The swell of trade rumors for Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey could have been all for nothing as the team might be inclined to keep him instead.
The list of teams reportedly interested in trading for Jalen Ramsey was almost as long as the number of actual franchises in the National Football League. That’s a testament to just how talented the Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback is known to be. Yet the latest news surrounding Ramsey’s perceived availability is an apparent testament to just how much the Jags are asking.
The latest news surrounding Ramsey is that the Jaguars might end up keeping Ramsey in house instead of meeting his demands for a trade away from the team. It certainly seemed that way when the Jags decided to go ahead and play him on Thursday Night Football, risking a potential injury, rather than holding him out to maintain his trade value.
After a week of speculation, the #Jaguars currently have no deal in the works to trade star CB Jalen Ramsey, and one source said the longer this goes on, the more likely it is he stays. Meanwhile, Ramsey’s trade request still stands. The wait for clarity continues.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 21, 2019
Over the last several days, Ramsey rumors have dominated NFL media, which is already operating at full capacity given the newness of the regular season. Heading into Week 3, all anyone could talk about was where Ramsey might be going and when he would be going there.
The Kansas City Chiefs were not immune to any of this as they were considered one of the frontrunners for Ramsey’s services. The team was reportedly also interested in Miami Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick until the Pittsburgh Steelers won the bidding, so it made sense to connect the Chiefs to Ramsey as well. Then again, many teams were in on Ramsey simply due to the fact that an elite young corner doesn’t come around the marketplace that often,.
For the Chiefs, a major upgrade at corner would be the likely final piece of the Super Bowl puzzle, the sort of defender that would put the team over the top—if they’re not already there. Questions linger about the team’s depth and overall talent ceiling in the secondary despite a couple new faces, so adding Ramsey makes sense in that regard. That said, the Chiefs might lack the overall assets to pry Ramsey away.
The Jags might go fishing enough to find out that they don’t like the offers and keep Ramsey. If that’s the case, then Ramsey and the team officials at whom he’s upset will have to find a way to co-exist. On the field, Ramsey and A.J. Bouye form the league’s best cornerback tandem. Now the Jags will have to pay up to keep them together with a new long-term deal for Ramsey—if he will sign it.
Ramsey is a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback who has started every single game at corner since entering the NFL as the Jags first round pick in 2016—the fifth overall pick.