As Jalen Ramsey awaits a potential trade from the Miami Dolphins, another star cornerback will soon be on the market in former Green Bay Packers All-Pro Jaire Alexander.
The sides explored multiple options this spring, including a trade and restructured contract, but the Packers decided to release Alexander on Monday.
The 28-year-old figures to draw plenty of interest from teams in need of cornerback help, but his market likely won’t pick up until Ramsey finds a new home for the 2025 season.
One possible destination is the Los Angeles Rams, who could look to upgrade their secondary with a veteran like Alexander, via Trevor Sikkema of PFF:
The Rams surprisingly didn’t make any changes at cornerback this offseason. Darious Williams (865), Cobie Durant (843) and Ahkello Witherspoon (598) played the most snaps at cornerback for the team last season, but none earned a PFF coverage grade above 62.0.
Alexander is the kind of veteran whom Los Angeles has been interested in before. The team traded for fellow star cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2019, which proved a worthwhile addition. A move for Alexander wouldn’t be as big of a splash, but it would be in the Rams’ wheelhouse.
Alexander is a two-time Pro Bowler, but he has been limited to only 14 games over the last two seasons due to various injuries.
However, Alexander has shown in the past that he can be a game-changer when healthy, as evidenced by his 10 interceptions from 2018-22.
Because of his recent injury history, Alexander will likely have to settle for a short-term, prove-it type of contract in free agency. The Rams could give him a chance to not only rejuvenate his career, but chase a Super Bowl ring.
L.A. is likely focused on Ramsey at the moment, but they could circle back to Alexander if things line up later this summer.
Will Rams make a splash at cornerback?
The Rams are considered one of the favorites to acquire Ramsey from the Dolphins, who played four seasons in L.A. and helped the team win Super Bowl LVI.
A trade could happen at any time and there are many people in the Rams’ building who want Ramsey to return. “He’s a great player. We know him very well. We know him intimately. You would certainly never rule out the possibility of that, but like Les articulated, our focus and concentration are on this week’s upcoming draft,” head coach Sean McVay said earlier this year.
“There are a lot of layers that would need to be worked out with a player of his magnitude and some of the different things that accompany that, but you would never eliminate the possibility of adding a total stud and a guy that can do a lot of different things, like he’s continued to do. Like he did here, like he did in Jacksonville and like he’s done over the last couple of years in Miami.”