Jaguars Confident in Secondary in Post-Ramsey Era
When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday for two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round pick on, they changed the landscape of their defense. That is to be expected when a transcendent talent leaves a unit.
But the Jaguars (2-4) have gotten a headstart on what the post-Ramsey era looks like after Ramsey didn’t play Weeks 4-6 due to a back injury, the first three missed games of his career. Second-year cornerback Tre Herndon has taken Ramsey’s place in the starting lineup and will be leaned on moving forward.
“We’re going to have to change some things up and make sure that we’re still putting our guys in position to make plays, that’s the most important thing,” Jacksonville defensive coordinator Todd Wash said Thursday.
For Wash, he will have to lead a defense which will definitively not have Ramsey in the starting lineup for the first time since the 2016 season.
While Ramsey missed the last three games with the injury, there was always hope that maybe he would be able to suit up, especially in Week 6 after Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he expected Ramsey to play vs. the New Orleans Saints. But now, the looming question of Ramsey is gone, and the Jaguars know what they have in 2019.
“Obviously it’s tough. Jalen’s a very, very good football player,” Wash said.
“He’s really matured over the last three years. It’s been a joy coaching him when he’s been here the last couple years Obviously, we wish him nothing but the best. I liked having him out there on Sunday’s. But, like everybody’s saying, it was the best thing for the organization right now and we wish him nothing but the best. I talked to him the night that the trade happened, he was in good spirits and we wish him nothing but the best.”
Herndon’s first four career starts have come in 2019 after stepping in for an injured A.J. Bouye in Week 2 and then for Ramsey the last three weeks. He has been up and down as a starter, but he has grown in the role thanks to the experience.
Herndon has been targeted 29 times in coverage this season per Pro Football Reference, the highest number on the Jaguars defense, with Bouye targeted 28 times. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said Wednesday he has still been pleased with Herndon’s play amid despite the heavy amount of targets.
“I’ve always been comfortable with Tre. I think we get everything we can out of him,” Marrone said. “I think teams have targeted him, they will go to him and he’s playing well. He is doing a nice job. From where Tre has started to where he is, he continues to get better. That is only going to help our football team.”
For the Jaguars to be a successful defense over the next 10 games, they will need solid production from not only Herndon and Bouye but also nickel cornerback D.J. Hayden and safeties Jarrod Wilson and Ronnie Harrison.
And for this to be the case, the Jaguars’ secondary will need to continue to grow together like it has the last three weeks. Marrone said one of the most important things in the post-Ramsey secondary will be the communication between the five.
“Communication is big, that’s the one thing that I always say we have good communication. Both safeties have been playing together, Tre [Herndon] has been playing for a while,” Marrone said.
“The communication has increased, meaning that it’s better just naturally. It is not something that was a problem before. We expect those guys to go out there and play well.”
