Rams must target Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey trade after biggest draft failure

Why trading for Jalen Ramsey doesn't make sense

There is an enclave of Rams fans who just can't see the benefits of trading for the team's former star cornerback, and to that I say: You could be correct. After all, whether or not Ramsey is still a top-tier performer on the football field, he is compensated like one. One of the toughest challenges for any NFL football team is divvying up the money. Too much to one player, and you have insufficient funds to pay the other contributors. Too little to one player and you risk discontent, and ultimately that player actively seeking to be traded.

The Rams traded Ramsey for a reason. At the time, the team did not feel like a playoff contender, and Ramsey is a thoroughbred who deserved more than a team that struggled in the depths of sub-.500 football. To reclaim NFL relevance, the Rams had to nearly wipe the slate clean and rebuild the roster from the foundation up.

That included reforming the secondary.

Is it fair to the young defensive backs to work so hard to reclaim relevance and then plop in Jalen Ramsey to be the presumed starter? And in a cornerback room loaded with team-friendly contracts, does it build camaraderie and esprit de corps to trade for a guy who earns as much as all of the other players?

Team chemistry is a delicate matter, and the Rams are burying the needle right now. But chemistry is never guaranteed. Does Jalen Ramsey fit as the seasoned veteran mentor that this secondary needs so desperately? Or does the meticulous attention to detail and perfectionism create an environment of negative feedback for younger and less-experienced teammates? It's certainly one more checklist item to satisfy to ensure this trade even makes sense.

Financially speaking, this is a railroad crossing trade. That is, before the Rams pull the trigger, the entire football organization needs to stop, look, and listen. It requires many transactions to pull an NFL team from money-matter woes to fiscal health. But it only takes one ill-conceived trade, contract extension, or free agent acquisition to put the team right back into penniless peril once more.

The Miami Dolphins are not willing to trade Jalen Ramsey because they see him as a bargain that they no longer deserve. They are willing to part ways with Ramsey because their front office no longer views him as worth his current compensation. Caveat emptor means let the buyer beware.