When the Los Angeles Rams completed a blockbuster trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the middle of last season, giving up two first-round draft picks to acquire Jalen Ramsey, it immediately became clear that he was in the organization’s long-term plans.
Ramsey was not happy with his contract situation in Jacksonville which led to him being dealt, so any team that acquired him knew that the cornerback was in search of a new deal.
While time has passed and Ramsey still has yet to sign a long-term extension with the Rams, both sides have been transparent in their discussions this offseason that a deal will get done.
Right when Ramsey was traded to the Rams last October, he said that he was not concerned about his contract and would report to training camp in 2020 even if a deal is not done. It appears he is sticking to his word as according to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, Ramsey still is not planning to hold out:
Rams CB Jalen Ramsey says he'll report to camp even though he's going into the final year of his contract: "The Rams know where I stand, and that's all that matters. … I feel like everybody knew what type of situation it was going to be once they traded for me."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) May 26, 2020
This is obviously positive news for the Rams, although extending their star player who is heading into the final year of his contract is likely still their top priority after giving up so much draft capital to acquire him.
Regardless of his contract situation, the Rams have big plans for Ramsey on the field in 2020 as new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley recently said they would like to move him all around the field.
It seems that Ramsey is on the same page as Staley already, expressing excitement to show off his versatile skillset:
Without giving away specifics, CB Jalen Ramsey says there could be position changes for some guys in the Rams' secondary this season: "That's not my role anymore, just to speak (about) the cornerbacks. … I'm very excited about the way I'm gonna be utilized."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) May 26, 2020
If Ramsey and the Rams are not able to agree on a contract extension before the 2020 season then the price tag could go up even more if he has a strong season.
Either way, all indications are that Ramsey’s career in L.A. is just getting started as opposed to coming to an end a year from now, which is very good news for the organization and fans.
