Rams caught napping again as another elite DB slips through their fingers

Are the Los Angeles Rams that confident in their secondary that they were willing to let a chance to reunite with former All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey slip through their fingers? Whether intentional or not, that is what transpired as the Rams failed in trade talks with the Miami Dolphins to land Ramsey.

And so, the Rams did not add a veteran defensive back to the secondary. That is not the case for the suddenly deal-happy Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that has repeatedly made NFL headlines with their willingness to sign and trade for the most recognizable veterans in the NFL. And they just added one more.

It's not as though the Rams did not try to scratch out a deal for Ramsey. They were in the hunt up to the very end. But ultimately, the Miami Dolphins chose to send Jalen Ramsey to an AFC competitor, rather than ship him back to the Rams, the team that originally traded him to the Dolphins:

The Rams had little chance of outbidding 'All In' Steelers

In what seems to have been a bidding war, the LA Rams were simply outgunned. The Pittsburgh Steelers, knowing full well that the 2025 NFL season is the last year for veteran QB Aaron Rodgers, are making the type of deals for the roster that exemplifies a team that is going 'All In.'

How do I know this? It's the strategy employed by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 NFL season that carried them to a victory in Super Bowl LVI.

When facing a team in any NFL auction that is going All-In, the stakes escalate quickly. And so it was in this case, as the Pittsburgh Steelers were happy to trade All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for DB Jalen Ramsey.

Suddenly, the deal no longer appears to favor the Steelers.

There is no way the Rams would be willing to part with a significant veteran contributor in the hopes of adding Jalen Ramsey. So it was an uphill climb for the Rams to emerge with the winning bid.

Rams HC Sean McVay likely swayed Rams decision

Let's not ignore the lessons of the past. When the Rams were losing in the bidding war with the Carolina Panthers for veteran QB Matthew Stafford, Head Coach Sean McVay contacted team owner Stan Kroenke tor authorization to sweeten the deal with an addition first-round draft pick. Kroenke agreed, and the Rams successfully traded for a new quarterback.

This is not to say that the Rams were not interested in adding Jalen Ramsey. I'm simply stating the obvious: The Rams' interest in trading for Ramsey had its limits. If the Rams truly viewed Ramsey as the missing link for another Super Bowl victory, that same McVay drive would have compelled the team to win the bidding war.

But all of this was foreshadowed by Coach McVay himself, as the team entered OTAs.

I don't think that was coach-speak at all. Nor was this a matter of hedging a bet. The Rams view Jalen Ramsey as a luxury, a rare talent that suddenly became available. But luxury also implies that it is not a necessity. We'll have plenty of glass-half-full and silver lining articles up soon. But for now, the addition of Jalen Ramsey has become something that the team will regret this season.

You could conclude that the Rams were caught napping again as another elite DB slips through their fingers. Or you could attribute this tried-and-failed trade negotiation as simply a matter whose outcome was never going to turn out any other way.

The Pittsburgh Steelers get DB Jalen Ramsey. The Miami Dolphins get DB Minkah Fitzpatrick. And the LA Rams get another reminder that bidding wars for NFL players seldom end well for the team.

As always, thanks for reading.

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