On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, thus putting an end to any speculation that the Seattle Seahawks (who were reportedly interested in the ex-Alabama star) would land themselves another big defensive name through a trade.
Attention has now shifted to the future of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who requested a trade one day after his heated confrontation with head coach Doug Marrone.
If we focused just on his abilities, it sure is tempting for the Seahawks to have a look. He fits the physical profile of a Seahawks CB, which made him a perfect fit for then-head coach Gus Bradley when Jacksonville drafted Jalen in 2016. Ramsey has proven himself to be among the league’s best shutdown corners, earning first-team All-Pro honors in just his second season in the league. He excels in man coverage and while he had a dip in performance in 2018, the Jaguars pass defense was still top-ten in DVOA. With all due respect to Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers, he’s better than both of Seattle’s starting corners. He’s still 24 years old and his rookie deal runs through the 2020 fifth-year option.
...But my jaw would hit the floor if the Seahawks even made a serious effort to get the disgruntled Ramsey.
For starters, he’s a scheme misfit.
Yeah let's bring him into a zone heavy defense I'm sure he'll react well to that and Pete's entrenched beliefs. Keep this dude's rotten attitude away from a team that's fun again, and a CB group with a few promising, traitsy young players https://t.co/jeW150CE9o
— Alistair Corp (@byAlistairCorp) September 16, 2019
Then follow that up with his crummy attitude, which is exactly what Pete Carroll sought to avoid after the known drama with Richard Sherman towards the end of his tenure in Seattle.
@ everyone wanting him in Seattle: Pete Carroll cut ties with franchise legends & sacrificed talent in order to refresh the culture inside the locker room.
— Alistair Corp (@byAlistairCorp) September 16, 2019
All-Pro talent aside, all Jalen Ramsey has proved to be is a poor teammate, selfish & a nightmare to deal with. Hard pass. https://t.co/tay0DgSRwM
In 2017, the Jaguars went 10-6 and Ramsey spent the next 7 months telling anyone who would listen he was the greatest player alive, and how poor everyone else is.
— Alistair Corp (@byAlistairCorp) September 16, 2019
In 2018, the Jaguars went 5-11 and Ramsey responded with this: pic.twitter.com/zYIRGVden6
Even from an historical standpoint, Pete Carroll clearly prefers to play “his guys” at cornerback over players like Ramsey, who is effectively a veteran at this stage of his career.
To further illustrate my point, here’s a list of starting Seahawks outside cornerbacks since 2012:
Richard Sherman
Brandon Browner
Byron Maxwell
Cary Williams
DeShawn Shead
Jeremy Lane
Akeem King
Shaquill Griffin
Tre Flowers
Williams and King are the only ones who played even one defensive snap on another team before their arrival on the Seahawks, and the latter only had 15 snaps with the Atlanta Falcons. Cary Williams was a veteran starter and quite conceivably the single worst signing of the John Schneider era, and Shead took his spot midway through 2015. Everyone else was either drafted or signed as a UDFA.
I firmly believe the Williams disaster was a lesson learned, and that the Carroll philosophy for his cornerbacks is meant exclusively for the inexperienced.
Oh yes, and then there’s the asking price.
League source tells me the Jaguars want two first-rounders for Jalen Ramsey.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 17, 2019
There is utterly no way the Seahawks are going to go all-out for someone like Ramsey, baggage or not. Add in that he’s destined to ask for a long-term contract and I’d say the final price for Minkah Fitzpatrick (2020 1st + 2020 5th + swapping 2021 6ths) was much more attainable than what Ramsey is likely to fetch if/when he does get dealt.
Sorry to kill your rosterbation if you had any fantasies about the Seahawks landing a troubled but elite talent. This doesn’t mean Seattle won’t make another move before the trade deadline, but there are just too many reasons why a trade is unrealistic.