What trade packages could the Carolina Panthers potentially offer to the Los Angeles Rams for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey?
The crazy time in the NFL off-season has begun with the Los Angeles Rams putting All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the trade block. Something that should put the Carolina Panthers and others around the league on red alert.
The Super Bowl hangover in 2022 was not kind to the Rams. They finished 5-12 and are trending towards a rebuild. On the other hand, the Panthers are a team on the rise after a very positive start to their off-season, and acquiring Ramsey would have a profound impact on the team.
Pairing two elite coverage cornerbacks together with a good pass rush is a recipe for success on defense. That is precisely what the Panthers would possess with Ramsey.
There are pros and cons to trading for the star cornerback. Ramsey wants a new contract, and whatever team acquires him will need to pay him a lot of money. Carolina has to do acrobatics with contracts to create enough space to make that happen.
One of the moves Carolina could make to create some space is to trade Donte Jackson. If the Panthers were to acquire Ramsey, the former second-round pick would no longer have a starting role. Add onto the fact that he is coming off an Achilles tear, which could affect his level of play long-term.
It is rare for a player of Ramsey’s caliber to be available via trade, and his desire for a larger contract lowers the number of assets Carolina would have to send to the Rams in a deal. If they can find a way to comfortably fit a new deal for him, general manager Scott Fitterer should take the chance.
With this in mind, here are three hypothetical trade packages the Panthers could offer the Rams for Ramsey.
Carolina Panthers trade offer No. 1
This trade package is the simplest of the three. A straight swap of the No. 39 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft for Jalen Ramsey.
The Los Angeles Rams will not get a better offer than this one. An early second-round pick in 2023 is probably the best they can obtain.
Even though Ramsey’s demands for a new contract are warranted and deserved, there is not a single NFL team that will depart with a first-round pick for a 28-year-old cornerback who will be making more than $20 million over the next few seasons.
The Rams need more draft capital badly after selling multiple first-round picks to chase their Super Bowl ring. This hypothetical trade is a good start for them to begin a mini-rebuild this off-season.
They control eight draft picks this spring, but only two of them are before the sixth round of the draft. Los Angeles does not own a first-round pick.
Adding the No. 39 overall selection to pair with their No. 36 allows the Rams’ front office to make a trade to select higher in the draft if they so desire. On the flip side, the Panthers would still have a second-round pick at No. 61 via the Christian McCaffrey deal made before the deadline.
Giving up this pick does hurt their draft. But in this scenario, it would be worth the risk because the player drafted No. 39 overall will likely not have the same impact that Ramsey would for the Carolina Panthers next season.
Carolina Panthers trade offer No. 2
This trade package includes multiple picks going the Los Angeles Rams’ way. But the Carolina Panthers hold onto the No. 39 overall selection and that is a huge positive.
Los Angeles may value adding a selection in the mid-round area of the draft because they do not hold any in either the fourth or fifth round this year. But they will still demand at least a Day 2 draft pick in any Jalen Ramsey trade.
The solution is a swap of their selection at No. 237 overall for No. 132. However, this is at the cost of getting the worse of Carolina’s two second-round picks.
If the Rams want this kind of package for Ramsey, then the Panthers will be happy. Carolina would own all of their picks for the first five rounds of the draft, and they would still have seven selections overall to bolster problem positions and perhaps even land a franchise quarterback.
All of this without sacrificing either of their top two selections. The Panthers can use both on prospects that will positively impact the team in their rookie season.
Adding Ramsey comes with risk – most notably from a financial standpoint with the Florida State product creeping up to 30 years old. But if those in power are serious about winning during the first season under Frank Reich, they will no doubt explore the possibility.
Carolina Panthers trade offer No. 3
The third hypothetical trade package to acquire Jalen Ramsey includes next season’s first-round pick. This scenario only happens if the Los Angeles Rams decline anything other than a top-end selection for the All-Pro cornerback.
As unlikely as this scenario is, the Carolina Panthers could go down this route if they feel strongly about this class. Especially if they are keen on selecting a quarterback in the top 10.
That would make next season’s first-round pick less valuable to Carolina. This is due to having a prospective franchise quarterback by the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, this trade package is the least enticing of the three hypothetical situations. There is no guarantee that the Panthers make the playoffs next season. If a poor 2023 were to occur in this scenario, losing a high-quality pick would be catastrophic.
Out of the three speculative packages presented, this one has the most potential to blow up in Carolina’s face. Acquiring Ramsey has risks by itself, and giving up anything more than a second-round pick would exponentially increase that risk.
That is why Scott Fitterer needs to be careful if he approaches the Rams about Ramsey. Any overpay in a deal for him could turn a great trade into a bad one, even if the veteran plays at a high level in Carolina.