With the reports coming out of Jacksonville that star cornerback Jalen Ramsey is on the trading block, it created an instant conversation among fans. Will the Oakland Raiders pursue Ramsey?
Should they pursue him?
If so, will it cost?
The question you won’t see is whether or not Ramsey is good enough. It seems that in the eyes of most, Ramsey would be instantly welcomed in the Silver and Black.
And here is why…
Jalen Ramsey was targeted 120 times covering AB/TY/Tyreek/OBJ/D-Hop, he’s allowed a 69 passer rating.
Rest of the NFL allowed a 104 rating when covering that group.
JR is the only corner with 300+ targets that allowed -EPA/target (offense is worse off after the play).
— George Chahrouri (@PFF_George) September 17, 2019
Ramsey is a True “Lock Down” Cornerback
Ramsey is considered by most to be a “Generational Talent”. In his three-plus seasons, Ramsey has proven to be a true shut-down corner that can match up with any receiver in the league. Not only that, Ramsey is a competitor that seems to truly want to win. Make no mistake, he would be an instant improvement to a Raiders defense that gave up 278 yards and four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone on Sunday. He is undoubtedly among the finest at his craft and almost certainly better than anyone coming out in the 2020 NFL Draft. The flip side of that, though, is Jacksonville is reportedly asking for two first-round picks at minimum for Ramsey, and then he will undoubtedly want an extension that pays him in the ballpark of $15-17 million per year and around 50+ million guaranteed.
So Should the Raiders Pursue, and Will They?
Ramsey does not come without a bit of controversy. It was only after a heated discussion between Jacksonville Jaguars Coach Doug Marrone that reports of Ramsey requesting a trade surfaced. The Raiders are still recovering from the Antonio Brown circus, a lost a third and fifth-round pick, so it won’t be easy to push Gruden “all in” on another big gamble. Especially when considering Jacksonville’s asking price is a whole lot more than what the Raiders paid for Brown.
On the other hand, Ramsey is 24 years old, and will be in his prime for the duration of any contract the Raiders might give him. Ramsey also seems to be only frustrated with a lack of winning in Jacksonville, and nothing else indicates his situation is even remotely close to that of Brown. Granted, that could be its own headache if the Raiders don’t start winning again. However, in a press conference earlier he stated he did not leak any information about a trade. “I didn’t want to be a distraction. I didn’t want everybody asking my teammates all type of questions throughout the week.” said Ramsey.
So there is that.
Ramsey could very well be an important piece of a championship puzzle. The Raiders are not just one player away from greatness, but would be one less away with the addition of Ramsey.
Here is what Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock had to say on his pre-draft analysis with reporters:
”I think most teams would like to believe he’s a corner because there’s more value attached to that. Could he be Patrick Peterson, for instance? He’s got length, he’s got world-class speed. Even when he gets beat off the line of scrimmage in press coverage, it’s amazing to see his catch-up speed. It’s like beep, beep and he’s there.”
Of course he said some great things about newly acquired Pittsburgh Steeler Minkah Fizpatrick, so these old comments are not gospel any longer.
Whether or not the Raiders are the eventual winners of the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes, they should figure to be one of the primary bidders for his services. The final price will most certainly be a first-round pick, plus something else. But Jon Gruden loves superstar talent and I doubt he will pass up the opportunity to nab Ramsey. Plus it might just right the wrong that was the whole AB situation.
twitter: @raidersbeat
