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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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I was waiting for your take on this Bullseye. Great read as usual.

I do agree we should not trade him.for.pennies. But I'd like to try and make a in house reset with him and the coaches first before just hitting the trade button.

He's an incredible talent.

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He drops this days before a make or break season game on a short week agains our biggest Rival. You might want Jalen here but Jalen doesn’t want to be here it’s painfully obvious. Pull the rip cord get what we can and move on he’s going to start sabotaging this team more and more. I consider this temper tantrum a sabotage but it’ll only get worse from here.

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I think I would lean toward trading him if the price is right, by which I mean, a mid-first round draft pick and a mid-second round draft pick.

He's a generational talent, for sure, but he's also going to be extremely expensive to re-sign, plus, he's disruptive, and he's going to be even more disruptive until we satisfy him. I don't recall any team winning a Super Bowl because they had the best cornerback in football.

Think of the money saved and the draft picks gained. It would make our salary cap situation a lot healthier.

It's depressing to think that our best player doesn't want to be here, that's for sure.

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Ah, an apologia for bad character and bad behavior.

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Fix the O-Line!

Definitely wouldnt trade him to the Tacks for obvious reason.

Not the Pats either..not for competitive reasons because let's be real, we aren't dethroning them with our with 2.0. What can they offer? The last pick in the 1st round? No thanks.

Only way they should trade him is to a non contender so we can get an early first round pick and other picks included.

I'd just tell him we arent trading you midseason. He might calm down he probably did this while he was still hot.

Please dont do this Caldwell

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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES 
ATLANTS BRAVES 

If we go 0-3, we should fire Marrone, bring in TC as interim HC, and if TC can't smooth things over with Ramsey, trade him for at least a mid first and a mid second.

I can't see spending $100 million on a CB anyway.

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(reads Bullseye’s post, extinguishes torch, leans pitchfork against wall and waits)

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Jalen is simply young, rich, and immature. We've all been at least 2 of those 3. He needs some perspective.

He wont get to step in on a new team and demand to be played this way or that.

He will not go somewhere and get to win 10 games + a year regularly.

It just does not happen in the NFL, even with elite QBs... Look at Brees, Rodgers, and other top flight QBs with their respective teams. They have all missed the playoffs at least 2-3 times recently... Those teams generally don't have the cap to spare for a top tier CB either, its tied up in the offense usually.... So, chances are he will go to a middle of the pack team and enjoy going 8-8 or worse most of his career.

Dude just needs to grow up, I know he's way smarter and tamer than AB, or even Bell. He just needs to realize what he's upset over is going to follow him on every team but 1 or 2 in the entire NFL. Its not college football where teams can be laoded and you go to a big school and win 11 games a year. Teams get hurt, outplayed, and lose games in the NFL.

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No, he's a commodity whose rights we own. The League needs to put and end to this behavior or The AB Strategy will RIP the league apart.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I'm more excited to see what we can get for that little [BLEEP].. The Jags have a real chance to plug some glaring holes with extra draft picks (high value at that)

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He drops this days before a make or break season game on a short week agains our biggest Rival. You might want Jalen here but Jalen doesn’t want to be here it’s painfully obvious. Pull the rip cord get what we can and move on he’s going to start sabotaging this team more and more. I consider this temper tantrum a sabotage but it’ll only get worse from here.

A guy who gets it...

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Lets look at the bright side of a post Ramsey life.
- Wont have to sign the largest contract ever to a corner (A position that has a short prime)
- Removal of locker room cancer
- Almost guarantee the signing of Yannick Ngakoue
- Wont have to listen to the chatter about how big of a diva / clown he it.

Will it be painful to let go of one of the best cover comers in the league? Of course.
Also think about what it would look like if you let a player push the coach around. What happens in 2020+ when we are searching for coaches. Do you think a coach will want to come to an environment where one player gets to rule to roost and push coaches around? That's now how you lure a good coach.

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Jaguars | Pacers | Purdue | Team USA

 

 

 

Ah, an apologia for bad character and bad behavior.

So what bad behavior or character has Jalen shown since he's been here?

He was brash and cussed during a pep rally?

He kind of chastised the local media for reporting on a fight?

Gave an interview for GQ where he gave his opinion on football related issues?

Asked for a new deal after excelling at his job?

He blew up at Marrone after a key play that continued a drive that led to points that proved to be the difference in the game?

Is that it?!??!?


No criminal matters?!?

No civil suits alleging sexual assault  or anything?

Question:  of the teams I listed above who made the moves to acquire these guys with "bad behavior" and character, which of those teams were in any way hindered from reaching or winning the Super Bowl by these miscreants?

