After trading two first-round picks for him, Jalen Ramsey is undoubtedly a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Rams defense. As one of the best corners in the league and still only 25 years old, you could argue he hasn’t even hit his ceiling yet – certainly not with the Rams.
There’s just one thing standing between him becoming one of the faces of the franchise: a contract.
Ramsey is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2020, making him a free agent next offseason. He’s reportedly promised the Rams that he won’t hold out this year if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on an extension, but all bets are off in 2021.
Presumably, the Rams would love to get a deal done as soon as possible. But based on the way GM Les Snead made things seem on Tuesday at the combine, there’s no set deadline to get him signed.
“There’s really no timeline on that, like when the deal gets done, at this point,” Snead said. “But we’d definitely like to have Jalen helping the Rams for more than just the 2020 season.”
The Rams have a lot of contract to take care of this offseason with five starters set to hit free agency. Snead wants to handle those situations first before looking toward deals for Ramsey, Cooper Kupp, John Johnson and others who will become free agents in 2021.
Getting extensions done early is something the Rams have liked to do in the past, though.
“You have to take it in process, but strategically we’ve always enjoyed checking that box for not only us, but for the player so that we all know, OK, we’re here together and we’re working toward the same goals for a long time,” Snead said.
Letting Ramsey go after giving up that much draft capital for 1.5 seasons would be a huge mistake by Los Angeles. Sure, the team would get a third-round compensatory pick back if he left in free agency next offseason, but that’s pennies on the dollar for what they traded away.
Signing Ramsey has to be a top priority, assuring he’ll be wearing horns deep into the future. He’s a star in the NFL and improved the Rams defense in a big way last season, allowing the team to be more aggressive both up front and in the secondary.
When Ramsey does sign an extension, it’s expected to reset the cornerback market, making him the highest-paid corner in NFL history. Perhaps his contract requests (or the pending CBA deal) are giving the Rams pause, hoping he’ll come down on his price.
A deal should get done eventually, but for Los Angeles, the sooner the better.