Wale Olaogun
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Jalen Ramsey have finally parted ways.
The brash and abrasive, yet extremely talented cornerback has gotten his wish to play in a bigger market and for a better team. The Jaguars received a decent offer of a first-round pick in 2020 and a first and fourth round pick in 2021. All seems right with the world.
And, It should seem okay. The team got compensation back for a player that made it very clear he wasn’t willing to play for them anymore, and the budding star at a premium position gets out of the city that drafted him. The big question is who really wins this trade?
We honestly won’t know who the bigger winner of this trade is for a few years. Face value: you would think the Jags look great in this. They didn’t cave to the demands of a star player and they have future assets to help build their team. The only issue at this moment is what direction is this team really moving in?
On one side, you have head coach Doug Marrone who is doing his best to hold the team together and have them perform on the field under the direction that they need to win or they’re presumably all out.
The squad is currently 2-4, playing a backup, but promising, quarterback in Gardner Minshew II after their prized free agent quarterback Nick Foles gets injured during the first week of the regular season. You have to hope Doug can help right the ship to a 7- or 8-win season and push for a wildcard berth. The Jaguars have the ability to achieve a turnaround, but will they? Changes may be imminent if not.
Jacksonville is also dealing with the potential of a front office shake up as well. Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin has had his fingerprints all over this team since joining in 2017 and the results have been mixed.
General Manager Dave Caldwell has made a name for himself with splashy drafts that have added some talent to the team, but his biggest picks leave much to be desired. It’s hard to believe that you would want the same person at the helm who’s 2014, 2015, and 2016 first round picks are not only not on the roster, but all on the same Los Angeles Rams squad.
Looking at Jalen Ramsey, things do look to be brighter. He’s on last years’ Super Bowl runner-up in one of the biggest media markets in the world. He’ll collect on his 5th year option and most likely receive a top contract if his play matches his ego. But, for a lot of people around the league, he not only has built up a persona of being a selfish diva, but that will be hard to shake later in life when hopefully his maturity catches up to his talents on the field.
Ultimately, all we can do is wait and see which path for these two parties will prove most fruitful. Because, only time will tell.
Wale Olaogun is a contributor to Feud Sports. You can follow him and the rest of the team on Twitter below.
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