A perfect Pro Bowl DB just fell into the Rams' laps in time for Maui Mini-Camp

The Los Angeles Rams have been linked closely to the possibility of trading for Miami Dolphins defensive back Jalen Ramsey. The Rams' secondary did not address the cornerback position in the offseason. The team extended two-year veteran starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. Still, he had started for the Rams' secondary in each of the past two seasons without the benefit of competing in training camp with his teammates.

Witherspoon will get that chance to enjoy training camp with the Rams in 2025.

But even with the return of Witherspoon, Rams fans have been begging for the team to bring Jalen Ramsey back. After all, in Ramsey, the team gets a familiar face who knows the Rams coaching staff, many of the players, and Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula. Best of all, he is a versatile player who gives any defense a plug-and-play elite defender at outside cornerback, slot cornerback, edge, and linebacker.

The thing is, he comes with a guaranteed salary expense of $21 million.

The Rams are paying offensive stars by keeping the defense on a shoestring budget. Can the Rams execute their 2025 strategy if a huge check is cut for a defensive player this year?

Well, the Rams front office has a new option. The Green Bay Packers, after failing to trade Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, have announced that he will be released today. It's safe to expect multiple NFL teams to enter a bidding war for his services:

Much like the LA Rams situation with veteran WR Cooper Kupp, the availability of Alexander for the Packers defense in recent years has been less than expected. Jaire Alexander has only suited up for 34 of the Packers' 68 regular-season games in the past four years. His last healthy season was 2022, when he started 16 games and was honored with his second Pro Bowl appearance.

Alexander is not known for creating turnovers. He does boast smothering pass defense, and has 70 pass deflections in seven NFL seasons to showcase his ability. In terms of the pass completion percentage whenever a quarterback targets him, it comes in at 57.8 percent. Alexander has never allowed more than 66.7 percent of the passes targeting his receiver to connect.

The Packers have only seen Alexander play in 14 games of the past two seasons. Injuries that have sidelined him include his back, groin, shoulder, and knee. While the Packers had offered Alexander for trade, NFL teams simply waited them out. The Packers had to pay $16.15 million this season. Now, 31 NFL teams can renegotiate a new team-friendly contract.

Will the Rams pivot to Alexander? He is 5-foot-10, 196 pounds, and 28 years old. Jalen Ramsey is the more accomplished and durable player at the moment, standing 6-foot-1, weighing 208 pounds, but turning 31 years old this season.

Even if the Rams stick with trading for Ramsey, the Dolphins' trade demands will wither with the outright release of Alexander. After all, why would any NFL team willingly give up valuable draft picks if they can sign a comparable player who was just released?

If all things were created equally, I expect the Rams to lean toward Jalen Ramsey. And after the team's experience with Tre'Davious White in 2024, I am even more encouraged to see the Rams resisting the temptation to change lanes suddenly. But Alexander is worth exploring. And if the Rams can negotiate a team-friendly deal, he is certainly an option to improve this team's secondary.

The timing of his release could not happen at a worse time for the Miami Dolphins. NFL teams were already playing a waiting game to force the Dolphins to soften their terms to successfully trade Ramsey. Now, Alexander's release gives many teams that may have entered the bidding war for the Dolphins' DB a second option.

This all works out in the Rams favor. Stay tuned. And as always, thanks for reading.

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