Jalen Ramsey helped the Rams corner Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller
He is not interested in a post-playing career as an NFL general manager.
But Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey has of late demonstrated executive-of-the-year networking and player-personnel skills.
Ramsey was an important point man for encouraging star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to sign with the Rams. He also leveraged his relationship with Von Miller, who was traded to the Rams from the Denver Broncos on Nov. 1.
“I want to be teammates with anybody who I feel is good,” Ramsey said Friday after practice, adding that he broached the possibility of joining the Rams to Miller and Beckham, “trying to see if they was rockin’ with it or not.
“And then just try to make it happen, I guess. Just trying to speak it into existence and make it happen. ... And then once it like really, really almost became reality, then I had to close the deal for sure.”
Beckham, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal Thursday, was at the Rams’ facility on Friday but did not practice. His status for Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium is to be determined.
The Rams adding Odell Beckham Jr. is foolish and wrongly attempting a hero play, writes columnist Bill Plaschke.
“We’re going to take it a day at time,” coach Sean McVay said. “If we feel like he can help us go compete against the 49ers then we’ll have him ready to go.”
McVay said he was excited about adding Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowl player.
“It was a really unique situation being able to acquire a player of his caliber under these types of circumstances,” McVay said. “I don’t know if there’s ever been a scenario like this that’s kind of been presented.
“I think a lot of our guys and players who are very important to me were very excited about trying to be able to get Odell on board with us.”
“He reminds me of, like myself, but like offensively. Just his mentality, his will and ambition to be great.
— Jalen Ramsey, on Odell Beckham Jr.
The Rams are 7-2 and regarded as a contender to play in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in February.
“The neat thing in Odell’s process is winning was important to him,” general manager Les Snead said during a video conference with reporters, “and we were a team that offered that chance.”
Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson have been the starting receivers, but the Rams were in need of depth because Desean Jackson was released and rookies Tutu Atwell and Jacob Harris suffered season-ending injuries.
The Rams had designs on reacquiring Josh Reynolds, a 2017 fourth-round draft pick who played four seasons for the Rams before signing as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans. Reynolds was put on waivers by the Titans this week. The Rams put in a claim, but the Detroit Lions were awarded Reynolds because they were higher on the claim list.
The Rams tried and failed this season to incorporate another veteran receiver into their offense, but Jackson’s tenure ended after eight games.
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Snead said that he was not worried about team chemistry and Beckham’s ability to fit in.
“Not concerned but that’s still evolving,” Snead said. “We wouldn’t have, let’s call it, partnered with Odell if we felt like it was going to be a concern, but the chemistry aspect still has to evolve.”
Beckham did not want to come to the Rams until the eighth-year pro spoke with Rams receivers to “really get their blessing,” Snead said.
“’Are ya’ll good with me coming to be a part of this 2021 journey? That was the neat part of, let’s call it his vetting process,” Snead said.
Ramsey was at the forefront of connecting Beckham to teammates.
Ramsey’s relationships with players across the league, and the respect he commands as an elite player, helps in communication with other elite players, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said.
The Times’ Sam Farmer analyzes each matchup and predicts the winners of Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season.
“It’s the basketball model,” Morris said. “LeBron James didn’t only just recruit people, he moved people to different cities. He was able to move different cities, take different cultures, form cultures wherever he went.
“Jalen Ramsey is that type of a guy.”
Ramsey indicated that he has much in common with Beckham.
“He reminds me of, like myself, but like offensively,” Ramsey said. “Just his mentality, his will and ambition to be great. ... So, knowing him and knowing his ambition to win and wanting to be the best, usually those type of guys like being surrounded by guys like that.”
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