Jalen Ramsey is reportedly likely to be traded soon. What would it take for the Patriots to get him if they’re interested?
Ramsey would likely be the best cornerback to switch teams this offseason if he's traded.
The Patriots never fully replaced Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson when the two corners departed New England over the last 18 months, opting to draft a pair of mid-round rookies instead of going after star power.
They might have a chance to get that star corner this offseason, though. Jalen Ramsey is expected to be traded by the Rams in the coming weeks, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Friday. Los Angeles is looking to move the 28-year-old All-Pro as a means to create cap space as it’s set to enter the offseason roughly $14 million above the salary cap.
It’s unknown what the Rams’ asking price is for Ramsey, who they acquired from the Jaguars for two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick in the middle of the 2019 season.
It’s likely that it won’t cost nearly as much for a team to trade for Ramsey this time, considering he’s four years older now, and the Rams have a more pressing need to trade him.
However, one NFL analyst projects that the Patriots would have to give up at least a first-round pick in a trade for Ramsey. NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal proposed a deal in which the Patriots give up their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 14 overall) plus veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for Ramsey.
“Doesn’t he fill that Stephon Gilmore, that big, physical, Ty Law type of cornerback? It’d be sort of at a discount, and that’s where Bill [Belichick] likes to swoop in,” Rosenthal said on a recent episode of the “Around the NFL” podcast.
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger doesn’t think it’ll cost a first-round pick for a team to land Ramsey, but he still thinks he has a hefty trade tag. In a column proposing five different trades for star players around the league, he proposed a trade for the Dolphins to land Ramsey by giving up two second-round picks while landing a fifth-round pick back in return.
“Ramsey’s cumulative 90.6 coverage grade over the past three seasons ranks second among cornerbacks, and his 91.2 run-defense grade ranks first. His 80.3 coverage grade from the slot over the past three seasons ranks fifth,” Spielberger wrote of Ramsey’s value. “There are a lot of elite, young cornerbacks in the league right now, but Ramsey still holds the crown as the best defensive back in the NFL as of today.”
There aren’t many comparable situations in recent memory that compare to Ramsey possibly getting traded. In 2020, the Lions shipped 29-year-old Darius Slay, a three-time Pro Bowler at the time, to the Eagles for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick. In 2019, the Rams traded then-26-year-old Marcus Peters, a multi-time Pro Bowler at the time, to the Ravens for a veteran (linebacker Kenny Young) and a fifth-round pick, but Peters’s contract was expiring following that season.
Of course, there was also the Gilmore trade, in which the Patriots traded the former Defensive Player of the Year to the Panthers for a sixth-round pick during the 2021 season. But Gilmore was holding out at the time, and the Patriots intended to release him to create cap space before trading him.
Ramsey’s situation is a bit different. Los Angeles would only clear $5.6 million in cap space while eating $19.6 million in dead money for the 2023 season if it traded Ramsey prior to June 1, per OverTheCap.com. Ramsey has a $17 million base salary for the 2023 season as he enters just the third season of his five-year, $105 million deal.
So the fact that the Rams are eating so much dead money could give them a bit more leverage than most other trades involving star players, along with the fact that he’s still playing at a high level. Ramsey recorded career highs in tackles (88), sacks (two), passes defended (18), and forced fumbles (three) while tying a career-high with four interceptions in 2022, earning his sixth Pro Bowl nod.
Ramsey’s also been widely regarded as one of the best corners in the game since he was drafted in 2016. He’s earned three first-team All-Pro nods and helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI, which led to his fellow players ranking him as the ninth-best overall player in the league ahead of the 2022 season.
As for where the Patriots stand at corner entering the offseason, veteran corner Jonathan Jones is set to become a free agent, leaving Jalen Mills, plus rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones, as the only corners that played a notable amount in 2022 under contract.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com