LA Rams rumor “Top of pack to land” Darius Slay is likely off-base

NFL Rumors of LA Rams linked as trade partner w Detroit Lions for CB Darius Slay by ProFootballNetwork’s Tony Pauline is likely off-base

The LA Rams have been in the mix for virtually every NFL star cornerback in the past five years. So if you want to pressure the NFL to create a market for a cornerback, you leak the player’s name and link him to the LA Rams. That’s what the latest NFL Rumor is doing, courtesy of Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline in the latest edition of his mailbag concerning trade rumors over Detroit  Lion’s cornerback Darius Slay.

The LA Rams are the go-to name to drop for any NFL cornerback because, realistically, they have been heavily involved in trading for, and then trading away, marquis NFL cornerbacks for the past two seasons.

The Rams had traded for cornerback Marcus Peters from the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2018 fourth-round pick, and a 2019 second-round pick in February 2018. The same Rams had traded for cornerback Aqib Talib from the Denver Broncos in March 2018 for a 2018 fifth-round pick.  The Rams then traded cornerback Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round pick on October 16, 2019. The Los Angels Rams then traded Aqib Talib to the Miami Dolphins and a 2020 fifth-round pick in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick on October 29, 2019.

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The Rams then traded for Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars for their 2020 and 2021 first-round picks.  In summary, the LA Rams obtained 1+ seasons from Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Jalen Ramsey, plus LB Kenny Young and a 2022 seventh-round pick in exchange for two first-round picks, a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and two fifth-round picks.

Whew!  That’s a lot of cornerback moves. And that’s just 2018 and 2019. So logically, any rumors involving moving an NFL cornerback naming the LA Rams have a good chance to be correct, simply from the recent trend. But this one is not likely to happen.

The Rams have no trade capital at the moment worth the attention of the Detroit Lions.  And as far as salary cap space to sign and retain Slay, whose contract expires at the end of 2020? The Rams are already scrambling to find the funds to extend current cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

The LA Rams are already looking at one of the best NFL secondaries heading into the 2020 season. The Detroit Lions have every reason in the world to “leak” the Rams in connection with Slay, simply to put pressure on existing suitors to ante up. The Rams have a far greater list of team needs, and with new coordinators have likely not even fully vetted a cohesive roster needs list for their front office to even pursue any trades or free-agent signings yet.

Of course, any reports or news about the LA Rams are worth sharing. But I believe the LA Rams have run out of “one-year rentals” of NFL cornerbacks for the time being. What are your thoughts?