Reviewing the Jalen Ramsey Trade and Its Impact on the Jaguars Months Later

On Oct. 15, the Jacksonville Jaguars executed what is in all likelihood the most consequential and momentous trade in the franchise's 25-year history.

All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey was the face of the Jaguars from the moment they selected him fifth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. TIAA Bank Field was filled with waves of '20' jerseys each Sunday. Whatever trash talk Ramsey spoke in interviews or on social media was met with applause.

This all changed after Week 2 of the 2019 season, of course. Following a spat with head coach Doug Marrone on the sidelines, and then another one with front office members following the game, Ramsey requested a trade. What would follow in the next several weeks could only be described as a circus on and off the gridiron.

Ramsey played in Week 3's primetime win over the Tennessee Titans, but this was the last time he would ever don a Jaguars uniform. Over the next three weeks, he would be held out of practices and games with illnesses, traveling to see the birth of his daughter and a back injury he claimed made him unable to play.

After Ramsey didn't play in Week 6 vs. the New Orleans Saints, embarrassing Jaguars owner Shad Khan in the process after Khan had gone on record earlier in the week to say Ramsey would play, Ramsey was finally shipped out of Jacksonville.

The Jaguars would strike a deal with the Los Angeles Rams in the days following the Saints game. For Ramsey's services, the Rams sent Jacksonville first-round draft picks in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts, along with a 2021 fourth-round pick.

So, with the Ramsey trade and the 2019 season now in the rearview, how has the Ramsey trade played out for Jacksonville so far? Of course, things will change as years progress, but we can determine the short-term implications.

Life for Jacksonville Post-Ramsey

Jacksonville didn't have much success on the field following Ramsey's departure, but that should be expected when a team loses the best player on its roster. Ramsey was traded after Week 6, but his absence from the team began after Week 3.

In the 13 games played without Ramsey in 2019, the Jaguars went 5-8 and allowed 25.58 points per game and 231.84 passing yards per game. With Ramsey, Jacksonville went 1-2 to start the season and allowed 20 points per game and 241 passing yards per game.

In three games with the Jaguars, Ramsey allowed 16 completions on 25 targets (64% completion rate), per Pro Football Reference. He allowed 147 yards in coverage (9.2 yards per completion) and one touchdown.

Jacksonville's replacement for Ramsey, second-year cornerback Tre Herndon, started over a dozen games due to Ramsey's refusal to play and subsequent departure, and was solid in his place, albeit clearly not the level of player Ramsey was.

Herndon allowed 37 completions on 80 targets (46.3% completion rate). In those completions, he allowed 613 yards in coverage (16.6 yards per completion) and three interceptions.

The fact Jacksonville didn't have a complete liability at cornerback once Ramsey stopped taking the field in black and teal factors into the trade. Herndon likely secured himself a role on the defense moving forward thanks to his play in Ramsey's absence -- if he had not, Jacksonville would have suffered even more from losing Ramsey than they already did.

Aside from the on-field production of the Jaguars' defense following the Ramsey debacle, the major focus when examining the trade will, of course, be on the draft compensation the Jaguars received.

In the short-term, Jacksonville will reap the benefits of the trade as it netted them the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Combine this with the Jaguars' original draft slot at ninth overall, and Jacksonville has two top-20 picks and is in a prime position to bolster its roster.

Due to the trade, the Jaguars also have some more cap space flexibility than they presumed they would have entering the 2019 season. Ramsey's fifth-year option was picked up by Jacksonville last offseason, so if he was still on the roster this year he would be due a whopping $13.7 million in guaranteed money for the 2020 season.

For a team with as much cap issues as the Jaguars have, not being forced to shell out nearly $15 million to Ramsey can be beneficial when it comes to the Jaguars' ability to resign other players, such as potentially defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.

Anytime a team loses an elite player like Ramsey, there will be consequences on the field. This was largely the case for Jacksonville in 2019, even though Ramsey went on to have the worst season of his four-year professional career.

But dealing Ramsey also gave Jacksonville more chances to improve its roster heading into a crucial offseason. If Ramsey was still in the fold, Jacksonville would likely surely lose Ngakoue and would have only the one first-round pick.

Time will tell if the Ramsey trade was a good move for the Jaguars in the long-term. But in the short-term, it appears to have been a prudent move for a roster full of holes that could potentially now be filled thanks to the deal.