I'm told Jalen Ramsey is fine playing TNF tonight, but a source just told me he doesn't anticipate being a member of the #Jags next Sun. Teams like KC, BAL, MIN, OAK, PHI, SEA hv all made substantive inquiries, but my understanding is almost every team has at least placed a call.
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 19, 2019
Granted this isn’t exactly narrowing things down. Josina Anderson lists six teams specifically before suggesting the entire league has contacted the Jaguars about Jalen Ramsey.
Is there any chance the Seahawks would make this trade?
I still think it’s unlikely but there’s a few things to consider and note.
For starters, the Jaguars are reportedly asking for two first round picks. All things considered, they’re well within their rights to expect at least that. The Houston Texans traded two first round picks, a second round pick and two players to acquire Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills and a fourth rounder.
You could argue Tunsil plays a position where there’s a dearth of talent. College football is not producing many good offensive linemen. The Texans are in win-now mode and were desperate. That all contributed to the haul they gave up for Tunsil.
Yet Ramsey is also a superior player. He’s achieved more in the NFL so far (they were both part of the 2016 draft) and he’s legitimately one of the top players in the league at any position. The Tunsil move and the Frank Clark trade (including a first and second round pick) set a high bar for big name deals.
Even so, it feels like the Jaguars are backing themselves into a hole. All of the talk is about a forthcoming trade. The best way to max-out their asset is to at least keep up the pretence that they intend to keep Ramsey. Even with the heated dispute between the player and Doug Marrone last week, is this really a situation that can’t be resolved? Ramsey is, after all, set to play against the Titans tonight. If he was that much of a problem and a distraction he wouldn’t be playing.
The Jags seem to be saying ‘we need Ramsey to beat the Titans’ and in the same breath they’re suggesting, ‘we can win without him the rest of the year’. That’s an odd place to be. They sit uncomfortably as a team determined to compete and unwilling to accept their 0-2 start is the beginning of the end yet they’re also about to trade their best player.
Considering the minor mess that happened a year ago with Leonard Fournette, a trend seems to be emerging here between the powers that be and the best players on the roster.
It feels like Tom Coughlin is trying to assert his control. Which is fine to an extent. Even if you acquire two first round picks, you dream of acquiring a talent like Ramsey. The chances are they won’t add a player of his quality with the picks they get back. So why trade him? Again — if it’s a clash that is sending shockwaves through the franchise he wouldn’t be playing tonight.
If it is a Coughlin vs Ramsey situation, teams will know about it. If Coughlin is determined to move on, they’ll know about it. Good luck negotiating a fantastic trade in that environment.
At the moment there aren’t any desperate teams either. The clubs most linked to Ramsey — Philadelphia, Seattle, Kansas City — are a combined 5-1. Pittsburgh’s trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick was an attempt to try and be competitive after losing the quarterback. They were mildly desperate. None of the teams reportedly touching base with the Jags have this massive, gaping hole at cornerback. Could the Eagles, Seahawks and Chiefs do with an upgrade at corner? Sure. Every team could use Ramsey. There’s a difference, though, between an upgrade (however substantial) and a back-breaking need.
If Jacksonville’s weak bargaining position allows the price to come down to say a first and third round pick — you can imagine a team like the Seahawks being interested in a deal like that. I’m not sure the price will drop that low though — simply because Ramsey is that good.
So what’s the argument for the Seahawks making this happen?
Quite aside from the fact he’s an exceptional talent — it’s also about how this team is shaping up. At the moment it’s easy to look at three question marks for the long term. What happens at the end of the season to the pass rush (with Reed, Clowney & Ansah all free agents)? What happens at right tackle (with Ifedi & Fant free agents)? How do they add more talent in the secondary?
Tre Flowers and Shaquille Griffin have started the season quite well. Neither has been a liability. The Seahawks have always preferred to draft and develop cornerbacks instead of splurging. That said — next season they definitely need more depth, competition and talent across the secondary.
Ramsey would provide an immediate injection of talent. It’d no longer be a need — at least not at corner. You’d have a star and improved depth.
This tweet from Ian Rapoport also poses an interesting question…
The potential Jalen Ramsey trade brings up an interesting situation for GMs: Would you trade two late 1s to ensure you get a young All-Pro in his prime? Look at each team’s last two first-rounders and think, would you trade them for Ramsey? It’s a good exercise.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2019
There aren’t many teams (this isn’t just a Seattle thing) where you can easily make a case that Ramsey is superior to the last two players drafted in round one. The Seahawks haven’t had a pick in the top-15 for seven years. They want to compete for Super Bowls. They’re unlikely to be able to draft a player of Ramsey’s supreme caliber in the first round if they remain a playoff team.
For those reasons, of course a trade is appealing. It doesn’t mean you pull the trigger. You can make a case for it though and the Seahawks are right to be ‘in the mix’ for this trade even if it’s one of the many deals they’re involved in that doesn’t come off.
If they gave up their 2020 and 2021 first round picks, they’d still have two second rounders next year. If they win a Super Bowl in the next couple of seasons and Ramsey contributes towards that, nobody will complain. You could even argue Ramsey is talented enough that it’s not even that much of a roll of the dice — whether the end result is Championship’s or not.
The last player of Ramsey’s quality to be traded was Khalil Mack. He cost two first round picks. Is anyone in Chicago complaining about that deal 12 months on? Of course not. Oakland used Chicago’s pick at #24 on Josh Jacobs.
Who would you rather have?
