What Jalen Ramsey’s extension will mean for Saints’ Marshon Lattimore
Jalen Ramsey, the Los Angeles Rams cornerback, got paid yesterday. What could that mean for New Orleans Saints’ stud, Marshon Lattimore?
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Rams and cornerback Jalen Ramsey agreed on a five-year, $105 million contract. While Marshon Lattimore has a fifth-year option on his rookie deal that the team has exercised, Ramsey’s deal could spell trouble for the Saints after 2021.
Ramsey’s new contract is the largest contract for a cornerback in NFL history, and he is also the first defensive back to sign a deal over $100 million. It’s going to set a precedent for elite defensive backs.
Lattimore is entering his fourth season in the league after being the team’s first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. His rookie campaign was a special one, and he would be among the top-three corners in the league had he used it as a stepping stone, but he regressed statistically.
His third year he returned to prominence, but he’s still not widely viewed as a top-five cornerback. CBS Sports’ ranked him as the tenth-best defensive back. They had Ramsey as the league’s fourth-best.
After earning his second trip to the Pro Bowl in 2019, the young cornerback will likely want to be paid after his contract expires, and while he may not be getting Ramsey-like money, his expectations will certainly sky-rocket because of what Ramsey was able to get from the Rams.
The Saints will have some fairly large deals on the books if they give Lattimore a massive new deal or extension. He’s set to make just over $10 million for his fifth-year option, securing just over $6 under six million through the first four seasons of his career.
The team will likely complete an extension with Alvin Kamara in the near future.
That will lock up their prized back for almost the next half a decade. On top of that, they’ll have Ryan Ramczyk to pay and then another quarterback at the end of the 2021 season, whether that be Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.
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The money may be there for Lattimore, and he may get a Ramsey-esque deal. However, it’s much more likely that the Saints have Lattimore set around $15 million per year, if they even have that available then.