Whenever there is a stud player who expresses some sort of dissatisfaction with a team, whether it is a contract, or losing, or the way he is utilized in the scheme, or the coaches, or any number of things, the predictable response from fans is to dump the player.  Steelers fans have made an art out of advocating purging the team from guys like Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell.  Jaguars fans are certainly no different.  Many on this board argued the team should let Yannick Ngakoue walk after he had a brief holdout for a new contract, even though he has been a productive player who has epitomized professionalism since he's been here.  Now in the controversy du jour, Jalen Ramsey has requested a trade, and the chorus of detractors slapping him with the predictable "cancer," "diva," and "malcontent" label are louder than ever.  But are such reactions, whether by fans or by teams, a reflection of sound football judgment?  An examination of football history shows trades of superstar players usually benefits the teams that trade for the player much more than it benefits the teams that trade away the players.


Long before Tom Brady arrived on the scene, the Patriots did not have the midas touch.  Mike Haynes, one of the leagues best man CBs-who made 6 Pro Bowls in his first 7 years, sat out in a contract dispute.  Eventually, the Patriots dumped him to the Raiders and wound up getting a #1 pick in 1984 and a #2 pick in 1985.  The Raiders wound up with the best tandem of CBs in the league and wound up winning the Super Bowl in 1983, making All Pro twice on 1984 and 1985.

Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson began his career with the Los Angeles Rams.  After several great years he wanted a new contract, and the Rams would not oblige him.  They got so sick of his complaining, they pulled off one of the biggest trades in NFL history getting a boatload of picks and players from the Colts and Bills.  For at least a couple of years, the Colts got a 1000 yard rusher.  But the truckload of picks the Rams got in that trade did not translate into good players.  In fact, they botched most of those picks, and by 1992, the Rams were among the worst teams in football.  This trade actually proves the point twice, as another team in the deal, the Colts, were unable to sign their first round pick, LB Cornelius Bennett.  Having reached an impasse, he wound up a part of the deal, going to division rival Buffalo, where Bennett wound up being one of the best OLBs in football for several years as a part of an impressive Bills defense that went to four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s.

Brett Favre is known for being a Hall of Fame QB, mostly with the Packers.  But he didn't begin his career there.  He was actually drafted by the Falcons.  But then coach Jerry Glanville thought Favre did too much partying instead of studying.  The Packers took a chance on him, and several All Pro, Pro Bowl, league MVP, two Super Bowl appearances, one Super bowl win and a Hall of Fame enshrinement later, it's safe to say it wasn't worth it for the Falcons.

The 49ers were a dynasty in the 1980s and 90s.  One of the linchpins of that underrated defense was DE/OLB Charles Haley, who had made several Pro Bowls and helped the 49ers win two Super Bowls in the late 1980s.  However, there were reports he was disruptive in the locker room, getting in any number of disputes with any number of team personnel.  Tired of his antics, the 49ers traded him to Dallas for a relative pittance.  Haley wound up being the missing piece of that Dallas defense that wound up the #1 defense in the league, and wound up winning 3 Super Bowls with Dallas, supplanting the 49ers for NFL supremacy. 

In the aftermath of the failed Eric Dickerson trade, the Rams drafted Jerome Bettis circa 1993.  He was All Pro his rookie year and made the Pro Bowl his first two seasons.  But contract issues, among other things, led to Bettis again being labeled a malcontent.  Undoubtedly, there were cries to trade the RB, including from in the Rams front office.  Heeding those cries, the Rams traded Bettis and a 3rd round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for 2nd and 4th round picks.  While the Rams struggled to replace him, eventually missing spectacularly on Lawrence Phillips in 1996, the Steelers had one of the most prolific rushing attacks for the remainder of the 1990s with Bettis.

The Rams were actually the beneficiaries of a team ridding itself of a disgruntled super star, when the Colts traded away Marshall Faulk-who wanted a new contract- for 2nd round and 5th round picks.  The Rams wound up going to two Super Bowls with Faulk, who wound up being league MVP and first team All Pro between 1999-2001.  While the Colts wound up doing well after the trade, what they wound up getting for that 2nd round pick (LB Mike Peterson) wasn't enough in comparison with what the Rams got.

More recently, we saw what happened when the Raiders traded away DE/OLB Khalil Mack.  Their defense fell into the toilet and they dropped to a 4 win team.  Meanwhile, the Bears went from worst to first, becoming a Super Bowl favorite in the NFC coming into this season.  We've also seen the Steelers jettison "cancers" and "Malcontents"like Leveon Bell and Antonio Brown.  They are currently winless and have struggled on offense.

Now most who advocate getting rid of Ramsey would undoubtedly cite the Herschel Walker trade as an example of a team trading away a star player and being rewarded handsomely for it.  But there are big differences between that trade and a possible Jalen Ramsey trade.  First, the Herschel Walker trade was an aberration of aberrations.  They got 3 #1 picks, 3 #2 picks, a 3rd round pick, and several existing players for Walker.  I don't think any non QB is going to get that sort of draft haul again.  Secondly, Dallas of 1989 was completely devoid of young talent.  They had nothing to lose in moving Walker.  This Jacksonville team is far more talented than that Dallas team.

Fans don't like it when players don't act the way they think they should.  Sometimes star players can be difficult for fans and teams to stomach.  But before you start salivating over the picks you may get, remember what the draft is for in the first place.  The whole point is to accumulate elite players to help you win the Super Bowl.  Whether you like his personality or not, Ramsey is an elite player at a premium position.   You don't get rid of guys like that on a whim.

In closing, I would like to channel a PSA from the 1980s.

If someone suggests trading Ramsey, instead of saying something you really don't want to say...

Just Say No!

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