One report suggested Ramsey wasn’t interested in featuring in a zone scheme and wanted to match-up in man 1v1. Some have argued this rules him out in Seattle. There’s a very important thing to remember here — Ramsey will go to any competitive team that’s willing to pay him a huge extension. He’s not going to complain about his role if a team provides him with Super Bowl opportunities and a record-breaking contract for a cornerback.
Financially can they make it happen? Sure. They have an estimated $75-80m in cap space for 2020. They have some starters reaching free agency but even if Ramsey was given a deal worth $18m a season — there’s still plenty of money to try and keep Reed, Clowney, Ansah, Ifedi, Fant and/or others if they wished. They’d also still have two second round picks to fill some holes.
I personally don’t think a trade to Seattle will happen. They’ll hide in the tall grass waiting to pounce if the opportunity is right. I think the team who trades for Ramsey will be the aggressor. I think the Seahawks wait for a possible deal to come to them, just as they did with Jadeveon Clowney. On this occasion, however, another team will make it happen and the deal will be too rich for Seattle.
It’d be foolish to completely rule it out, however. It’s not often a player like this becomes available. And let’s not forget this is still a front office that traded for Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham, Sheldon Richardson and Duane Brown.
They have the picks and money to make it happen. Whether they want to pay a high price in both instances and outbid other teams is the question mark.
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How does Jalen feel about playing Free Safety in 2019?
Moving Ramsey to safety after trading for him would be the equivalent of Houston moving Tunsil to guard.
Not gonna happen.
How about throwing a player into the deal?
Ramsey for a 1st, Shaq, and a 3rd?
Jacksonville will obviously want to fill that giant whole at corner, and Shaq has started out pretty good this year.
Ooops replied to wrong person.
I agree with DC, we need an Earl Thomas style safety. This would improve both corners considerably and would be better value per dollar. Seeing Earl playing well this year makes me sad, since it turned out we could have easily kept him.
Realistically we don’t ask as much of CBs as other teams and Ramsey would be a luxury. I hope we don’t trade for him even at a first and a third. Not because I think that it is too much (it would be a steal) but because then we have to pay him and I don’t think it is worth it.
Kevin
I’d say good luck finding another Earl Thomas unfortunately.
Any thoughts on the FS they scooped up on their practice squad from San Fran? He seems to possess some of the blazing speed necessary to play FS. Seems intriguing.
I didn’t scout him pre-draft so can’t share too much I’m afraid. Will be interesting to see if he sticks on the PS and then eventually spends any time on the 53.
We could trade for that safety in Baltimore, he’s quite the talent!
Yes. He is the best FS in football, but you can’t have a locker room cancer. He clearly became that. At some point, teams have to cut bait with players like that. Antonio Brown may be the best WR in the NFL but there’s a reason he’s been on 3 teams in the last half-year.
Would the Seahawks trade Flowers? Or move Flowers into the safety group if the Seahawks get Ramsey? That is the only scenario that makes sense. Flowers might be an upgrade over any of the young FS talent (Blair, Thompson, or Hill).
I can’t see them moving on from Flowers. Flowers is also a converted S (He played there at Oklahoma St). I don’t think SEA would move him back. I agree with Rob, I don’t see this move to the Hawks happening, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
“The last player of Ramsey’s quality to be traded was Khalil Mack. He cost two first round picks. Is anyone in Chicago complaining about that deal 12 months on?”
This is why I love JS with the heat of a thousand suns.
Chicago is going to be in rough shape as soon as next year. They have almost no cap $ for 2020 and still have to decide if Trubisky is their QB.
They spent significant draft capital on Trubisky and Mack so they have little to no cheap young talent ready to step in and play vital roles. So it’s basically win now and face a tough couple years while your cap clears up.
So was the Mack deal worth it on its own merits? Absolutely. Have the Bears seemingly tried to take their shot at a SB by building around a rookie QB on a cheap contract? Also yes. Does it appear the shot will pay off? Probably not.
And here JS has signed his two best players to extensions, turned Frank Clark into a bunch of good players, had room leftover to snag Clowney, has a raft of comp picks coming in 2020 and STILL has room to go out and get the best CB in football if he wants to. All without crippling the franchise.
Unreal.
Dude! Nailed it.
Go Gardner!!!
Maybe the Jags should hold off on any Ramsey trade and let the Minshew Magic breathe new life into the franchise. They haven’t had a qb worth a 💩 since Mark Brunell.
My incredibly early and reactive hot take: Gardner has a longer and more productive career than Kyler Murray
I’ve brought this up before, but with Minshew showing well early, with Falk playing decently, perhaps WSU’s current QB Gordon should be getting closer looks along with the several other top college QBs.
He definitely will.
He’s the GOAT man. Tried saying he’s one cool cat. That’s all that matter at the QB position. 😉
My degenerate a** fell in love with him watching PAC 12 after dark feat. Rod Davis he greatest football program and announcer on the face of God’s green earth.
If we don’t trade for Ramsey, I wonder if at some point we circle back to the Jags and see if they’re interested in trading their DE Ngakoue. He’s another player who has at times been a bit at odds with Coughlin/Marrone.
Nice article Rob.
rob, would we have enough cap space next year to sign clowney, reed and ramsey?
Chris,
I don’t want to speak for Rob, but from a Salary cap standpoint, yes there would be money for the 3 of them potentially. The biggest issue at that point would be a starter at RT (Jamarco Jones possibly) and then depth across the OL (Ifedi could walk, but we gotta keep Fant. The fact that we haven’t even seen Ansah yet, maybe Green or Collier steps up bookend to Clowney
How about Clowney, Reed, Ramsey, and Ansah (if he has a good year)?
