Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden should pull the trigger on Jalen Ramsey trade
By Justin Fried
The Oakland Raiders desperately need help in their secondary and they should make the star-studded trade for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey as a result.
The Oakland Raiders have been no strangers to big-name, high-profile trades since head coach Jon Gruden re-joined the team back in 2018. And with a need in the secondary, could a move for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey be in the cards?
In Gruden’s first season back with the team, he and the Raiders sent franchise cornerstones Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper packing. And in his first offseason, the team made the controversial move to trade for superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Obviously the latter move never panned out but it’s clear that the Raiders haven’t been gun-shy when it comes to making major trades under Gruden.
For that reason, the Raiders seem like an obvious destination for Ramsey.
Ramsey has spent the last four seasons establishing himself as one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of his last two seasons and was voted First-Team All-Pro back in 2017.
It isn’t a stretch to say that he’s the best cornerback in the NFL and you’d be hard-pressed to find a list that has him outside the top five. Unfortunately, he seems to have overstayed his welcome in Jacksonville.
Rumors of a possible departure from the Jaguars have been heating up for quite some time and that was only amplified following an argument with head coach Doug Marrone on the sidelines of Sunday’s 13-12 loss to the Houston Texans.
As a result, Ramsey has reportedly requested a trade from Jacksonville, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The asking price is expectedly high with the Jaguars reportedly looking for at least one first-round pick plus added draft capital.
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In fact, a recent report has emerged insisting that the Jaguars could even be looking for two first-round picks.
Now, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to a possible trade for Ramsey. But there’s no doubt that the Raiders could use him.
After seeing their secondary shredded by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, Oakland could absolutely benefit from adding a player of his caliber — as could any team.
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The move would allow Gareon Conley — who’s shown flashes of greatness but hasn’t been able to put it all together — to be able to slide to the No. 2 cornerback role while giving the team a true difference-maker in the secondary.
Altogether, adding Ramsey would improve the Raiders defense in about every way imaginable and his addition alone could transform the secondary from a weakness into a true strength.
That said, the price is going to be very high — not to mention that they’ll expectedly need to hand him a hefty contract extension within a year or two upon the expiration of his rookie contract.
Fortunately, the Raiders have both the draft capital and cap space to make a move like this.
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With two 2020 first-round picks, the Raiders could easily part with one of them in order to make this trade. The question is, do you throw in next year’s first-round pick to facilitate a move?
That’s a question that Gruden and company will have to answer over the coming days. But it would surprise absolutely no one if they pulled the trigger and got a deal done.
And in terms of cap space, the Raiders are expected to have around $90 million in free money this offseason and could create even more cap if need be.
They have the draft capital and money to make this move. There’s no question that it would immensely improve their chances of making a run at the postseason this year and into the future.
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And with Gruden calling the shots, the Raiders might just make it happen.