Getty Jalen Ramsey
The Dallas Cowboys will forever be linked to, and sniff around, any player they have even the slightest chance of acquiring. Jaguars defensive back Jalen Ramsey fits into this category as a two-time Pro Bowler, former All-Pro selection and No. 5 overall draft pick.
Ramsey reportedly requested a trade from Jacksonville and already has drawn a number of predicted suitors, no matter if he just got into a verbal sideline altercation with Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone.
Talent wins out in this business, but he’s one talent Jerry and Co. will pass on, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, who made clear Tuesday that the Cowboys are not interested in trading for Ramsey, likely at the cost of a 2020 first-round draft pick — at least.
Slater draws what’s likely a sourced opinion from a 2018 profile on Ramsey, penned by ESPN.com’s Mina Kimes, where the shutdown cornerback took an opportunity to declare “I will never play” for Dallas “unless the Joneses leave.” Ramsey’s sour grapes stemmed from his belief that the Cowboys were going to draft him instead of running back Ezekiel Elliott with their top draft selection (No. 4 overall).
Via Kimes’ piece:
At first, Ramsey was happy to land in Jacksonville, even though he expected Dallas to take him with the No. 4 pick. (He believes that the Cowboys’ coaches wanted him but that owner Jerry Jones bigfooted them and grabbed running back Ezekiel Elliott. “I will never play for them,” he sniffs, “unless the Joneses leave.”) But for much of that 3-13 season, he was miserable. “I wasn’t expecting to come into the NFL and essentially be the best person on my team,” he says. “This is going to sound really bad, but … I didn’t like that team. They were so used to losing. It didn’t affect them.”
For those wondering if Dallas was a Jalen Ramsey destination I was reminded by a source of this @minakimes interview “I will never play for them…unless the Joneses leave” so the answer fans is a significant “no”
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Regardless, Cowboys Floated as Landing Spot
… Because of course! CBS Sports NFL writer Will Brinson grouped Dallas among his shortlist of possible destinations for the eclectic 24-year-old who’s totaled 202 tackles, 45 pass deflections, nine interceptions, one forced fumble and a defensive touchdown across 50 career games.
“I am contractually obligated to include the Cowboys when discussing a big name player because Jerry Jones is willing to go up top and make his team better,” Brinson wrote Tuesday. “This would be a little tough if he was trying to pay Dak Prescott, pay Amari Cooper AND pay Jalen. But maybe the Cowboys are looking around and thinking they can win the Super Bowl now. They traded a first last year for Cooper and it paid off. Why not shove in again this season? The only downside here is Ramsey once told Mina Kimes of ESPN he wouldn’t play for the Cowboys as long as the Jones family was in charge because they passed on him for Ezekiel Elliott. Drama!”
Odds to Acquire Ramsey
Per Bovada, the Cowboys aren’t among the early frontrunners for Ramsey’s services, with +1100 odds that he’ll join Big D prior to the trade deadline. The Jags were given the highest odds (+170) to retain him, followed by the Chiefs (+400), Raiders (+500), Patriots (+500), Seahawks (+1100), Eagles (+1100), Packers (+1100), Browns (+1100) and 49ers (+1100).
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL