The Rams are in the midst of blowing up their team.
A couple of years ago, the Los Angeles Rams went all-in to win a Super Bowl. They achieved their goal despite putting themselves in salary cap hell for the near future.
The Rams were the worst version of themselves in 2022 under Sean McVay, and now they’re in the middle of making significant changes to their roster.
On Thursday, Los Angeles released Bobby Wagner. Friday even, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Rams have had trade talks about six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Pelissero added that his league sources believe it’s “very likely Ramsey is dealt in coming weeks.”
This signals a rebuild, no matter what the Rams say publicly. Ramsey is under contract for two more seasons, although his contract is front loaded and 2023 would be the final season he has guaranteed money.
The Rams would have to eat $19.6 million in dead money if they traded Ramsey pre-June 1. If they get a team to agree to a post-June 1 designation, the Rams would save $17 million in cap space, while only eating $8.2 million in dead money.
If I’m a first-time head coach for the Houston Texans, I’d have no issue offering one of my early round picks for Ramsey. Los Angeles has little to no leverage, so perhaps Ramsey could be had without giving up a first round.
Either way, this is great news for the 49ers and the rest of the NFC West, as one of the premier cornerbacks appears to be headed out of the division.