The Chiefs, Cowboys, and Bills are three teams brought up by Peter King as potential Jalen Ramsey suitors.
For those who just watched the roster construction of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, the idea of trading for a high-priced cornerback like Jalen Ramsey is going to sound foolish from the outset. That’s because the team just lifted the Lombardi going as cheap as they possibly could with their pass defense. But what if a Hall of Fame talent is made available? One reporter thinks the Chiefs could be in the mix of such trade talks.
Last week, word broke that the Los Angeles Rams were likely going to be trading Jalen Ramsey sooner than later as an aging team looked to shed its books of some heavy burdens. For a team that hasn’t made a first-round pick in several seasons, the Rams have now turned a corner from their own Super Bowl-chasing days and are looking to rebuild by recouping long-lost picks.
Enter the idea to trade Ramsey. At a position that can feature mercurial play from one year to the next, Ramsey has maintained a reputation as a shutdown corner who is likely heading for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton one day. He’s still only 29 years old and just put up another stellar season marked by 4 interceptions, 18 pass deflections, 2 sacks, and an allowed passer rating of 84.5.
So where could Ramsey potentially go? In his latest Monday morning column, Peter King, a longtime NFL reporter named three teams as potential suitors: the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
"My projection is the Rams could get something between a low first-round pick this year (Dallas, Buffalo and Kansas City could be interested, and pick between 26 and 31 overall) and a package of picks—perhaps a low two this year, and a fourth-rounder this year or next, that could rise depending on performance or play-time markers Ramsey could meet."
Of course, the idea of inserting an elite talent like Ramsey into the center of a secondary that was already coming into its own with such a youthful core would feel unfair to the rest of the league. Imagine Trent McDuffie, L’Jarius Sneed, and Jalen Ramsey working together as a top trio of corners.
That said, and this doesn’t take anything from Ramsey, but some fans would also share a rightful concern about the splurging at a position at which they already have reason to believe will get better even after winning a championship. McDuffie was a first-round pick just last year. Jaylen Watson and Josh Williams should both improve as well as former Day 3 picks. Perhaps Sneed will get expensive after this coming season, but that’s a lot of roster moves away from now.
More than anything, the Chiefs have to think about larger roster needs at wide receiver, offensive tackle, pass rusher, and defensive tackle. Trading for Ramsey actually feels like a Rams-esque move—a major push to make something happen with a limited window. For the Chiefs, the Super Bowl window is going to be wide open for a long time.