Ansah wont get more than $15M apy even if he gets 10+ sacks this year, so I would say Clowney, Reed, Ramsey avg $20M /year each and Ansah at 10-15. I’d say its do able. But I dont think we keep Ansah personally. I feel like it was all about a 1 year stop gap and trying to turn some cap space into a high comp pick.
What type of contract is Can’t looking at next year?
Fant? Kind of hard to say. I could see him getting as low as $5M/year and I could see a Sweezey situation where someone decides to pay him pretty handsomely to pry him away from us. Depends on other teams value on him. He’ll likely test the market.
At the end of the day I would guess $8M/year.
But im no expert
0% chance all three of them get $20M per year; there’s only four defensive players in the entire NFL who make more than $20M annually. Clowney is the only one I could see with an outside shot of hitting that mark. Realistically I would think more like:
Ramsey: $14-$16 million
Clowney: $16-$19 million
Reed: $10-$12 million (this really depends though on what sort of play we get out of him this year. 8+ sacks could push him into that $14 million range)
That would be great! I just like to be conservative for this stuff! Check out my comment below, if you’re right we would be sitting even prettier.
Yeah I think the likeliest scenario is you would keep Clowney and obviously if you trade for Ramsey you are gonna long term extend him at probably 16 APY and probably near or record guaranteed for a CB which is like 34 million.
The reason I would go those 2 is because Clowney, for me, is perfect for our defense. Might he not put him top DE sacks, he probably wont. Still with 9 sacks or so a year and the best run defender DE you can see the value and the versatility he has so you can get more DL weapons on the field depending on what you have in the arsenal.
Ramsey is someone I would be all for. We could still make 2 2nd round picks in a number of picks like we want and with paying these guys, we wouldnt be paying 1st round pick money for a couple years. Thats a double edged sword and depends on what you value. We also know our front office and coaching staff value middle round picks more it seems and having more at our disposal. I would worry about our OL long term but I mean it doesnt seem something were all that concerned with drafting 1st round talent (much to my chagrin but im on a couch on Sundays).
I do know that our defense would be lights out and be ready to be so for the next few years (injuries of course can change things but still). We would be talking about having All Pro level player on the DL, LB, and DB’s. Then you are talking good if not great talent elsewhere.
Ramsey this year would definitely push us to the top of the NFC any many peoples eyes. With a Hall of Fame level QB on offense and defense with high level talent everywhere really, except for that OL but with a great defense and run game and high level QB…Super Bowl is the standard at that point. Unfair standard, sure but screw it….Im down
They started the season with a few players who were purple chip talent (All Pro), but if they add Clowney and also add Ramsey… you would then have 5 or 6 of these guys on the team. The last time Seattle had 6 or more, they went to the SB. They would also carve out about a 3 year window to get to multiple SB if they pull this off…. while keeping the nucleus of the team almost entirely intact.
I highly doubt it. Not sure Rob made calculations, or just uses OTC/sportac.
Based on this article: https://www.fieldgulls.com/2019/9/14/20865556/looking-at-seattle-seahawks-salary-cap-beyond-2019-2020-ifedi-reed-kendricks-clowney-fant
We might sit only on 45-50m (after draft, PS, IR money, ERFA/RFA, and filling out the roster to have 53 players).
There might be some miscalculations and fillion out roster could be done with bigger names, so lets add 10m to it.
It’s still like 60m
Clowney would cost around 20m (I think maybe more especially if he has a good/solid year)
Reed is a strange case. Based on his last year easy 20m. Based on suspension and I doubt he can be that dominant everytime, so that would be more like 8-10m. Let’s meet in the middle, so for example 15m
Ramsey wanna be the highest paid CB and rightly so. Top corners make around 15m currently. He most likely will want 17-18m
So 3 players for 52-53 milion.
OK, can we be happy, that fits under the 60m?
Sure, but you can only pick 1-2 player from this list (most of them will likely cost at least 2m and we still need to fill the roster):
Ifedi, Fant, Thorpe, Jefferson, Kendricks, Woods, Iupati, Taylor, King, Vannett, Prosise.
And you have Britt, McDougald, Carson, Griffin, Hill as UFAs for 2021.
Doable but really risky and you certainly loose Ansah
If Spotrac and OTC are projecting $75m, you don’t need to take off $20-25m for a draft and a practise squad.
We have guys on IR that we haven’t yet offered injury settlements too. It all adds up
Yes.
Yikes he just got beat for a huge play?
Looks like Jax will be in cap hell next year? What if he holds out for an extension next year? If they do keep him Campbell or Darius could get cut next year.
Thanks a lot, Rob! Now I want Ramsey even more!!! Lol JK.
But really you made the case exceptionally well, great read. Makes it seem like 2 1st rounders is cheap! Haha
Only thing I can think of, do we want the 1st rounders so we can go get OL upgrades? PC has been saying hes disappointed with the OL play. Maybe they feel like they have to go find a replacement for Ifedi or someone else. Idk I would still take Ramsey and just pay/play Fant at RT. Just a thought. There might be spots they want to address that they only can with R1 picks. Spots they see as more of a need than CB maybe
Once think to consider is that we usually turn 1st rounders into multiple picks. So in reality two first rounders is like 4-8 players for us. I still think Ramsey is worth it but the picks look better when you consider all of our moves on draft day.
Just for fun
If we pay Clowney, Reed and Ramsey $60M APY total we have a few kinds tough calls to make. We would have $15-$20M left for these guys:
Ansah, Kendricks, Ifedi, Fant, Iupati, Jefferson, Brown, Moore. + some guys who I feel could reliably be replaced with mid-late round picks.
Its early but in my perfect world, we lock up Kendricks, Fant, and Moore. Possibly Jefferson…. Ansah and Ifedi might end up being 3rd/4th round comp picks.
We can net some cap space with a few cuts per June 1st. Ed Dickson would free up $3.4M. KJ (I know) would free up a whopping $6M. That’s almost $10M between 2 players who we really probably dont need. BMac would also net $4.1M.
Just cutting Dickson could allow us to keep Jefferson and Iupati. Any more of them get cut and we could probably lock up all the guys we really want to keep outside Ansah and Ifedi.
Cap space for Ramsey is a non issue.
The sentiment that we can fit him under the cap doesn’t mean that his huge contract won’t cause major issues down the road and we won’t loose valuable players. We can make it happen, even more so if we move some players.
But I highly doubt we can fit all of these guys into the CAP:
Clowney, Ansah, Reed, Ramsey, Ifedi, Fant, QJeff, Thorpe, Vannett, Kednricks, Iupati, Woods
As we wouldn’t have a 1st round pick, it’s a bit unlikely you can get a starting RT from the draft. Depending on how they see Jones and Fant they might want to keep Ifedi. I think Ifedi and Fant both would cost around 8-8m. And I’d both keep them if we trade for Ramsey
If QJeff will bring some sacks (5-6-7) and some nice plays he will command 5-7m at least. Of the rotational guys I think he’s the best and can play inside-out. I’d also keep him
They love Thorpe for some weird reason…I think they overvalue him and other guy could be the leader of ST. I doubt they’ll re-sign him, but who know.
Kendricks should be re-signed, if he clears the legal troubles. I think he’ll give discount for the Hawks, but he’ll still be expensive around 7m
Woods is a great addition inside, but not sure if they’ll keep him. He might be cheap though. I think they might keep him for 3-4m
Reed will be 13-15m
Ansah will likely be gone (we will see, but not sure they’ll wanna give him 12-14m)
Clowney around 20m
Ramsey will want 18m
That is around a 100m. With the cuts you mentioned, and reducing things we need to (draft, IR, etc), I think we sit at 70-75m
We need to remove 30m (just to be sure)
If Clowney works out great, I wouldn’t re-sign Ansah (13m), Thorpe (2-3m) and Reed (14-15m)
If they think Jamarco Jones or Fant is a legit RT, I’d let Ansah (13m), Ifedi (8m), Thorpe (2-3m) and QJeff go (6-7m)
If they are not that high on Clowney, I’d let Clowney (20m), Thorpe and QJeff walk
Why are you getting so hung up on Seattle needing to keep that long list of players?
Do you really think they will give two hoots about whether they’re able to keep Mike Iupati after this year if they acquire Jalen Ramsey? Come on man.
You can always keep the players you want to keep. At one point they were paying Earl, Kam, Sherm, Bennett, Avril, Wilson, Wagner, Marshawn. Jalen Ramsey coming in, when you have EIGHTY MILLION in cap room next year, is not going to destroy Seattle’s cap.
Of Clowney, Reed and Ansah, only one gets a new contract, and one needs to get tagged.
As Clowney cannot be tagged, and tbh, Ansah being irrelevant enough to not be tagged, it can only be Reed. Ansah will not get a new contract, so the case is basically settled.
So, loosing the 1st round pick 2019 and 2020, while trading Reed to a Clarks-like 2019 R1/2 deal, and we are fine here.
The rest of the pack is redundant. Even Kendricks, who had a worrying number of mismatches, where he was too slow. We should try to bring in young talent when the season is rolling.
Exactly. If you lose some players that’s what the draft is for.
And personally I think Clowney and Ansah are rentals. We’ll see.
I’ve always thought that way with Ansah, and recently have begun to lean that way with Clowney too.
But I think the beauty of it is that, while they will certainly have had a long-term plan in mind, they really do have the chance just to let the season play out and see what Clowney produces before having to make their decision.
Agreed with Ansah, unless he turns ON this season and earns himself an extension.
But I do think they’re going to push hard to extend Clowney. At what apy is pure conjecture, but I think they’d go as high as $16-18m apy. They won’t chase him with stupid money because they’ll net a R3 comp pick if he walks (and wasn’t that the bottom line rationale for trading for him?), but I do think he’s a unique enough player that they’ll try hard.
Mmmm… I don’t think $16-18m/apy is going to do it for Clowney. He will want $20m+.
I guess Seattle could try to argue that its best defensive player, Bobby Wagner, makes $18m and try to put Clowney on par with him and sell him on the awesome atmosphere in Seattle. But I doubt he buys it knowing he can easily get north of $20m on the open market. (hopefully I’m wrong though!)
I really hope not. If JS is a maverick for acquiring those two this year then surely it is not easily done, and not something to take for granted, now or in the future. We easily could have entered this season with Cassius Marsh and Jacob Martin as our pass rush. Securing our pass rush with lottery-pick level talent whilst never picking in the top-15 should absolutely be something we endeavor to pay for, especially if — after an extended audition — these guys fit in on and off the field.
Clowney has received most of the attention, but I really hope Ansah proves his worth and they are able to work out a deal. He’s a true pass rusher, unlike Clowney, and I think at this stage of his career he could be had on a Cliff Avril-like bargain (not $7 mil, but perhaps $13-15 AAV). His recent comments “I can’t see myself anywhere else,” make me think he would make it a priority to stay.
We don’t want to be back at square one in nine months. I’d like to have at least one of these guys, two if we’re lucky, in the fold going forward.
If Ansah and Clowney move on, I’m sure they’ll add other vets.
And besides those guys we could cut, we also get the unexpected retirements of Kam, Doug, and McDowell off the books next year as well.
That, along with Mingo, is $19.2m that we are carrying in dead money this year. That’s 9.75% of our cap this year that we will get to allocate next year to talent who will contribute! That’s Clowney’s cost right there, if you want to see it that way!
Jalen is worth it.. I think the concerns about his personality are overblown. None of his teammates I recall have a problem with him. Think he is worth it for Seattle. The way were are playing right now really looks like we can make a run in the playoffs. Adding Jalen will allow us to compete with some of the really good teams.
Well said. Its been tough since every QB no longer has the fear of God running through their veins as they decide not to test one side of the field, as they did with Sherman. I don’t think we make the Superbowl we made without him. Ramsey could be a game changer, and although there may be some character concerns, I think the defense needs a guy with an edge and some attitude. We are so nice right now! Could be that BAMF Rob was talking about.
Agreed; I think calling him a diva or a locker-room cancer is overblown. Dude is just the ultimate Type-A competitor. I think he’d give our defense a particular edge, and I think as long as the team is winning and he’s being paid well, he would ball. He’s never had any trouble off the field, never had law problems.
The guy just talks mad shit and honestly, I love it. He also thinks Russell Wilson is a really good leader, for what it’s worth.
Jalen Ramsey is an alpha.
Him running through every QB offering a review last year was embarrassing. I hope he learnt from that.
That aside, he’s just an alpha.
I think the trade price went up (for Ramsey) with the way the defense showed up tonight in the game. They are exactly 1 game out of 1st place in the division, so no reason to trade imo. They could easily win the AFCS right now… with how turbulent it has been.. and starting QBs going down like flies. Hell, Mariota is just not looking like the man to me…. and with the OL playing hot hot hot garbage, he might not last the season on top of it.
The hardest prediction is to find a team with significant draft capitol and cap flexibility this year and up coming years to absorb his contract (future contract). Seattle is one of maybe 4-5 teams that could realistically take him on…. and then layer on the team being on the upswing or a realistic contender right now….
This 2019 offseason and season has so far been a wild roller coaster of emotions regarding moves (or potential moves) the Seahawks might make… simply remarkable the wy things have played out so far.
@Rob Staton
I’m a big fan and I really enjoy your analysis. You’re one of the better follows that way for sure. One aspect I think you might be interested in improving is your consistent “mind reading”
This article presents an example.
“One report suggested Ramsey wasn’t interested in featuring in a zone scheme and wanted to match-up in man 1v1. Some have argued this rules him out in Seattle. There’s a very important thing to remember here —
Ramsey will go to any competitive team that’s willing to pay him a huge extension. He’s not going to complain about his role if a team provides him with Super Bowl opportunities and a record-breaking contract for a cornerback.”
You kind of left out that this is 100% conjecture based upon your beliefs.
Normally not much of an issue except that you’re contrasting what was said with what you believe and presenting it as fact.
Sure most of us might do similarly but that’s not the standard.
Just thought I’d point this out to you.
Sorry Jamho but let’s be right here. Are you honestly suggesting that it’s mere speculation on my behalf that Jalen Ramsey would go to any team in the mix to win immediate Super Bowl’s PLUS give him a record breaking cornerback contract?
Think about that for a second.
The guy would have to be a complete moron to say…. ‘well the Championship’s and the record breaking contract are fine and all but actually I’m only interested in a scheme that lets me play man’.
Come on. That’s not conjecture. It’s common sense.
(As usual, Rob posts his reply as I am writing mine and manages to say the same thing in less words. 🙂 )
Winning solves a lot of that. I do worry, though, how he’d persevere through hard times. These guys get their guarantees up front; down the road a year or two they all feel entitled to more, and if that coincides with some struggles or disagreements about scheme… Well, we saw what happened with Sherman. This is a guy that advocated the entire defensive coaching staff in Jacksonville be fired… as a rookie! It took Sherman many years in the league before he was that abrasive.
@Rob I think it’s an important distinction.
What you believe is reasonable vs what the player has said and or done.
I’ll give you another perfect example.
Who thought that AB would have done anything to jeopardize $30m grtd?
Then why wouldn’t he do more to protect his $9m at his next stop?
Because he’s clearly a special brand of moron.
Does that mean I can’t imply a common sense scenario for Jalen Ramsey?
As a frequent reader and commenter, I just want to say: while I appreciate the respectful way in which you present your suggestion here, I think it’s dead wrong.
Rob is not a beat reporter, or a Twitter “insider” whose job is to relay news and information as quickly and objectively as possible. If it were, then your critique would hold weight.
But this is Rob’s personal blog, where he offers fellow fans his informed opinion about the Seahawks and the draft. His role is not to report the info, but rather to interpret the info and reports in a logical way, usually from a specifically Seahawks perspective.
In the example you mention, he offers his take on one specific report that is out there. (which, btw, is just as much a conjecture at this point as Rob’s or anyone else’s take…) He expresses his opinion in the form of a statement, implying that it’s common sense that Ramsey would not turn down the chance to play for a contender and receive a market-setting CB contract just because of some supposed preference to play in one scheme as opposed to another.
This is not “mind reading”, it’s an argument that appeals to reason. No need to put ‘IMO’ before each sentence he writes.
You’re free to disagree with his reasoning, and he has always shown himself open to discussing it further in the comments section, but to say that the argument is somehow “not up to standard” is simply wrong.
Nothing wrong with Rob’s style. It’s refreshing. Direct writing, especially on an analysis blog, is more effective if presented without excessive qualifiers (“in my opinion”, “I believe…”). We all know who is writing, and can consume his point of view with that context.
Rob’s points here read more as “informed speculation” than “100% conjecture”. No problem with that at all. Burdening every point with forced deference doesn’t make ideas clearer. It makes them weaker. People can decide for themselves what’s right and what’s wrong.
Ramsey did say in a press conference the day after that was said
” I just want to f***ing win”
Another interesting stat Sea Mode.
If I was a DC this is exactly how I would have set it up to play the hawks. First, Sell out to stop the run, which shows in this stat. Second, play loose off receivers to prioritize stopping long pass (especially with a bunch of new receivers). Take away the thing they do best(run) and try and make them one dimensional.
And it worked great for 6 quarters. When Seattle went to the quick passing game in the second half in Pittsburg it changes everything. If they mix in a fair amount of short passing game into their offense it will be interesting to see where this stat is in a few weeks.
Seahawks have knocked the starting RB’s out of both games. Can we make it 3 in a row?
I agree 100% with everything you’ve said in the article, Rob. Nothing to add in that regard since my take is the same.
I will just say this though in general about team building and cap management, since it seems to be brought into question for many by this and other recent trade opportunities:
Being tight up against the cap is only bad when you are paying premium prices for mediocre, or even above average, talents. Teams should WANT to pay top dollar, but ONLY to players who truly deserve them. Top players in their prime. Think Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner level talents at their respective positions.
Ramsey is a top CB in the league. He’s 24 years young. He is a physical specimen that you won’t find anywhere except very early in R1.
Clowney is a top-tier talent, 26 years old, a physical freak even among NFL freaks, the kind of guy you can usually only get on your team by holding the #1 overall pick. It remains to be seen how he will produce and the value he will bring to our defense once he and the rest of the DL get healthy and up to speed, but I insist: this is the KIND of player you can consider paying top dollar for.
Where teams get into true “cap hell” is not when their cap is spent, but rather when it is poorly spent. Paying a Justin Coleman at the top of the market, for example. Over-paying to keep a Jaron Brown, Mike Iupati, Nick Vannett, Ziggy Ansah, etc. level player.
Most teams are scared into over-paying to keep known commodities around. But the Seahawks will spend the money where it’s worth spending and bet on themselves to coach up the young players to fill in for those we can’t keep.
This is a fantastic point Sea Mode.
Well said. It’s not the investing it’s the right kind of investing.
+1
Hey, QJeff is top 10 right now in DT Pass Rush Win Rate:
1. Grady Jarrett, Falcons, 32%
2. Chris Jones, Chiefs, 29%
3. Aaron Donald, Rams, 24%
4. Corey Peters, Cardinals, 21%
5. Michael Bennett, Patriots, 19%
6. Maliek Collins, Cowboys, 18%
7. Kawann Short, Panthers, 17%
8. Ed Oliver, Bills, 16%
9. Michael Brockers, Rams, 16%
T10. Quinton Jefferson, Seahawks, 15%
T10. Mike Daniels, Lions, 15%
T10. Daron Payne, Redskins, 15%
And Seahawks are Top 10 team Pass Rush Win Rate:
1. Ravens, 64%
2. Falcons, 63%
3. Eagles, 61%
4. Buccaneers, 60%
5. Rams, 57%
6. Bears, 56%
7. Steelers, 56%
8. Saints, 51%
9. Cardinals, 50%
10. Seahawks, 46%
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27584726/nfl-pass-blocking-pass-rushing-rankings-2019-pbwr-prwr-leaderboard
Something tells me we are going to be really good once we can line up Clowney, Reed, Ford, Ansah, with Collier, QJeff, and Jackson in rotation. Maybe this really is the time to pull the trigger on a trade for Ramsey…
Jeez, I think we play nine of the top 10 teams for pass rush win %….
With the way Jefferson has played this year and how Reed did last year is it more about the scheme changes that Norton has made than the player?
Would you give up the Griffin brothers and a 1st round pick for Ramsey?
I’d rather not lose any cornerback’s to be fair. We need some depth there too. Would prefer to give up more picks. I’m not totally sold on the trade BTW — just discussing what I’d prefer.
I’ve been going back & forth! After convincing myself it’s the right move, I’m getting cold feet after watching Ramsey give up the bomb last night. But I stand firm this is the time to pay the best young CB in the league and if Ramsey is that guy we should go get him. Raiders moving to Vegas vs Seahawks winning culture should be the tuff decision because I believe the team that acquires Ramsey recognizes that they must extend Ramsey ASAP. If Ramsey wants to gamble & wait for a bigger contract teams would be wise to pass on him.
From a pure talent perspective it makes sense and would even be a great deal IMO, but I am starting to think we seriously underestimate the positive impact both Griffin brothers are making in our locker room.
Shaquem we all know about, but Shaquill as well seems to be stepping up as a vocal leader now in his 3rd year.
I think there’s a reason they have held on to Shaquem even though he pretty much only offers ST value and they are loaded at the LB position, and it’s not just a PR stunt either.
Just something I’ve been thinking about.
I had not seen Shaquill was making an impact as a leader. But what about this crazy idea, both Griffen brothers go back home to Florida with a 2020 first round pick, for Ramsey. And we do this because polite has been a consummate pro on the PS and looking like the first round pick he was projected to be this year and is promoted to active roster in Shaquims spot 😜 we then would have essentially traded The Griffen brothers and a first for Ramsey and a first round talent in polite!
Great article and thread. I think everything you need to know about this situation/possibility is contained here. I’m actually a lot more open-minded about making a move for Ramsey than I was previously. These simple lines of logic stood out to me in the article…
“Even if you acquire two first round picks, you dream of acquiring a talent like Ramsey. The chances are they won’t add a player of his quality with the picks they get back.”
