Rams LB Ernest Jones granted permission to seek trade amid contract impasse

Rams linebacker Ernest Jones has been given permission to seek a trade amid an impasse with Los Angeles on a contract extension, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the Rams aren’t publicizing the discussions with Jones, a defensive captain and a key contributor to their defense for the past three seasons. Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Jones became a mainstay of the Rams’ defense two seasons ago, playing alongside Bobby Wagner for a year before taking over as the linchpin in the middle of the lineup last season. Jones led the Rams last year with 145 tackles — 51 more than safety Jordan Fuller in second place — while making 4.5 sacks and excelling as a blitzing linebacker.

The Rams have placed little value on the inside linebacker positions since the franchise returned to Los Angeles, frequently suiting up fringe players with cost-effective salaries at the spot — except for their brief dalliance with Wagner, who played just one season of a five-year, $50 million deal in 2022 before the Rams dropped him.

Jones has emerged as one of the NFL’s better inside linebackers over the past two seasons, but he seemed to be aware of the difficulty of getting a deal worthy of his achievements from the Rams last month in training camp.

“I love to be in LA,” Jones said last month. “I really want to be here. This is truly where I want to keep my family at, grow my family here. But I also know that there’s a business side of it, too, that I can’t truly control. We’ll see.”

The Rams drafted Jones out of South Carolina in the third round in 2021. He started seven games and made 61 tackles as part of Los Angeles’ Super Bowl-winning team as a rookie, becoming a starter midway through the season and eventually returning from an ankle injury in time for the NFC championship game and the Super Bowl win over Cincinnati.

The Rams’ options at linebacker are thin if they trade Jones. Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder — an improbable starter during the Rams’ Super Bowl run — both seem to represent a precipitous drop-off from Jones. Veteran Jacob Hummel and undrafted free agent rookie linebacker Omar Speights also could be options but at a fraction of Jones’ ability.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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