In these limited examples of teams acquiring so called malcontents, only the Colts didn't reach the Super Bowl by acquiring the players in question., and I guarantee you none of those teams are apologizing for those championships won with contributions from these "bad people."

Self righteousness and moralizing don't win championships.

Star players do, and history proves it constantly.

P.S.  My citation of the Herschel Walker trade was not meant to imply bad character on the part of Herschel Walker.  By most accounts, he was a high character guy throughout his career.

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I was waiting for your take on this Bullseye. Great read as usual.

I do agree we should not trade him.for.pennies. But I'd like to try and make a in house reset with him and the coaches first before just hitting the trade button.

He's an incredible talent.

Thank you for everything in this post.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Lets look at the bright side of a post Ramsey life.
- Wont have to sign the largest contract ever to a corner (A position that has a short prime)
- Removal of locker room cancer
- Almost guarantee the signing of Yannick Ngakoue
- Wont have to listen to the chatter about how big of a diva / clown he it.

Will it be painful to let go of one of the best cover comers in the league? Of course.
Also think about what it would look like if you let a player push the coach around. What happens in 2020+ when we are searching for coaches. Do you think a coach will want to come to an environment where one player gets to rule to roost and push coaches around? That's now how you lure a good coach.

This all but guarantees we dont sign Yannick. Do you really think trading your best player will have the team rally behind the staff/front office? This will not end well, you might as well tell teams anyone is available via trade.

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No Fun

Lets look at the bright side of a post Ramsey life.
- Wont have to sign the largest contract ever to a corner (A position that has a short prime)
- Removal of locker room cancer
- Almost guarantee the signing of Yannick Ngakoue
- Wont have to listen to the chatter about how big of a diva / clown he it.

Will it be painful to let go of one of the best cover comers in the league? Of course.
Also think about what it would look like if you let a player push the coach around. What happens in 2020+ when we are searching for coaches. Do you think a coach will want to come to an environment where one player gets to rule to roost and push coaches around? That's now how you lure a good coach.

This all but guarantees we dont sign Yannick. Do you really think trading your best player will have the team rally behind the staff/front office? This will not end well, you might as well tell teams anyone is available via trade.

You can't keep someone here if they don't want to be here.. They won't buy in, they'll take plays off, they'll become a bigger distraction than what they already are, they'll make life even more miserable.. The front office needs a major overhaul as well. In my opinion, the faster we can part ways with Ramsey, Marrone, Caldwell and Wash, the better.. I'm tired of all 4 and I can't be alone on that..

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Ah, an apologia for bad character and bad behavior.

So what bad behavior or character has Jalen shown since he's been here?

He was brash and cussed during a pep rally?

He kind of chastised the local media for reporting on a fight?

Gave an interview for GQ where he gave his opinion on football related issues?

Asked for a new deal after excelling at his job?

He blew up at Marrone after a key play that continued a drive that led to points that proved to be the difference in the game?

Is that it?!??!?


No criminal matters?!?

No civil suits alleging sexual assault  or anything?

Question:  of the teams I listed above who made the moves to acquire these guys with "bad behavior" and character, which of those teams were in any way hindered from reaching or winning the Super Bowl by these miscreants?

In these limited examples of teams acquiring so called malcontents, only the Colts didn't reach the Super Bowl by acquiring the players in question., and I guarantee you none of those teams are apologizing for those championships won with contributions from these "bad people."

Self righteousness and moralizing don't win championships.

Star players do, and history proves it constantly.

P.S.  My citation of the Herschel Walker trade was not meant to imply bad character on the part of Herschel Walker.  By most accounts, he was a high character guy throughout his career.

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I was waiting for your take on this Bullseye. Great read as usual.

I do agree we should not trade him.for.pennies. But I'd like to try and make a in house reset with him and the coaches first before just hitting the trade button.

He's an incredible talent.

Thank you for everything in this post.

Thank you!

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And can we please stop saying he’s a cancer. No one has any clue how he is in the locker room. Based on the sideline interaction, I’d say they love Jalen.

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He drops this days before a make or break season game on a short week agains our biggest Rival. You might want Jalen here but Jalen doesn’t want to be here it’s painfully obvious. Pull the rip cord get what we can and move on he’s going to start sabotaging this team more and more. I consider this temper tantrum a sabotage but it’ll only get worse from here.

You can look at it like that, but it's easier to say it was simply the day after he had a huge sideline blow up toward his coach.

Now we get to choose between the player or the coach. If we were in year one or two of the tenure of one of the young, hot, up and comers then it might be a tough decision...but it's Doug friggin Marrone. Fire him yesterday and keep your superstar.

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He's put them in a no-win situation. There is no 'right choice' at this point.

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