There were three reasons I’ve been hesitant/reluctant about such a trade scenario for the Hawks…
1) The price would be too steep to pay in draft capital
2) It would strain our CAP situation and cause an overall drop in quality and depth on the team
3) Bringing in a potential Diva could hurt team chemistry they’re trying to correct and reshape
I’m much less hesitant about reasons 1 and 2 now after reading Rob’s article and the comments in this thread. Reason number 3…I think it’s still out there, something that has to be taken into consideration. I’m sure some kind of an understanding would have to be reached between PCJS and Ramsey before any final trigger was pulled.
We had our best success with some pretty brash and outspoken players, on both offense and defense. I get that locker room chemistry is a real thing, but the only SB we’ve actually won was the year Percy Harvin got into a fistfight with a teammate the night before the game. I’d take a guy who’s top 3 in the league at a crucial position, brinks truck and all.
I definitely see the temptation, but for me personally 2 first round picks and a massive extension is just to rich given the PC/JS history of finding and developing talent at the position. There’s truly nothing I’ve read in this article that I strongly disagree with, in the comments I disagree slightly with the idea that Clowney is a one year rental but it’s possible. I read somewhere years ago (possibly here on the draft blog) that JS drafts for a year ahead according to contracts and judges prospects by wins over replacements. The long and the short of what I’m saying is that, yes Ramsey is a large upgrade over Flowers or Griffin but they seem to be developing into pretty decent players and aren’t the weakest links on our team, add to that Carroll’s ability to develop young talent at the position and I can’t see us keeping up with a bidding war for his services. Personally I’d like to see Reed, Clowney, Kendrick retained and see us upgrade at nickel, free safety, or guard as focus areas. Of course, I don’t know how the front office feels about certain players that aren’t getting on the field much yet, Blair, Ugo, Simmons, Haynes so really difficult to judge what they think they have going forward. I do know, Fluker, Iupati can’t stay healthy, and so far their back ups Simmons and Haynes haven’t shown the ability to either. Fitzpatrick was more of a temptation to me, as the top rated slot corner in the league who can play strong against the run for a single 1st round pick but would have meant benching KJ for the year and playing nickel as base defense. If we wouldn’t give a single 1st for a position of need and the best slot corner in the game, why consider 2 first round picks for a position that we don’t have a definitive weakness?
Bottom line…any way you look at it, this would be a very aggressive move for any team to make. It’s hard for me to imagine any team making such a move who don’t feel they are clearly competing for a SB now and in the next couple of years.
CB1:
40 YARD DASH: 4.38 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 17 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 38.5 INCH
BROAD JUMP: 132.0 INCH
3 CONE DRILL: 6.87 SEC
20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.14 SEC
CB2:
40 YARD DASH: 4.41 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 14 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 41.5 INCH
BROAD JUMP: 135.0 INCH
3 CONE DRILL: 6.94 SEC
20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.18 SEC
CB3:
40 YARD DASH: 4.45 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 18 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 34.5 INCH
BROAD JUMP: 122.0 INCH
3 CONE DRILL: 7.17 SEC
20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.34 SEC
Okay, I’ll bite! Who’s who on your list?
#1 Shaquille Griffin
#2 Jalen Ramsey
#3 Tre Flowers
Which of these three CB’s have been measured to have the biggest heart and best playmaking sense?
.
I had forgot how athletic Shaq is…
CB1:
Rookie: 1 INT, 15 PD, 0 FF
Year 2: 2 INT, 8 PD, 0 FF
CB2:
Rookie: 2, INT, 14 PD, 1 FF
Year 2: 4 INT, 17 PD, 0 FF
CB3:
Rookie: 0 INT, 6 PD, 3 FF
Year 2: tbd
…and Griffen changed positions Year 2.
If Quill can play slot Ramsey is a must have.
Off topic…
How awesome is Gardner Minshew?
You just want the guy to succeed.
An absolute blast to watch.
Some of those throws last night were fantastic. Definitely not throws you give to a typical rookie.
And what’s more 20 for 30 for 2 TDs doesn’t tell the story. He dropped a dime in the end zone that got dropped by the WR. A real “sorry I hit you right in the hands” type throw.
There were at least 2 or 3 other drops, and 1 or 2 off-targets that the receiver should have made a play on.
The best.
Such a positive person and a breath of fresh air to the NFL. On top of that, the guy can play in this league, and maybe even be a starter or long time solid backup.
Correction…Gardner Minshew is always on topic!
He was very good. And as a Husky fan bleeding gold and purple, I have to admit the Cougs have one hell of a QB scouting.
I you’ve told me, that by week 3, Minshew and Falk would be starting QBs, I would have loughed my butt off. Plus Gordon is better than Eason on six days of the week, including sunday.
Btw, wouldn’t it be nice, if Falk roasts the Pats?
Mahomes and Baker were Leach guys too IIRC. Not that Baker is any good.
Gordon has incredible poise in the pocket and the velocity on his throws is putstanding.
He was recruiting Baker to walk on at WSU pretty heavily back in 2013.
Wrong. He’s an extension of Leach or from the coaching tree, but they were Kingsbury guys.
Although I think Eason is the real deal.
He’s got just enough arm to make you respect it and is ace at everything else.
I wasn’t a fan of the idea at first, having read the discussion here over the last couple of days, I’d say go for it if it can be done. A 24 year old ready-made superstar, who also has much upside as any player at his position in the league, coming to play for the league’s resident DB whisperer. Could be a match made in heaven.
It does feel highly unlikely, and it’s not a move that needs to be made like the Clowney deal was, but it’s a nice thought.
