JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 19: Jalen Ramsey #20 of the Jacksonville Jaguars defends against Corey Davis #84 of the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter of a game at TIAA Bank Field on September 19, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Trading Marcus Peters isn’t a sign the Rams are ready to give up. It’s a sign they are ready to deal for Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Anyone who views the Rams’ decision to trade Marcus Peters as a sign they are ready to retool for next year doesn’t know Sean McVay and company very well. It’s much more likely that dealing Peters is a precursor to a big deal for a superior cornerback. Jaguars’ star Jalen Ramsey could easily end up as Los Angeles’ top target.
Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times already believes it’s time for the Jalen Ramsey to the Rams watch to be on “high alert.” The team certainly has a need for a starting cornerback to replace Peters. Swinging a deal for Ramsey would allow the Rams to turn a player they regarded as underperforming into a bona fide superstar.
Of course, satisfying the Jaguars’ demands for Ramsey won’t be an easy task. Jacksonville officials have been very reluctant to enter into any meaningful trade talks about their franchise cornerback. At the very least, they’ll be looking for a first round pick plus an additional asset to get the talks started. That will be a tough price for the Rams to meet, but it might be what the franchise needs to do to kick-start their 2019 season.
After all, McVay and company currently sit in third place in the NFC West with a mediocre record of 3-3. Even more concerning is just how far they’ve fallen behind the field. Los Angeles sits two games behind the Seahawks and 2.5 games behind the division leading Rams. It’s too soon to declare the only path to the playoffs for the Rams as the Wild Card, but the team needs to improve its play immediately.
Improving the secondary is an obvious way that the Rams can improve. After six weeks of action their defense ranks 11th in overall DVOA per Football Outsiders, but their pass defense is ranked 20th by the same metric. A significant improvement at cornerback could conceivably vault the Ram’s defense into the top-five by season’s end.
Dealing for Ramsey isn’t the only way the Rams can follow up on trading Peters, but it is the best way. Fans in Los Angeles should keep a close eye on talks between their favorite team and the Jaguars in the coming days.