The regular season ended for the Pittsburgh Steelers about six weeks ago and the season of wild speculation has begun. That season contains tons of charming elements including everything from outrageous trade up/down draft scenarios, free agency deals and wild deals on superstars that the Steelers can't afford.
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images / Los Angeles Rams Jalen Ramsey
Los Angeles Rams' cornerback Jalen Ramsey falls into the latter category. He is indeed a superstar, making quite a name for himself on a team that won Super Bowl LVI last year. Now a Steelers insider is weighing in about one of those wild rumors, the Steelers going after Ramsey.
Would The Steelers Go For Ramsey?
There is a reason why Ramsey is on the tip of people's tongues. He was selected fifth overall in the 2016 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, he has been to six Pro Bowls during his outstanding career and he had four interceptions in 2022.
On paper, Ramsey seems like a great fit for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have invested a lot of money, and much has been made about that $100 million defense, but what is missing is a lights-out, stud corner. Ramsey could be that guy. It is easy to say someone would be great on the Steelers, let's face it, fans make a case for almost every player in the Pro Bowl. That does not mean that it is realistic.
In his online chat, Steelers insider, and Pittsburgh Post Gazette reporter Brian Batko, weighed in on the possibility of Ramsey in black and gold. He was asked if there was a chance the Steelers would give up an early pick for Ramsey.
"That would surprise me. The Steelers are spending so much on defense already with TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward and possibly Alex Highsmith soon. They're going to have to get by with less-expensive corners, be it affordable but reliable vets such as Cam Sutton/Levi Wallace or young guys on rookie deals," Batko responded.
Steelers.com | Melvin Ingram III (8) and TJ Watt (90) during their pregame routine vs the Buffalo Bills on September 12th, 2021 at Highmark Stadium, NY.
Batko is right, Ramsey isn't going to come cheap. He is under contract with the Rams through 2025 with a base salary of $17 million. The Steelers would have to absorb that base salary into their cap space, the Rams certainly aren't going to take any, and that's just the first problem.
Money isn't the only consideration, former Pittsburgh linebacker Arthur Moats also discussed Ramsey on his show. Moats brings up an excellent point, the life of an NFL corner can be short. It is a physically demanding job and once the body starts to take a beating, it cannot keep it up forever and at some point, they experience a drop off according to him.
"I'm scared of the dropoff. That's where I feel like he could let us down."
It seems like the better, and more realistic option is to look at drafting an excellent corner. It gives the team the opportunity to mold the young player into exactly who they want him to be, it also frees up some money or some of the many other areas of need, like both lines. Of course, this is all wild speculation since Ramsey has not expressed any public desire to leave the Rams.
While I know Steelers fans love to speculate about poaching players from other teams, it doesn't seem likely in this case. Ramsey is just too pricey to add to our already expensive defense.
Penn State University, Joey Porter, Jr. / Photo Credit: Scott Taetsch | Getty Images
What do you think about the possibility of trading one of our beautiful, early draft picks for Ramsey? What do you think the Steelers should do about a corner? What do you think the Steelers should do with those three early picks? Comment below.
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