Google AMP and Apple News users).