Getty Jacksonville Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey
The Kansas City Chiefs offense is elite. Their defense has not been in recent years but that could all change with one big splash. Jacksonville Jaguars’ cornerback Jalen Ramsey has requested a trade from the team.
CB Jalen Ramsey’s agent asked for a trade after yesterday’s loss at Houston, league sources tell @mortreport and me
The Jaguars have spoken with interested teams, but there is no current plan to trade Ramsey.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are asking for at least one first-round pick in return for their star corner, but want more in return. This requests comes after Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone got into a heated verbal altercation on the sidelines during Sunday’s 13-12 loss to the Houston Texans.
Ramsey did not address the situation after the game. Marrone said he could not recall what led to the argument, which is clearly untrue. The Jaguars lost their starting quarterback Nick Foles in Week 1 with an injury. The team fell to 0-2 on Sunday and this incident shows that the wheels are falling off. It makes sense for the Jaguars to trade Ramsey while his value is high.
Ramsey to KC?
The Chiefs should be one of the first teams on the phone talking to Jacksonville. In 2018, Kansas City allowed 405.5 yards per game. They allowed 273.4 yards per game through the air. Despite a 12-4 record, the Chiefs allowed opposing quarterbacks to get comfortable early and often last season.
So far in their 2-0 start, the Chiefs made Gardner Minshew look good in his first career game. Derek Carr got off to a hot start against Kansas City in Week 2, but the Chiefs defense held the Oakland Raiders scoreless over the final three quarters.
Moves were made to try and improve this defense. Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark signed in the offseason. Chris Jones reported to camp after there were thoughts that he might holdout over a contract dispute. Most importantly, Steve Spanuolo was hired as the new defensive coordinator. Overall, the Chiefs defense has performed well this season but there is a long way to go.
The Chiefs weakest position is their cornerbacks. Bashuad Breeland and Charvarius Ward are currently listed as the Chiefs starting corners on the outside. Kendall Fuller is their slot corner. This is not the best group to have on the field if the Chiefs want to make a Super Bowl run. If Ramsey was added to that list, it adds depth, talent, and star power. This move checks all the boxes.
Can the Chiefs Afford Ramsey?
Ramsey is currently playing out his fourth year of four-year, $22.3 million contract that he signed with Jacksonville. The Jaguars picked up a team option for his fifth year so Ramsey is set to become a free agent after the 2020 season. Next year, he will make $13.7 million.
The Chiefs recently signed Tyreek Hill to a three-year contract extension. There have been talks of them signing Jones as well but they could opt to use the franchise tag. The Chiefs have been making moves to clear cap space but have not yet said what that space is going to be used for.
With Ramsey on the trade block, it would not be the worst idea for the Chiefs to make this deal and figure out the details later. They have cap space so they could opt to sign him or let him play out the rest of this season and next then let him walk in free agency. The Miami Dolphins have made Minkah Fitzpatrick available in a trade, but there is no question on who the better option would be.