NFL Rumors: Jaguars Had Jalen Ramsey Trade ‘Talks Of Substance’ With These Teams

The Los Angeles Rams won the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes, sending two first-round draft picks (2020, 2021) and a fourth-rounder to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday in exchange for the All-Pro cornerback.

The deal ends months of speculation about Ramsey’s future, which came into question last month after the 24-year-old requested a trade amid a reported rift with Jaguars executive vice president Tom Coughlin, but some teams surely will wonder whether they should have been more aggressive in pursuing a blockbuster. After all, Ramsey, the fifth overall pick in 2015, is one of the most talented players in the NFL.

Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson detailed the Ramsey trade in a piece published Wednesday, even reporting that Jaguars owner Shad Khan remains conflicted about the deal despite landing a sizable package in return. Robinson noted the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints were among the NFL franchises that had “talks of substance” with Jacksonville regarding Ramsey back in September, although it was unclear for a while how motivated the Jaguars were to part ways with the two-time Pro Bowl pick.

Here’s what Robinson wrote:

If teams weren’t at least willing to come to the table with the proper offer, Khan wasn’t going to entertain a Ramsey deal. Instead, he was going to be patient and try to repair the situation. That was a reality that frustrated some of the teams that had called the Jaguars, believing they were motivated to trade Ramsey initially and then suddenly not motivated when Khan took the controls. Among the franchises that had talks of substance with Jacksonville in September were the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints. In September, none were willing to part with the kind of draft haul Khan sought — a price tag that wasn’t just about receiving two first-round picks, but was also about the potential quality of those two first-rounders.

Eventually, the Jaguars received an offer they couldn’t refuse. Ramsey seemingly had no desire to play for the Jaguars, it didn’t appear his relationship with Coughlin was going to improve anytime soon and the Rams might have been in desperation mode after three consecutive losses dropped Los Angeles’ record to 3-3.

The Ravens still wound up bolstering their secondary Tuesday by acquiring cornerback Marcus Peters from the Rams, and one can’t help but wonder whether the Eagles and Saints — in addition to any other teams that seriously considered a deal for Ramsey — will look elsewhere to make a splash ahead of the Oct. 29 trade deadline.