Rams trade for Jalen Ramsey means all-in pressure is on

The Los Angeles Rams will play their first game with Jalen Ramsey on Sunday. The pressure is on.

Ramsey, the All-Pro cornerback acquired for a pair of first-round picks and a fourth-round selection from the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, will suit up in blue and gold this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. At 3-3 and riding a three-game losing streak, the Rams are hoping the infusion of Ramsey (and exodus of Marcus Peters) is the tonic needed.

If it proves not to be, general manager Les Snead is facing a future with farmer questions then answers.

After trading for Ramsey, the Rams won’t have a first-round pick in five consecutive drafts. It’s almost unheard of  for a variety of reasons. In a day of controlled rookie contracts thanks to the wage scale, it’s even more risky than it would have been years ago.

Los Angeles is banking on hitting in the second and third days of the draft, all while not regretting any of its large contracts. The former is a gamble to be sure. The latter is already looking like a lost bet to a degree. Todd Gurley has five years left on his record-breaking contact, and due to arthritis in his knee, is already unable to play the amount of snaps he once did. Quarterback Jared Goff could end up being the 30+ million per year he’s locked into, but so far, it’s been a tough road this season for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Snead ultimately made his big bets on Goff and Gurley, along with wide receiver Brandin Cooks, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Ramsey. While Ramsey remains on his rookie deal, he has more leverage than any non-quarterback in football. Nobody is trading that much draft capital without expecting to hand out a record-setting pact.

If Goff and Gurley can’t perform up to what their contract would suggest the Rams expect, trading for Ramsey will help but ultimately doesn’t further their Super Bowl cause. It’s a great move to help the secondary but doesn’t fix the other problems, problems that now won’t be fixed by draft picks in the first round.

Snead is making the biggest of bets. He could cash out a champion, but he could very well go bust quickly.