When the Los Angeles Rams gave up two draft picks to acquire star cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the middle of last season, they made it clear that the plan was to ink him to a long-term extension.
To this point though, the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement and 2020 training camp is already underway.
If Ramsey is not able to sign an extension this year then he would play his final season under his rookie contract and become a free agent next offseason.
Despite them not yet agreeing on a new deal though, it seems that Ramsey and the Rams are still on the same page. Both Sean McVay and Les Snead have stated their desire to get a deal done, as has Ramsey, who promised to not hold out this season if there isn’t one.
It appears Ramsey’s desire to remain with the Rams long-term has not wavered as on the latest episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks, he called the day he was traded one of the best of his life:
“October 15, I got traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the L.A. Rams. Probably one of the best days of my life.”
Ramsey was house-hunting in the episode, and he also made it clear that he wants to remain with L.A. for the rest of his career:
“I wouldn’t be wasting my time going to look at homes and stuff on my off days if I didn’t think I was gonna be here long-term, even after football. I hope L.A. will be a forever home for me. It’s kind of like a dream come true.”
In four NFL seasons, Ramsey has been named to three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team, consistently being one of the best lockdown corners in the game. If the Rams want to keep him then he will need to be paid as such, although they were well aware of that when they acquired him.
While Snead does not want to give any insight into contract negotiation talks with Ramsey, the two sides will likely continue talking until the Rams’ season debut, at which point the focus will shift towards the field and the 2020 season.
