First, the STAR position is becoming one of the most important positions on the defensive side of the ball. In an NFL that sees more passing, 3 LBer sets are becoming a dinosaur. So what replaces the 3rd LBer? The STAR, that is a hybrid slot CB, S, OLB. Very few football players can cover a slot WR, blitz with effectiveness and give support in the run game. Which makes a good STAR rare IMO. Thats why the STAR position is so important to a defense. If you don't have one that can do all 3 of the things I mentioned, your defense will suffer in one of those aspects.
Staley didn't invent the STAR, college has been using it for years, but he did make it a prominent fixture for the Rams and now Chargers. And yes, he saw what Ramsey could do from his college days.
To recap Ramsey's college career:
Freshman: Starting Outside CB & safety (freshman all american)
Sophmore: Spur (FSU's version of the STAR) (all American)
Junior: Outside CB (all american)
So he had proven he can do a little of everything, and do it at a high level. He has the size, speed, physicality and temperment to play the STAR.
It also keeps him close to the action at all times, you put him at OCB, and sure, he may take away one half of the field, he losses the ability to blitz as much and to be more involved in run support. And his run support was second to none this year.
Lastly, if you aren't putting Ramsey in as the STAR, who does it? Rapp can be used in run support and to blitz, but he will struggle covering slot WRs. Fuller might struggle in coverage as well and was injured. Howard can run support and blitz, but his cover skills are lacking. I think Rochell can work there, he has the quicks and speed to run with slot WRs, the length to handle big slot WRs, but would be an unknown in run support and blitzing. Add to that, he comes from a small school and is raw. I think he makes the most sense as a Ramsey replacement.
TL;DR - Ramsey is the rare athlete that can play the star position at a high level, and the STAR position is not given enough credit on this board for being as important a position as it is. And there is no one else that can play the STAR in all 3 phases.
Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok
