The Los Angeles Rams made quite a splash at the trade deadline with the acquisition cornerback Jalen Ramsey during the 2019 NFL season.
General manager Les Snead has not been shy about pulling the trigger on a number of blockbuster deals ever since the relocation to Los Angeles. Although this team had been struggling to stay in playoff contention at the time, Snead still opted to make a huge investment by making the trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
The Rams will need to continue paying a huge price tag with Ramsey’s looming extension on the way. It appears that negotiations are still in their early stages.
Ramsey says talks have just begun, although he is not worried about where the organization stans with him via the L.A. Times:
“I’m not sure to be honest with you, not yet. I’ve had slight talks with the coach and Les [Snead] about it, just slightly. I let my agent handle it, to be honest, for the most part I don’t really worry about it. I have other things in my life I need to worry about. I think my agent is the best in the game, so I’m going to let him handle it. If it gets done this offseason, perfect, and if not then we’ll move forward.”
Ramsey is eligible for a new deal as he enters the final year of his rookie contract after Los Angeles opted to pick up his fifth-year option. Of course, it is for this reason that the front office is in no rush to get a deal done this offseason.
Regardless, there is still good reason to believe that the Rams have already made Ramsey a priority considering all they that they have already given up for him. Unlike previous big-name acquisitions, they seemingly view Ramsey as a long-term piece to build their foundation on as they get set to usher in a new era at SoFi Stadium.
Even if both sides are not able to come to terms this offseason, Ramsey reportedly promised when the trade was completed that he would not hold out heading into the 2020 campaign. He has largely stuck to this notion after expressing his initial desire to come to the Rams while he was still in Jacksonville.
While falling short of the playoffs in the 2019 campaign was certainly disappointing, Ramsey was able to make an immediate impression on his new teammates such as defensive tackle Aaron Donald and running back Todd Gurley. Their endorsement to have him stick around should certainly help pay huge dividends when the time comes for the Rams to get a deal done.
