Jacksonville Jaguars not a realistic trade parter for Jalen Ramsey (past history aside)

The Los Angeles Rams will most likely move on from Jalen Ramsey this offseason and a reunion with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team that drafted him in 2016, seems to make sense on paper. However, a closer look shows that the Jags aren’t a realistic landing spot for the six-time Pro Bowl nod.

Ever since the end of the 2022 season, Ramsey implied he was ready to part ways with the Rams, and more recently, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media broke the news that Los Angeles has had trade talks regarding Ramsey.

The Rams are in need of cap relief and Ramsey is set to count $17 million against the cap. However, trading him would free up $5.6 million with $19.6 million in dead money, and there are most definitely several teams that could use him. After all, the former Florida State Seminole is still one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and even though he didn’t leave Jacksonville on the best possible terms, he stayed away from controversies throughout most of his tenure in Los Angeles.

Ramsey was an integral part of the Jaguars team that made the playoffs in 2017. He wanted to get a contract extension in 2019 but the management at the time declined to engage in negotiations. He then requested a trade and Jacksonville shipped him to the Rams in exchange for a couple of first-round picks.

Just recently, Pro Football Focus released their list of the top 101 players from the 2022 season and Ramsey is still among the top cornerbacks in the league.

Jalen Ramsey would be an unnecessary luxury for the Jacksonville Jaguars

Make no mistake, Jalen Ramsey can still play and would round out a cornerback group that includes Darious Williams and Tyson Campbell. This year’s defense might not be as talented as their 2017 counterpart but the Jags are a better all-around team.

Doug Pederson is a much better coach than Doug Marrone was and the defense no longer has to carry the team due to the presence of Trevor Lawrence and his wide array of weapons. Moreover, David Caldwell, who got into a heated argument with Jalen Ramsey during a meeting with the team’s leadership, was given the boot in 2020. Simply, this is a different team from the one Ramsey left.

Having said that, the Jaguars don’t have the cap space to fit Ramsey in and they may not be inclined to part ways with draft picks to land him. While cornerback is one of the team’s most pressing needs this offseason, this year’s cornerback draft class is one of the deepest ones in recent years and Jacksonville could get one of the top prospects in the first or second round.

Maybe if the Jacksonville Jaguars had the cap space and didn’t have to give up draft picks, acquiring Ramsey would make sense but that’s not the case. While teams always need to explore any potential ways to get better, it’s hard to see the Jags getting into the Ramsey sweepstakes.