Jalen Ramsey isn’t backing down from his request to be traded anytime soon.
Ever since his now infamous sideline outburst in Week 2, the All-Pro cornerback has made it abundantly clear that his relationship with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the franchise that drafted him and the only NFL team he’s known, is irreparable.
“Trade request still stands. For me respect is a huge thing,” Ramsey said on Uninterrupted’s “17 Weeks” podcast. “I kind of touched on it a little bit in last week’s podcast but once respect is lost for both parties I think it is time to part ways. I’m going to continue being a top corner in this league for years to come. The money will come, but money isn’t everything. Peace and happiness means a lot more than the money.”
There have been dozens of reports that General Manager David Caldwell has fielded calls from a number of teams inquiring about his star defensive back.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, if the Jaguars were truly interested in trading away the former Florida State All-American, he would already be gone.
Despite the fact that conventional wisdom would dictate that, as a NFL front office, you should always trade away a player who has publicly stated he wants out (to avoid media distractions and locker room division), the Jags have refrained from any dealings.
Maybe they believe they can make amends with Ramsey. Or maybe General Manager David Caldwell thinks he can land a more impressive haul during the offseason.
At the end of the day, though, all signs point towards another franchise making the Jags an offer they cannot refuse.
And it will likely come from a Super Bowl contender.
I am a firm believer and advocate in trading draft picks (yes, even first rounders) for proven, All-Pro level commodities — especially for a team that is championship-caliber.
In the case of Ramsey, we are talking about a player who is only 24-years old (he turns 25 in late-October) and just now entering the prime of what appears to be a Hall of Fame career.
Let’s think about this for a minute.
How many players of that caliber are going to be available if you are picking in the mid-20’s (or later) of the NFL Draft — particularly at such a valuable position?
Maybe one or two if it’s a deep class.
That’s why teams that are on the cusp of competing for a Super Bowl should offer up a king’s ransom (two first-round picks, maybe a little more) to the Jaguars in exchange for Ramsey.
Granted, Ramsey is expecting to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, so whoever lands him will need to have some salary cap flexibility.
Nevertheless, this guy is that good. And the following teams should be on the phone right now trying to acquire the lockdown cornerback.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles’ Super Bowl window is open.
After a disappointing Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Birds bounced back in a major way with a road win against the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
One of Philadelphia’s most glaring weaknesses is their secondary (specifically the cornerback position), and Ramsey would fit in nicely in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s scheme.
For a team that will likely be picking in the bottom third of the draft for the foreseeable future, this move almost makes too much sense. Moreover, the Eagles have the salary cap space to offer Ramsey the type of contract he is looking for.
Dallas Cowboys
This scenario is a little trickier than the aforementioned Eagles-Ramsey speculation.
For starters, Ramsey is on record saying he’d never play for the Cowboys as long as Jerry Jones is the owner.
Then there’s the matter of Dak Prescott, who is essentially forcing the Cowboys to sign him to a massive contract extension with his play thus far in 2019. If he continues on his current pace, Prescott will likely become the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback (until Patrick Mahomes breaks the bank).
On top of that, Dallas also has wide receiver Amari Cooper looking for a big extension.
While they have cap space to work with this coming offseason, the potential financial demands of Ramsey may be too much for the Cowboys’ liking.
That being said, this is a team that is built to win now. And adding Ramsey to their secondary would quite possibly make Dallas the team to beat in the NFC.
It’s something that would definitely be worth exploring for the ‘America’s Team.’
Kansas City Chiefs
I would be shocked if the Chiefs weren’t in play here.
It would take some salary cap creativity from GM Brett Veach and his front office staff to find enough money to pay Ramsey his market value — especially with Patrick Mahomes’ extension looming. But when it comes down to it, this move would would make the Chiefs the odds-on favorites to win Super Bowl 54.
And given their trajectory, the Chiefs will be picking late in the first-round for most of the next decade.
This should be a no-brainer.
Other contending teams to keep an eye on in the Ramsey sweepstakes are the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49res, and Baltimore Ravens.
How do the Cowboys make sense here given Jalen Ramsay’s comments and JJ’s unwillingness to make deals? And Cowboys are looking like they aren’t making the playoffs.