The Jacksonville Jaguars signed cornerback Jourdan Lewis and safety Eric Murray in free agency, but will probably make further upgrades to their secondary in the 2025 NFL Draft. That said, the Jags may want to prioritize other positions in the early rounds. If that's the case, they should consider a trade proposal that would give their defensive backfield a massive boost.
Hard Rock Bet came up with a trade pitch in which Jacksonville acquires cornerback Jalen Ramsey and a seventh-round selection from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2025 and a seventh-round selection next year.
Aside from having to compensate the Phins, the Jaguars would need to take on Ramsey's guaranteed cap hit of $25.1 million for 2025. All things considered, that's a hefty price, but perhaps Miami could pay some of the sum to facilitate a trade, or maybe he could agree to a reduced salary or a contract restructuring. On the other hand, the Jags have the ammo the get a deal done.
Jacksonville happens to have an extra seventh-round selection after trading wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans before free agency. Similarly, they acquired an additional fourth-round pick in 2025 after swapping spots with the Minnesota Vikings in Round 1 of last year's draft.
The Jaguars drafted Jalen Ramsey fifth overall in 2016. He immediately became a key cog in their secondary and an integral piece of the famous Sacksonville defense. However, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 after a contract impasse.
After four seasons in LA, the former Florida State Seminole was shipped to Miami, where he's been the last two years. Throughout his career, he's made seven Pro Bowls and earned three First-Team All-Pro designations.
And although 2024 marked the first time Ramsey failed to make the Pro Bowl in his career since 2016, he's still a productive player.
Grade the pitch: The Jaguars trade for Jalen Ramsey (and 1 draft pick)
Arranging a reunion with Jalen Ramsey would make sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars only if two things happen. First, he would need to agree to a salary reduction. Second, he would probably need to switch from cornerback and safety.
As legendary cornerback Asante Samuel suggested on Twitter, Ramsey might benefit from making the transition to safety at this stage of his career. Rod Woodson, Ronnie Lott, Charles Woodson, and Aeneas Williams previously pulled off the switch successfully.
Ramsey's switch to safety would make sense when you take into account that the Jaguars already have Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, and Tyson Campbell, and will probably add another cornerback in the draft.
In Jacksonville, Ramsey would join a safety room that could use reinforcements. While free-agent acquisition Eric Murray is solid, he isn't a game-changer, proven by the fact that he has three career interceptions in 10 years. Similarly, Darnell Savage was fine but far from great last season. Third-year pro Antonio Johnson is also in the mix, but he regressed in 2024 after showing promise in his rookie campaign.
In the end, giving up two draft picks for Jalen Ramsey isn't cost-prohibitive. The issue is that it's uncertain if he would agree to a pay cut and switch positions. If he did, though, Jacksonville would be getting a pretty good deal.
Grade: B