No, the Rams should not trade away Jalen Ramsey

On October 19, 2019, the Los Angeles Rams made a blockbuster trade, agreeing to send two first round picks (2020, 2021) and a 2021 fourth round pick in exchange for Jalen Ramsey of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ramsey, at the time of the trade, was in the midst of his fourth season in the NFL and was widely regarded as one of the best young stars in the league.

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The move was unprecedented for a defensive back, and there were mixed reactions among NFL circles in terms of whether or not Ramsey was worth so much draft capital. At the time, the Rams were sitting at 3-3 coming off of a season where they were embarrassed in Super Bowl 53, so some thought the move came off as a tad bit desperate. The team would proceed to finish with a 9-7 record and barely miss the postseason, adding more questions to why they gave up so much for a defensive back.

Then, the next season, the Rams would finish the year with a 10-6 record and win a single playoff game, with the defense being the strength of the team all season long. Jalen Ramsey would be named first team all-pro that season, which became the second time Ramsey was named first team all-pro in his young career. On top of the individual success Ramsey enjoyed, the defense as a whole ranked #1 in the NFL in total defense and gave up only 18.5 points per game which was also ranked at the top of the league.

In the following season (2021-2022), Ramsey would put together yet another first team all-pro campaign, putting together two consecutive seasons where he was considered one of the two best corners in the NFL. Once again, on top of the individual feats, Ramsey and his team would end up winning the Super Bowl in a season where the Rams finished 12-5 and were among the top of the league all season long.

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In Ramsey’s first two full seasons with the Rams, he was named first team all-pro and was apart of the top defense in the NFL in the first of those two years. Ramsey’s impact was undeniable, solidifying himself as one of the top defenders the league had to offer.

Then, all of a sudden, some fans and media turned on Ramsey, as when the team fell to 5-12 this season many people criticized Ramsey and his play on the field. Many thought Ramsey gave up too many big plays this season, even though the star corner only allowed seven touchdowns in 17 games played. Many also criticized Ramsey by saying he was “checked out”, even though he played every single game and graded out at a 86.4 out of 100 according to PFF.

On top of the nice grade from Ramsey, which was good for third best in the NFL last season, he also graded out at a whopping 91.8 run defense grade, near the top of the NFL regardless of position. This narrative that Jalen Ramsey has “fallen off” or is “washed” is just plain lazy, Ramsey played at an elite level last season despite the fact his team was not. Overreacting and deciding to deal away a player that is still among the best in the world would be irresponsible and flat out stupid. There is no doubt in my mind that other teams would be salivating at the opportunity to jump at such a gaffe by the Rams, and would be more than willing to bring Ramsey onto their roster.

The Rams are not as far away from returning to contention as some have made them out to be, meaning there is no reason at all to ship such a talent like Ramsey away, Jalen Ramsey is one of the core pieces of this L.A. Rams team, and he should be valued at the same level as Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and Matthew Stafford. Keeping Jalen around for the remainder of his playing career needs to be a priority for the Rams, just as much of a priority as it is to keep the players that I have just mentioned.

Do not listen to Chris Long or PFF trade proposal’s, Ramsey is a pillar to this Rams organization and should be treated as such. If it was up to me, Jalen Ramsey would retire a Los Angeles Ram, going into the hall of fame as one of the best players to every grace the blue and yellow.