Jalen Ramsey wants number 23, could be tough to get

Jalen Ramsey, the top selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2016 NFL Draft, wants to wear number 23 but it could be tough to get.

Michael Jordan didn’t play football but his number 23 is still coveted by players across sports. Currently worn by safety James Sample on the Jacksonville Jaguars, a conflict could arise over the number.

Jalen Ramsey, the top defensive back in the 2016 NFL Draft and the fifth overall selection, is a Jordan-brand athlete and wants to wear the number while with the Jags. He’ll give “shoes, cash – whatever it takes” to get the number from Sample.

That could get pretty expensive, as outlined by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, with thousands and thousands of dollars commonly being given in exchange for a number. It’s no secret that Ramsey will have plenty of money to pony up if he really wants Sample to give up the number, so this could get expensive.

Then again, it could end up being nothing more than a foot race like Saalim Hakim’s challenge to All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall in 2015. Given the Jacksonville Jaguars’ emphasis on a competitive culture that is upbeat and positive, a foot race may be more in line with the team. Of course even Hakim wanted $25,000 from Marshall if he won the race and he would still give up the number 15.

Don’t expect Sample to hold out for long if Ramsey really wants the number. It is common practice for lesser-known players to move over for stars that want their jersey numbers, even if they demand a few thousand dollars to go with.

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Still, it’d be fun to turn it into a bit of sport rather than just a transaction. It would be interesting to see “Jersey Race Day” added to the team’s annual calendar every year where players could challenge each other fro numbers if they so desired. It’s definitely TV I’d watch in the slower parts of the offseason.