With Jalen Ramsey trade talks quiet, could Jaire Alexander be the better move for the Rams?
Heading into the 2025 season, the Los Angeles Rams are still in need of a cornerback to add to the defense. There has been speculation that the Rams could pursue a trade for Jalen Ramsey. However, discussions have seemed to quiet down recently. Additionally, when asked about the Rams cornerback group, head coach Sean McVay said a few weeks ago, “I feel good about where we’re at.”
That could mean one of several things. It’s possible that McVay is publicly downplaying the need for a cornerback in order to help with negotiations. Conversely, trade talks for Ramsey could have also died and the Rams head coach is going to support the players on the roster. Lastly, he could actually feel good about who the Rams have at the cornerback position. Any of those scenarios are possible.
In the case that trade talks for Ramsey with the Dolphins have quieted down, the Rams will need to shift their focus. It won’t be long before the Dolphins are forced to show their hand as recent reports suggest that Jalen Ramsey will unsurprisingly not attend mandatory mini-camp. At the end of the day, the Dolphins don’t have leverage in negotiations.
One thing that the Rams front office tends to do very well is not force anything and keep their options open. It’s how they’ve approached the draft in recent years and it is likely how they have approached the Ramsey trade negotiations.
That approach has worked for the Rams in the past and that’s no different in their search for a top-level cornerback. On Monday morning, the Green Bay Packers released cornerback Jaire Alexander who will now become a free agent.
The Packers offered Jaire Alexander a reduced, incentive-laden one-year deal that’d make him a free agent in 2026—Alexander turned it down, not liking the structure. Green Bay tried to trade him in March, and during the draft.
That also failed, so Alexander’s a June free agent.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 9, 2025
With Alexander now available, it might make more sense for the Rams to shift their focus to the 28-year-old cornerback than try to force a deal for Ramsey. Two major benefits of signing Alexander over trading for Ramsey would be that the Rams would have more control over contract structure and most importantly wouldn’t have to give up draft capital.
While the Rams wouldn’t have to give up a first round pick to acquire Ramsey, giving up a third-round pick and receiving a late-rounder in return seems like a realistic package. It’s worth remembering that the Rams already gave up a 2026 fourth round pick to move up for defensive lineman Ty Hamilton in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ramsey may not cost a lot in 2025 as the Rams would only be responsible for around $5.9 million. However, after 2025 is when Ramsey’s contract gets complicated. He does have an out after 2025 with an $18.5 million dead cap penalty. That’s notable as Ramsey’s cap hit is $25 million in 2026, $26.8 million in 2027, and $36.2 million in 2028 with three more void years.
It’s possible that the Rams and Ramsey could re-do that contract to make it fit the Rams’ timeline. Still, there’s no guarantee that Ramsey would agree to a restructure or new deal. Meanwhile, that’s flexibility that the Rams would have with Alexander. Alexander was set to have a $24.3 million cap hit in 2025, but won’t be getting close to that with a new deal. The now former Packers cornerback has played in just 14 games over the last two years. That’s going to take a hit on his value and is one of the main reasons the Packers released him.
If the Rams could sign Alexander for somewhere between the Kristian Fulton contract at $10 million per year and the DJ Reed contract at $16 million per year and incentivize it, they could make it work. Unlike other teams who might be interested, such as the Buffalo Bills, the Rams have $19.4 million in cap space.
At the same time, if the Rams don’t get Alexander and instead he signs with a team like the Dallas Cowboys, it takes a team out of the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes. A scenario like that helps the Rams in negotiations with the Dolphins as it limits the trade options.
However, an argument could be made that the Rams should focus their attention on Alexander. Again, it wouldn’t require draft capital and the Rams would have more control over the contract structure. Alexander is also two years younger than Ramsey.
While he’s been hurt the last two years, when he’s played, he’s been a top-level cornerback. Among cornerbacks with at least 350 snaps last season, Alexander was PFF’s eighth-rated cornerback. He allowed just 56 percent of his targets, which ranked 16th. His PFF coverage grade, reception percentage, and passer rating allowed all would have led Rams cornerbacks. Alexander also outperformed Ramsey in all three categories.
It’s still possible that the Rams stand pat with who they have and ride into the season with the current cornerback group. With that said, the Rams have made additions this late in the offseason in the past. It was this time of year that the Rams signed Ahkello Witherspoon and Demarcus Robinson in 2022.
The Rams front office has done a good job in recent years when it comes to patience and remaining disciplined. That’s how they’ve approached the Jalen Ramsey situation and it might pay off once again. The Rams have shown that they’re not afraid to wait for the right move and it’s possible that move is Jaire Alexander.
