Here’s AvengerRam…
Jalen Ramsey is a great player.
I wanted to make that part clear from the start, lest be accused of expressing mere “sour grapes.” Ramsey is a guy who can shut down elite receivers and make big plays from the secondary. He may be the best CB I’ve ever seen in run support.
But, now that he’s gone, can I be honest? There were some things about him that concerned me.
To borrow from a common phrase, it would be difficult for any player to walk the walk required to talk as much as Jalen talked. How many other CBs have publicly critiqued the league’s QBs (with some pretty unflattering statements about some)? How many other CBs have openly chastised teammates on the field as Ramsey did?
Beyond that, again… can I be honest? His role in the Rams’ championship run was… odd. Against Tampa, he was beat for a big TD. Against the 49ers, he dropped two potential interceptions that could have changed the game. Then, against the Bengals, while I don’t blame him for the TD that resulted from an uncalled face mask, he made a potentially huge mistake on the final drive by going for an interception, turning what would have a 3-4 yard gain into a 17 yard gain.
After the win, he didn’t show up at the Championship parade. Supposedly, a prior commitment… but that was… odd.
This past year, he made a lot of plays. But, truth be told, wasn’t he beat more than you’d expect from an elite CB?
Now, he’s gone. And, yes, we received compensation that was… disappointing. But, now that I’m hearing that Ramsey may have been angling for more money… let’s just say I’m starting to feel like there’s more to the story than just a 3rd round draft pick, Hunter long, and $5.6 million in immediate cap savings.
I’m still a Jalen Ramsey fan. I appreciate his contribution to one of the greatest Rams seasons ever.
But… I’ll just say it. In the long run, all things considered, I’m not sure we’re going to be worse off without him.
