Jalen Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville, and if they are willing to accommodate him these five teams should be ready to make an offer.
During last Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey had an animated sideline confrontation. In the wake of that incident, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was among those to report Ramsey has asked for a trade through his agent.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, a source of Ramsey’s frustration is wanting to play more man-to-man coverage and not so much zone. Frankly, using Ramsey as primarily a zone corner is a misuse of his abilities. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the second-best cornerback in the league entering the season, but also tabbed him as a rebound candidate after a below-par (based on his lofty standards) 2018 campaign.
Ramsey’s rookie contract will expire after the 2020 season, as he’ll play out his fifth-year option. The Jaguars postponed talks regarding a contract extension back in June, which is surely helping to fuel Ramsey’s discontent.
Just back in August, during an appearance on the “Bussin With The Boys”podcast, Ramsey expressed interest in playing for the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders if he were to hit the open market. Specifically in the case of the Raiders, the team’s upcoming move to Las Vegas particularly intrigues Ramsey.
The Jaguars of course won’t just give away Ramsey, even if they’ve entertained trade offers per his request according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Schefter has reported Jacksonville is asking for a first-round pick and more in a trade, while ESPN’s Dianna Russini says that an AFC team is offering a 2020 Round 1 pick and a player while an NFC team has approached Jacksonville with a 2020 first-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick.
The price will be high, and a contract extension will be expensive, but these five teams should be at the front of the line to trade for Jalen Ramsey.
5. Tennessee Titans
If Ramsey wants to play for the Titans, perhaps with a nod to playing the Jaguars twice a year, they can easily take on his $3.2 million and $13.7 million cap hits for the next two years. He also grew up in Nashville.
The question would be if Tennessee sees themselves as needing a cornerback badly enough to mortgage some significant future assets. Malcolm Butler is what he is — mediocre and expensive — while Logan Ryan is solid and Adoree’ Jackson and LeShaun Sims provide depth.
But the opportunity to get one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and one that’s 24 years old (25 on Oct. 24), while taking Ramsey away from a division rival, is one the Titans can’t turn away from. The big fly in that ointment is the idea the Jaguars would rather not send Ramsey to a division rival, and won’t engage the Titans if they do make an offer.