Rams call trade of LB Ernest Jones IV a ‘football decision’

The Rams traded linebacker Ernest Jones IV and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, receiving a 2026 fifth-round pick in return.

“Football decision,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “He’s a great guy, was amazing for us for a few years but we felt like this was best for our football team.”

Jones, 24, set a franchise record with 145 tackles last season while being one of the Rams’ most reliable run stoppers. He was entering the final season of his rookie contract, and though the two sides were unable to reach a deal on an extension, Jones said last month he was comfortable entering the season without a new deal. He was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this week.

But the Rams had a couple of young players emerge at inside linebacker this offseason. Combined with the fact that Jones missed all of spring workouts with a knee injury, and the Rams felt like they could let their starter go, McVay said, despite his contributions dating to starting in Super Bowl LVI.

“It was hard because you were behind in terms of getting the amount of reps, so it made it a little bit more challenging eval,” McVay said. “Every year is a new year. … You gotta earn it every year and that’s everybody.”

Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder now slot in as the Rams’ starting inside linebackers. The two were part of a rotation alongside Jones last season. Rozeboom had 79 tackles last season and four passes defended, while Reeder added 23 tackles.

Third-year player Jake Hummel figures to have a bigger role this season after playing mostly on special teams in all 17 games last season. Hummel had a strong preseason in both run and coverage situations and was held out of the Rams’ final preseason game.

So was undrafted free agent Omar Speights, a former LSU standout who made big plays for the Rams both on defense and in special teams this preseason. He along with fellow undrafted free agent Elias Neal round out the five inside linebackers the Rams kept on their roster following final cutdowns on Tuesday.

McVay said the decision to trade Jones was best for the Rams in the long and short term, feeling like the current group of linebackers gives the team versatility and the ability to stick to coordinator Chris Shula’s core schemes.

“We feel great about the linebacker group,” McVay said. “You guys are all shocked. But we feel really good about, I have a ton of respect for Ernest and I’m excited about what he’ll do in Tennessee and what he’s meant here, but this was a decision that we feel like was best for our football team with the guys we have. I think Troy Reeder and Rozeboom are excellent. I think Jake Hummel’s got versatility and I couldn’t be more impressed with Omar Speights and his emergence.”

Losing Jones does signal a wider change in leadership across the defense since January. Jones wore the green dot on his helmet, signifying that he received play calls from the coaching staff and relayed them to his teammates.

McVay said the Rams are still deciding who will take on that role this season.

Jones also served as a team captain last year, alongside the recently retired Aaron Donald and Jordan Fuller, who left in free agency and signed with the Carolina Panthers.

So the Rams will open the 2024 season without all three of last year’s defensive captains, as well as without former defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, now the head coach in Atlanta.

“I think that every single year there’s an opportunity to be able to kind of change. I don’t even want to say change the narrative because I don’t really care about that, but I think it’s more about guys continuing to assert themselves in positions and roles that are earned,” McVay said. “There’s a lot of players that I’m very confident in, and then some of those rookies that we added. And again, that’s why you play football. These are great challenges.”

Rams roster cuts

OT A.J. Arcuri (Michigan State)

OG Justin Dedich (USC)

RB Zach Evans (Ole Miss)

TE Miller Forristall (Alabama)

DB Tanner Ingle (North Carolina State)

DB Shaun Jolly (Appalachian State)

TE Nikola Kalinic (Canada)

DB Cam Lampkin (Washington State)

DT Tuli Letuligasenoa (Washington)

C Mike McAllister (Youngstown State)

DT David Olajiga (Central Missouri)

WR Xavier Smith (Florida A&M)

WR Drake Stoops (Oklahoma)

DB Jason Taylor (Oklahoma State)

LB Keir Thomas (Florida State)

OL Zachary Thomas (San Diego State)

OLB Zach VanValkenburg (Iowa)

WR Sam Wiglusz (Ohio)