The Los Angeles Rams pulled the trigger on a trade centered around cornerback Jalen Ramsey over the weekend. Ramsey is on his way to the Miami Dolphins, who traded a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and tight end Hunter Long to the Rams to complete the deal.
It would seem that the Dolphins fleeced the Rams, who were desperate to shed some salary. Trading Ramsey accomplishes that, but with the best asset being a late third-round pick in return is certainly surprising.
Without Ramsey in the fold, the Rams’ secondary is in shambles. Troy Hill and David Long Jr. are free agents, leaving them without their top three cornerbacks from last season heading into free agency. That is a lot of snaps to fill as Los Angeles will be relying on some combination of free agent signings and rookies to fill the void.
With some cap space and more money to spend, the Rams should be able to aggressively pursue some cornerbacks in free agency. One player that makes for a great fit for them is Rock Ya-Sin.
Ya-Sin spent the 2022 season with the Las Vegas Raiders. He was traded by the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Yannick Ngakoue last offseason and put together a solid season in Sin City.
A second-round pick out of Temple in 2019, Ya-Sin has the skill set to play either on the perimeter or in the slot. Given how barren the Rams’ depth chart currently is at cornerback, that will be much-needed as they are going to be bringing in plenty of new faces. Having a player that can fill in at either spot will make things much easier on the front office.
In 2022, Ya-Sin allowed 6.0 yards per target with a 57 percent coverage rate. He was ranked 26th and 36th, respectively, in each stat, as he performed as a borderline No. 1 cornerback last season for the Raiders and an elite No. 2.
In what could be a transition year for the Rams, a player like Ya-Sin would be a nice addition to their defensive backfield. If he can replicate his production from 2022, Los Angeles will be getting a nice addition at cornerback.