It’s hard to imagine that a team having an elite 25yr old shutdown corner, would be willing to let him go for an unknown commodity of late 1st Rd picks, especially to a team in their own conference. If he is traded, you’d think it will be to a team outside of their conference.
Or, they may hold on to Ramsey and give him his money. Their DTs are getting older and they may choose to retool in the draft that has a few strong candidates to replace them with. That would be the more prudent move that the Jags should make. Just hang on to Campbell.
If there isn’t a agreeable solution, some NFC team may get a boost to the SB. It would be unreal if Ramsey lands here, totally unreal. . .
Just wanna add, Ramsey is one of the best tackling CBs too.
9 tackles and a FF last night.
I thought that long catch he gave up was actually a great example of his play.
He gave up some space on the snap initially and but then closed the gap like a freight train, timed it perfectly and even got a hand on the ball. A perfect throw by Mariota and a perfect catch by the WR made the play, not so much Ramsey getting “burned”.
https://twitter.com/ftbeard_17/status/1174868490924150784
Agreed. I only watched the highlights, but thought the exact same when I saw that play.
I agree completely I was more impressed by that play than anything. He made a hell of a play on the ball. Elite closing speed and instincts to recover and actually locate the ball.
Also unseen on the stat sheet, he drew a holding penalty trying to get through a run block on a run around the edge.
A top corner who is also a willing tackler in the run game? Yes please.
Mentioned him this summer. TCU CB Jeff Gladney. Big time athlete, really good ST’s guy, and an excellent fit in a zone heavy scheme.
In that next tier behind guys like Fulton, Hall, Okudah, Diggs for me. I also wanna check out Clemson’s AJ Terrell.
Jeff Gladney vs Purdue (2019):
https://youtu.be/4vdZ4bWLSrE
I’ve barely started going through the list, so thanks for the names.
Have you checked out Pitt’s Dane Jackson? My early favorite!
Dane Jackson RS junior highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HWsa3HdNnM
Maybe a little on the smaller side for Seattle listed at 6’0″, 190 (Shaqill is 6’0″, 198 now after he dropped weight this off-season, so maybe not that far off), but I love his aggressive tackling and knack for the ball: 14 PBU and 4 FF last season.
I haven’t. Seen ya mention his name once or twice. Will look out for him.
A guy who caught my eye a little last weekend, but I can’t find anything on is Fresno St. CB Jaron Bryant. His aggression plus his length jumped out at me.
I know you’re probably looking for more, but he’s got a highlights vid on YT if that helps for starters:
Jaron Bryant | Fresno State | DB Highlights
https://youtu.be/rCk17yNrBo8
Actually, PC said he was at 194.
And there you go.
What a mess
It was just 2 weeks ago, most teams wanted him. It amazing how fast that happened.
This guy’s pure trouble. I just saw this story and read some background about the release. This guy actually sent intimidating and defamatory texts to his recent accuser. Talking about bad judgment. Whew.
I wonder if this is it for him in the NFL? Seems quite possible.
Nah, Jerry Jones & the boys will sign him.
I believe it’s spelled: Jerrah… 😉
He just lost so much money. He torpedoed his entire career in the last few months.
Can I reverse my position from “he was acting insane and entitled just to scuttle his Oakland contract” to “he was acting insane and entitled because he’s insane and entitled” ?
You know now that multiple people are coming out against him, itll get even worse. The floodgates are opening. This guy is going to be hit with so many accusations, lawsuits and claims. This will be worse than most of the NFL fallouts weve seen. This is gaining traction. And this guy is too thick headed to completely change who he is. I can see him spiraling down all the way. Maybe it’s a CTE thing, maybe it’s always been him, but this is a huge fall from grace in the last year. His past actions whether true or untrue are coming out.
I wonder if he fully realizes yet that this could be the end of his career? Any team that attempts to sign him will in all likelihood face some serious public backlash. #MeToo
‘I’m just saying’ 😂😭😂
https://mobile.twitter.com/TheRealOJ32/status/1175156705816207360
Prosise time.
Prosisely!
Flowers is Questionable… ankle injury. Merde.
Time to make good on 4 years of patience.
😂🤣😂🤣 PC jokingly threatens to walk out halfway through his presser today!
Also, asked about whether the Seahawks are at a point where they would still look into Antonio Brown, he answers: “So you’re saying there’s a chance…? We’re pretty well set right now. We kind of know where we’re going with that.”
Here’s the clip about Brown via Greg Bell:
https://twitter.com/gbellseattle/status/1175154577064095746
Guess I should mention that the first part is so funny because Bill Belichick and Ron Rivera both walked out of their pressers when asked repeatedly about Brown and Newton after specifically saying they didn’t want to talk about them.
Belichick is out here playing the Dolphins and he was disappointed the reporters wanted to talk about something else? 😭😂 Come on Bill. What did you expect? Your playing the f***ing Dolphins!
Stuff I’m “Fired Up” about for Sunday:
-Ziggy’s first game
-Ziggy’s first game with Clowney
-Ziggy’s first game with Clowney and Collier (Search and destroy trio)
-Seattle’s upgraded pass rush!!
-Ford making an impact on the rush if he plays
-Improved O-Line pass pro
-Moore Back on the field adding more threatening passing targets
-Wolverine doing more damage and trucking any that stand in his way
-Fant catching a pass (We can dream right?)
-More Carson brutality in the running game
-Success from Prosise and Homer as they get Penny’s reps
-An increasingly better overall team performance as we hit our stride
-Winning our 3rd game in a row!!!
-No injuries
Anyone have any others?
Go Hawks