The Jaguars’ toilet party looks a little less toilety with the rise of Gardner Minshew, but Jalen Ramsey still wants out. Ramsey played and excelled in Thursday night’s 20-7 home win over Tennessee, which was and is expected to be his last game as a Jaguar after requesting a trade following a sideline confrontation with head coach Doug Marrone last week. But Ramsey has made crystal-clear that his problem isn’t with Marrone.
Ramsey heard mostly cheers in Thursday’s game, and was seen hugging his fellow D-backs at the end. He’s out of here, as soon as the Jags decide which of Ramsey’s many suitors is offering the most for the 24-year-old, often-shutdown corner with another two years of affordable team control.
You can see why every team would want him, but it’s a little bit harder to see why Jacksonville couldn’t make it work. In an appearance on the 17 Weeks podcast recorded Monday and released hours before last night’s kickoff, Ramsey shed some light.
“The incident on the sideline with me and coach, I didn’t think much of that in particular because that happens from time to time. That happens across the league.”
Ramsey was referring to his little screaming-and-shoving match with Marrone, the trigger for which is still unknown but which Ramsey chalked up to “passion.” Ramsey went on to say that it’s what happened in a meeting after the game that caused him to go to his agent and demand a trade.
“Some disrespectful things were said on their end that made me definitely walk out and call my agent as soon as I walked out. I said, “‘It’s time. My time is up here in Jacksonville.’”
But who said those things?
“It has nothing to do with my teammates here. I love all my teammates here. It has nothing to do with the city. I love the city here. ... But it was more so with the front office and the organization.”
The meeting that so upset Ramsey would have been with GM Dave Caldwell and/or VP of football operations Tom Coughlin. Just in case you had any lingering doubt:
Coughlin has a history of alienating talented players, and certainly hasn’t given any indications that he’s able or willing to change his management style in an era where players are increasingly realizing they don’t have to take that shit. Ramsey noted on the podcast that his dissatisfaction isn’t new, and has been “building over a little bit of time.” And so, barring something completely unexpected, Coughlin’s lack of interpersonal skills will be some other team’s gain.