(10-18-2019, 07:12 AM)Caldrac Wrote:

(10-18-2019, 06:34 AM)Bullseye Wrote: That is possible, though Khan later indicated he was willing to re-sign Ramsey now as opposed to next year.

But what message does that send?

That offensive players have more value to the team than defensive players?

That guys who never made All Pro or Pro Bowl are valued over guys who have?

That durable players are valued less than injury prone players?

There are any number of messages the team could unwittingly convey with this change, if, in fact they are learning the lessons from the Linder and Bortles deals.

This team was a 3rd and country mile away from booking it's flight to it's first Superbowl. In fairness to Bortles, he played pretty damn good in his first three play-off starts. And maybe the front office thought he was turning the corner having tasted that much success and falling short. 

They swung. They missed. They also swung and missed with Brandon Linder so far. They did offer an extension to Yannick. He turned it down. They paid Telvin Smith the year before, he under performed and also quit on his team this year. Myles Jack was offered an extension. He [BLEEP] took it. 

What else does the Front Office have to do? They made their offers. They're either accepted or rejected. Again, it's still early. I still think they'll resign Ngakoue at some point. I also think it's likely Fournette is resigned. 

But the biggest message I took away from this Ramsey ordeal? 

Team first. Not players first. Show that you're a good teammate. Show that you're a high character guy in the locker room. Conduct yourself like a professional on and off the field and stop being a baby back [BLEEP] and maybe, just maybe, you'll get that green that you seek. 

When Ramsey takes a [BLEEP] on the Rams after his next 26 games are wrapped up it'll be the ultimate trade for this team. Jalen Ramsey is nothing more than a Cornerback version of T.O. Me, me, me & I, I, I. Guys like that don't stick around on teams for very long. Three years in Jacksonville. Maybe two years in Los Angeles. But he's destined to move again at some point the moment his baby back [BLEEP] [BLEEP] doesn't get his way. 

He spit in Khan's face. After he supported him several times publicly. That's a no-no in any Business.

(emphasis added)

Here's an idea:  Retain the very best players...the ones who had the most to do with the winning.

The team first mindset is meaningless if you don't have players on the team that can translate that mindset into wins.

I'm pretty sure nobody on that 1995 team was accused to being a me first player.  I'm fairly certain, players were doing everything they could to improve the fortunes of that team.  Yet there is no way that team was going to come close to contending in 1995.  Why?

They didn't have the talent to do so.

Conversely, all of the teams in the league saw, to some degree, the things Ramsey did to potentially alienate himself from the team.  Yet virtually every team made preliminary inquiries, and several were reported to be serious suitors, including the Eagles, who just won the Super Bowl two years ago, and the Rams, who were just in the Super Bowl last year.  I readily admit I have never worked in an NFL front office, but I tend to think teams that reach Super Bowls value talent and teamwork.  Yet those teams did not hesitate to pursue Ramsey. 

How do you explain that?  Why is it that franchises that know how to reach the pinnacle stage of the NFL so aggressively pursued such a noxious individual?  Even if they weren't in the locker room, they had to suspect that maybe Ramsey wasn't a team first player.  He's the guy who plays zone only when he wants to, right?  He's the guy who quit on his teammates, right?  So why was he pursued by so many teams?  Why were the Rams willing to trade so much for him?

It's funny that so many of his detractors call Ramsey "soft" when arguing either expressly or tacitly he isn't worth the headache.

But history has repeatedly shown that while those less successful franchises tend to somehow be prone to headaches, the successful franchises are willing to take an aspirin, take a chance on exceptional talent, and reap the benefits.  The trrade market for Ramsey is indisputable proof of that.

---