Jim Everett: Rams got ‘too cute’ with Jalen Ramsey’s role in 2022
Jalen Ramsey’s name has been trending on social media recently as some believe the Los Angeles Rams could trade him this offseason. While Ramsey’s future with the Rams is unknown, former quarterback Jim Everett believes the Rams utilized Ramsey incorrectly in 2022.
“He’s being utilized improperly on the field,” Everett told Compare.bet. “You can call it a Star, you can call it whatever, but he’s a shutdown corner. He needs to shut down receivers and he would for any other team. I just can’t figure out what the Rams defense wants to try to do with that.”
In Raheem Morris’ defense, the Rams have deployed Ramsey more in the slot to prevent defenses from game-planning him out of matchups. Even with that being the case in certain situations, Everett thinks the Rams should allow the All-Pro cornerback to cover man-on-man more often.
“I guess maybe there is game-planning, but defense is still defense, and when you’ve got a guy like Jalen Ramsey, I would definitely use him as a shutdown corner,” Everett said. “I guess they want to use his linebacker skills. It speaks to the Nos. 2 and 3 DBs more than it does him, because if defenses know he’s always on the No. 1, they can game-plan to attack Nos. 2 and 3.
“I understand what they’re trying to do,” he added. “I just think they’re getting too cute.”
With Ramsey seeing more snaps out of the slot, he’s recorded 77-plus tackles in back-to-back seasons and posted a career-best 88 tackles in 2022. At the same time, he had a career-best 18 pass breakups and tied his career-high mark of four interceptions this past season.
Ramsey continues to be involved in trade rumors before the start of the new league year and the Rams could consider offers for the 28-year-old cornerback. But if the Rams elect to keep Ramsey on their roster entering the 2023 campaign, Everett wants to see more man-coverage for the lockdown cornerback.
