If Jalen Ramsey is Worth Two 1sts, What's Stephon Gilmore Worth?
There are so many layers to the story of the Rams sending two 1sts and a 4th to Jacksonville for Jalen Ramsey. First of all, you’ve got a franchise that was within two scores of winning a Super Bowl just eight months ago giving off the stench of desperation with a panic move mere hours after GM Les Snead told Yahoo “We’re not going to be scared. But we’re not going to be reckless.” Moves don’t get more reckless than this. This is the Maverick-flying-inverted-three-feet-above-the-MIG of NFL trades. It all but guarantees the Rams will go FIVE straight drafts without a Round 1 pick. And Ramsey is still unsigned. So if he leaves in free agency, Snead will be flying cargo planes of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong.
Second, it’s proof that Tom Coughlin has seen enough and is under no delusions that the Jags are going anywhere this year. Despite him saying they’re still in Win Now mode. And despite the gift from God that is Gardner Minshew. Here is yet another franchise that was thisclose just a few months ago. In January of 2018 they were up 10 in the 4th quarter of the AFC championship game, but Tom Brady found Danny Amendola in the end zone twice and they’ve never recovered. They’ve gone 7-15 since and just traded away their best player. Meaning that a team that was convinced they were all set to be a perennial contender just a season ago is starting from scratch once again.
But for me the major takeaway isn’t that losing to the Patriots in the postseason has left the Rams and Jaguars permanently damaged. As happy as that makes me. It’s that Adam Schefter calling Ramsey the best cornerback in the game.
Are we still having this discussion? I thought this was settled science. I mean, just because Ramsey says it doesn’t mean the rest of us have to repeat it like it’s so. Have we forgotten what Stephon Gilmore said about Ramsey calling himself the best on Scott Zolak’s radio show a year ago this week?
“It’s funny. A lot of people can talk but you’ve gotta back it up — which he does. Sometimes. It is what it is. A lot of guys that talk, that’s just their personality or that’s just how they is. It’s his personality. That’s not my style, but I find a lot of guys that talk are mostly zone guys so they have a lot of energy to do that.”
Finger guns! Stephon Gilmore: The Jeff Ross of defensive backs. But he’s not wrong. Just because he doesn’t run to every microphone in his field of view to talk about how great he is doesn’t mean that Gilmore is not much, much better than Ramsey. Or that he locks down every team’s No. 1 receiver all over the field, while Ramsey gets to sit in down in his zone and pass guys off to his teammates. Don’t take my word for it. Or his. Ask anybody who’s played with or against him:
Or just look at the numbers, which are not close:
Gilmore, this season and last:
Games: 22
Targets: 122
Receptions: 54
Completion %: 44
Yards Allowed: 544
TDs Allowed: 4
INTs: 4
PBU: 30
Passer Rating: 54.2
Jalen Ramsay, this season and last:
Games: 19
Targets: 152
Receptions: 94
Completion %: 62
Yards Allowed: 1,120
TDs Allowed: 4
INTs: 3
PBU: 14
Passer Rating: 84.87
But sure, let’s keep talking about how he’s the best in the business despite the fact he doesn’t face the talent Gilmore does, doesn’t have as tough a job and doesn’t come anywhere close to the production. And if some sucker GM is desperate and reckless enough to blow two 1st Rounders on a CB who might turn out to be a 10-week rental, then Gilmore is worth twice that. But I still wouldn’t make the deal. Now that we’ve seen how valuable having the best corner in the game is, I don’t ever want to go back to the way things used to be.
P.S. Remember when everyone was saying they should’ve given Malcolm Butler that money instead of Gilmore? Good times.