3 reasons the Commanders should avoid Jalen Ramsey trade

Cornerback Jalen Ramsey could be the latest big-name player traded in the coming days, but the Washington Commanders shouldn’t be his destination.

Jalen Ramsey is on the market. The 28-year-old, six-time Pro Bowl cornerback remains an elite player, finishing third in Pro Football Focus’ cornerback ratings for 2022, but the Los Angeles Rams simply cannot afford his price tag as they look to rebuild after their Super Bowl run in 2021.

Their desire to move him has nothing to do with talent. Given that, it would seem that a team with looser budget constraints and in need of a No. 1 cornerback – a team like the Washington Commanders – would have a lot of interest in acquiring Ramsey.

But the Commanders should not take the bait.

Obviously, if you could simply transport Ramsey onto the Commanders’ roster for the 2023 season, the team would improve. He is a much better player than either Kendall Fuller or Benjamin St-Juste, the current projected starting boundary corners.

Ramsey remains an excellent man cover corner with the size and physicality to handle wide receivers like A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb. And he is an even better run defender.

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He would also bring a toughness that the back end of the Commanders’ defense has been trying to build ever since Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio arrived in Washington. Pairing him with young stud safeties Kamren Curl and Darrick Forrest would go a long way toward building a formidable secondary.

So why not dive in on the Ramsey sweepstakes? Here are three reasons.