The Los Angeles Rams made quite the investment in order to acquire cornerback Jalen Ramsey during the 2019 campaign. Head coach Sean McVay is hoping he stays for the long haul.
According to NFL Network's Steve Wyche, McVay has made it clear that the Rams have every intention of keeping him as part of their future:
“There's a lot of dialogue,” McVay said of talks between the Rams and Ramsey's representation, per Wyche. “The anticipation in acquiring him is that he is a Ram for a long time. We went and got this guy with the hope that it's not a short-term thing.”
McVay added that Ramsey has already managed to make quite an impression on the organization:
“I'm so impressed with Jalen's leadership,” McVay said, regarding what he's seen from Ramsey during virtual meetings. “When he came in (last season) I was so impressed. Now you have a foundation where you're able to talk to him about stuff outside of football. You really get a feel for his football acumen and seeing the game through the lens he sees it. It's going to be fun watching him grow. I'm just really enjoying getting to know him better as a human being. The more I know the more I love this guy.”
It is certainly encouraging to see that the Rams still have yet to suffer any buyer's remorse. After all, they parted ways with two first-round picks in order to bring him over from the Jacksonville Jaguars and he is now looking for a lucrative payday entering the final year of his deal.
Although Ramsey has plenty of leverage in the negotiations, he has already given his word that he will not hold out if a deal does not get done, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic:
So, to recap:
– Jalen Ramsey won’t hold out of training camp if an extension doesn’t happen; however the indication between very communicative parties has been since the trade that it will happen this offseason.
– Sean McVay is more impressed by the day with Ramsey, as a leader— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) May 26, 2020
Meanwhile, NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano added that McVay feels the experience with hammering out defensive tackle Aaron Donald's contract should help pay some dividends.
Sean McVay, asked about Jalen Ramsey’s contract negotiations, says he learned from the Aaron Donald talks that…
“It’s not personal. It really isn’t.— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) May 26, 2020
While McVay appears to be optimistic about Ramsey's long-term future in Los Angeles, he seems to be well aware that nothing is set in stone.
The onus will ultimately fall on the front office to ensure that their investment does not go to waste.
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