The rest of the AFC East would be eating their vitamins and saying their prayers if the New England Patriots somehow managed to pull off a trade for Los Angeles Rams All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Patriots fans can sit around a campfire telling the same stories of the days when Randy Moss helped the team break the NFL in 2007, while conjuring up dream scenarios for a blockbuster deal for elite receivers like DeAndre Hopkins and Deebo Samuel.
But just as sure as the sun rises, the reality that the Patriots don’t push all of their chips on the table for a game-breaking receiver will set in at some point. The cold and honest truth is that’s not how they do business.
However, going after an elite cornerback with an aggressive pitch—oh yes, the Patriots have no problems doing that.
Darrelle Revis, Stephon Gilmore, Aqib Talib—you get the picture.
Ramsey, 28, is an imposing force in a defensive backfield with the ability to make life difficult for the best receivers in the game. The defensive comfort of having a player talented enough to guard every opponent’s top wideout on an island would have a mastermind like Belichick wielding the sort of power that would make Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet look like a dusty, old oven mitt.
And just imagine how everything else would fall into place.
Jack Jones flashed No. 1 corner abilities as a rookie in 2022, and pairing him with Ramsey could give the Patriots one of the best tandems in the league. Throw Marcus Jones into the slot and things could get downright scary.
That goes without mentioning the intense pressure opposing quarterbacks would be under from a pass-rush led by Matthew Judon and Josh Uche. With that unit, coach Bill Belichick could ground the high-flying offenses in the AFC East.
New England creating a defensive juggernaut might be inevitable with Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa already in the division. The New York Jets might also be interested in Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson or Derek Carr.
Things won’t get any easier for the Patriots, but adding an elite playmaker like Ramsey could tip the scales in their favor and give them a fighting chance.