EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- The trade that sent Trent McDuffie to the Rams hadn't even been made official, but the All-Pro cornerback wanted to make sure former Chiefs teammate and pending free agent Jaylen Watson was keeping an open mind about joining him in Los Angeles."I was calling him two days before they even signed him," McDuffie said Thursday during his introductory news conference. "I'm like, 'Bruh, you never know. We might get you. We might get you. Keep an open mind.'"And literally it dropped. I called him again ... screaming at the top of my lungs like, 'Bro, look at this. Can you believe it?'"McDuffie and Watson were part of the same draft class in Kansas City in 2022, winning a Super Bowl together in back-to-back seasons in the first two years of their careers. Watson called McDuffie "one of my closest teammates."By trading for McDuffie and signing Watson, the Rams invested heavily into a position group that was a weakness on the roster in 2025. Los Angeles had not spent significant money at cornerback since trading for and extending Jalen Ramsey, who was traded away in March 2023.Not only did the Rams trade for McDuffie, they signed him to a four-year, $124 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Watson, who was coming off the best season of his career, signed a three-year, $51 million deal.McDuffie, who played both on the perimeter and in the slot for the Chiefs, said Thursday that he told the Rams he is willing to play outside or inside in Los Angeles. Rams safety Quentin Lake, who signed a contract extension last season, played primarily in the slot for Los Angeles."Whether I'm nickel, whether I'm corner, no matter what it is, I want to make sure that when I step on that field, you're going to get the best of me," McDuffie said.Watson said he thinks he and McDuffie played well off of each other in Kansas City, something they hope to bring to Los Angeles."I think [matching up with bigger receivers is] my strength", Watson said. "That's why I think me and Trent complement each other so well. His strengths are short-area quickness -- the small shifty guys. My strengths are the biggest hitter. So we should be pretty diverse. We should be able to match up pretty well against a lot of different looks we get."McDuffie, who is from Southern California, was asked whether he felt even more of a responsibility to the team because of the record-setting deal he signed."Honestly, for me, even given the opportunity to play here and then on top of that, give you a contract like this, for me, that holds a lot of weight," McDuffie said. "... I feel like I definitely have a responsibility to be someone to stand up here and face you guys when things are wrong. And when things are going good, sing my praises."And just being one of those guys that when teams think of the Rams, they can look at me and be like, 'OK, that's what it means to be a Ram. That's what this team's about.'"
