Jalen Ramsey and the Jacksonville Jaguars have a puzzling predicament but will there be a happy end when it’s over?
There is nothing worse than your star player wanting to be traded away. Hurt feelings have destroyed many relationships throughout human history. Is it possible for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jalen Ramsey to repair the damage and live happily ever after?
If you remember, Ramsey asked to be traded after the Week 2 loss in Houston. Also, Ramsey erupted on the sideline after Doug Marrone failed to throw a challenge flag on a play Ramsey thought was an incomplete pass. Ramsey said that he was disrespected by team officials, which spawned the trade demand.
It’s safe to say that perplexity has been building for some time. Pro football contracts seem to get in the way of a player’s plans and dreams. Rookies are locked in with whoever drafts them for at least four years unless the team picks up the fifth-year option.
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Ramsey was selected by Jacksonville as the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Many people projected him to be selected by Dallas just one spot above the Jaguars. Is this where the discontent began by Ramsey?
After the draft, Steve Palazzolo of ESPN.com wrote the following:
"Dallas fans are left to wonder if a combination of Ramsey and another back … might have been better than Elliott and the rest of the Cowboys’ late-round selections."
Ramsey’s outbursts are not a recent occurrence by any means. He has had spats with Steve Smith and A.J. Green. Most of all, he has openly talked about getting a new contract.
His demand to get a new contract extension is not unreasonable due to his high level of play. What is unreasonable about his demand is that the Jaguars have salary cap issues that prevent them from making the deal. Ramsey knows this.
Ramsey can become an unrestricted free agent in 2021. He can ask for a trade but he signed on the dotted line back in 2016. Shad Khan says that he will not trade Ramsey but wants to pay him.
Ramsey may re-think his strategy in his high stakes gamble. He has a few cards to play. Currently, he is nursing an injured back. Could he sit out the rest of the season? What if the Jaguars place him on the injured reserve list with a designation to return?
Is there a happy ending lurking around the corner? Probably not because both sides are standing firm. Stay tuned, the trade deadline is October 29.