The Rams have given LB Ernest Jones IV and his agent permission to seek a trade.
The Los Angeles Rams have given linebacker Ernest Jones IV and his agent permission to seek a trade, according to a report by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Jones is slated to be a free agent after this season and is likely looking for a sizable extension. Given the Rams’ playoff aspirations, however, it seems a bit surprising that they would be willing to part with their top linebacker at this point in the year.
Jones has been the Rams on-field defensive playcaller and captain since last season, leading the team with 145 tackles last season. He also recorded 14 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hits, 6 passes defended, and 4.5 sacks. Advanced metrics have been high on Jones’ production as well, consistently ranking him among the top-20 linebackers in the league.
A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of South Carolina, Jones is still only 24 years old and appears to have his prime ahead of him. Moreover, the Rams do not appear to have strong linebacker depth to easily handle his departure. The Rams did not add any linebackers in the draft this season and their only current backup with significant experience is Troy Reeder, who was usurped by Jones and Christian Rozeboom on the depth chart seasons ago.
As 49ers fans know perfectly well, a team giving a player permission to seek a trade and actually trading that player are two different things. The Rams could believe that Jones and his agent expect to receive a more sizable contract in free agency than actually awaits him if he plays out the remainder of his contract this year. By giving them permission to reach out to other teams, the Rams will allow Jones to get a better sense of his market value. Of course, that could backfire quickly if he finds a team willing to give him the contract he wants.
Trading Jones for future draft capital would be a notable shift in strategy from the Rams, who have consistently traded away top picks to acquire premium talent. Granted, they could view trading Jones as a short-term step to acquire firepower to add another impact player via trade later this year. Nevertheless, the 49ers are in position to benefit in the short-term if the Rams send one of their most important defensive players elsewhere.