Jalen Ramsey on Trading Block: Should Patriots Acquire Rams Elite Cornerback?

In an AFC East loaded with offensive weapons, the New England Patriots might have to fight back by acquiring more defensive stars.

Josh Allen is throwing to Stefon Diggs in Buffalo. In Miami, Tua Tagovailoa has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as weapons. And, who knows, AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson may soon be catching passes in New York from Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr or even Lamar Jackson.

Armed only with Mac Jones-to-Jakobi Meyers, the New England Patriots simply can't keep up with the offensive firepower within their division. The Patriots are given the AFC East's worst odds of winning next year's Super Bowl for good reason.

While new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will likely amp things up and Pats fans can daydream about acquiring weapons such as Arizona's DeAndre Hopkins or San Francisco's Deebo Samuel, New England's path to the playoffs in 2023 goes through the defense. The pass-rush of Matthew Judon and Josh Uche. The play-making of Kyle Dugger and Jonathan Jones.

The shutdown coverage of ... Jalen Ramsey?

The Bills had the NFL's No. 2 defense last season; the Jets No. 4 and the Pats No. 11. To close that gap, they could look into acquiring the elite cornerback who apparently is on the trading block in Los Angeles.

Ramsey, 28, is set to make $17 million this season and Rams COO Kevin Demoff admits teams are already calling about his availability.

“People are always inquiring about our talent, and it’s not just Jalen (Ramsey)," Demoff said. "In the next few months, we’ll see which direction this team goes.”

On his social media, Ramsey responded to a potential trade from L.A. with "maybe."

By his standard, Ramsey had a subpar season in 2022 with 17 starts, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two sacks.

In the past, Bill Belichick has been aggressive in going after premier cornerbacks such as Darrelle Revis, Stephon Gilmore and even Aqib Talib. Ramsey would upgrade an already dominant group that produced seven touchdowns last year.

In the wake of J.C. Jackson's departure in free agency, Jalen Mills was slated to slide in as CB1. But he was outplayed by Jonathan Jones, who is set to be a free agent this offseason. Rookie Jack and Marcus Jones also showed flashes of being play-makers in the secondary.

The Pats need cover corners in the fast-paced AFC East. Ramsey would help that cause.

---