Will the Jaguars mend fences with Jalen Ramsey?

Do the Jacksonville Jaguars pay cornerback Jalen Ramsey to keep him in the fold for the future? Will the two sides come to some agreement in the future?

As of writing this story, it’s Sunday morning, Sept. 22 and Jalen Ramsey is still a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s fitting to write this as many analysts and prognosticators predicted Friday would be the day No. 20 packed his bags and moved on to any one of a number of destinations. The “deadline” has come and passed. Ramsey, who demanded a trade on Monday from the organization, may still be part of this team when Jacksonville travels to Denver next week to face the Broncos.

We unpacked plenty of news about the biggest story of the team’s 2019 season so far. But the fact is Ramsey hasn’t changed addresses and team owner Shad Khan appears willing to give his star player the Brinks “Truck he rode to school – i.e. training camp in – as long as the two sides can meet somewhere in a happy middle.

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Then, there is still the chance Ramsey, a two-time Pro Bowl performer in 2017 and 2018, and an All-Pro in 2017, will play for someone else before the NFL Trade Deadline.

It’s a soap opera everyone is watching from their laptops with popcorn in hand. The team that just beat the Tennessee Titans 20-7 has played better football since their 40-26 loss to Kansas City, but the wins and losses remain a distant second to the news of what will happen to Ramsey in a town fans affectionately call “Duuuval!”

NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks writes he is baffled at the situation down in Jacksonville given the Jaguars have one of the best players in the NFL, period. But it’s an internal issue with management, not so much head coach Doug Marrone, that has made the inside of TIAA Bank Field the most interesting place in the NFL right now.

With rumors flying about Ramsey’s issues with EVP Tom Coughlin and the front office, it’s a wonder football can be played the way it was on Thursday night. It truly was the longest short week of the team’s existence.

"“For years, I heard general managers and head coaches discuss the importance of a “draft and develop” strategy. Such an approach places a premium on identifying blue-chip talents in the draft pool, developing them into high-end players and eventually re-signing them to create a strong team nucleus that enables the franchise to contend for playoff berths and Lombardi Trophies each year,” Brooks writes."

If the Jaguars cannot work out a deal with Ramsey for the long term, where they open the checkbook, where does he land and what kind of compensation will come at his expense. The Jaguars still hold all the cards here with Ramsey, who will make $3.63 million this season and $13.7 million next season in the fifth year of his rookie deal. To be paid as the best at his position, the Jaguars must eclipse the deal the Miami Dolphins gave Xavien Howard which pays him $75,250,000 over five seasons, according to spotrac.com.

The Jaguars have been rumored to want two first-round picks and other compensation for Ramsey’s services – not an outlandish thought given what the team would be giving up.
I’m of the opinion if the two sides meet and air their differences, this story will become one of reconciliation. Ramsey is one of the biggest parts of the Jaguars defense.

This is the kind of news that could linger for a while. Until otherwise announced, the former first-round pick is still a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a title he could carry for the rest of the season. The organization and the majority of the fan base hope it goes on for a lot longer than that.