What is the Future of Jacksonville's Defense Without Jalen Ramsey?
Following the departure of its best player and the face of the defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars's previously elite defense has changed drastically. Now, Jacksonville has some decisions to make for its defensive future.
With All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a package of draft picks Tuesday night, the future of Jacksonville's defense now looks quite different than it did when the Jaguars entered the season thinking Ramsey would be in their long-term plans.
Ramsey was due to make $13.7 million in 2020 thanks to Jacksonville picking up his fifth-year option. That figure also pales in comparison to what Ramsey would have commanded if he signed a multi-year extension with the team, a contract many deemed would set NFL records for a cornerback.
With Ramsey out of the long-term picture, the landscape of the Jaguars defense moving forward has now changed. Lets look at a few players whose futures with the team may have been impacted by Tuesday's blockbuster trade:
Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue
Nobody is more impacted by the Ramsey trade than fourth-year pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue. As it stands, Ngakoue is the only Jaguars starter who is projected to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2019 season, and he has been vocal about his desire for a new contract.
Ngakoue's desire to receive a payday led to the productive defensive end holding out from the first portion of Jacksonville's training camp. He eventually returned, but it is clear he wants a new deal to remain a Jaguar.
With Ramsey now no longer in the fold, the probability of Ngakoue, who has 31.5 sacks since being drafted in the third-round of the 2016 NFL draft, getting the contract he seeks is higher now than it was when the season started.
Some of the money Ramsey was going to be given in a massive extension can now theoretically be shifted to Ngakoue, who has far outplayed his rookie contract. Per Over The Cap, the projected franchise tag cost for a defensive end in 2020 will be $19,316,000. If the Jaguars can not strike an in-season deal with Ngakoue, they will still have the room to tag him.
Ngakoue is no sure bet to remain in Jacksonville long-term, despite the fact that he has been one of the team's model players on and off the field since being drafted. But with Ramsey's massive future contract no longer a factor, the odds are better for Ngakoue to remain in Jacksonville than they have been at any point over the last few months.
Cornerback A.J. Bouye
Before Ramsey ever requested a trade out of Jacksonville, many assumed 2019 would be Bouye's final season in Jacksonville. He holds a $15.5 million cap hit 2020, the fourth year of a five-year contract, and holds the same cap hit in 2021.
Since many expected Ramsey to get a massive deal from the Jaguars, it was sensible to think the team would move on from Bouye and his large contract. But with Ramsey shipped off to Los Angeles, Bouye is now one of the team's most important players moving forward.
Without Ramsey's fifth-year option hanging over Jacksonville's financial situation, they simply can not afford to not keep Bouye in the fold. He is the only member of the team's secondary who has ever started a full season, making him the elder statesman of a unit that has two first-year starters in cornerback Tre Herndon and safety Jarrod Wilson.
Bouye's play took a step back in 2018 after he was a Pro Bowl player in 2017. But five games into his 2019 season (he missed Week 2 with a hip injury), he has been a steady player for a Jacksonville defense that has desperately needed a calming presence in a young secondary.
With Ramsey no longer in the picture, Bouye simply can not be let go. He should be one of the cornerstones of the Jaguars defense for the next two seasons, at least.
Cornerback Tre Henrdon
Out of the three players listed, Herndon is the only one who is truly impacted by the Ramsey trade in 2019. Ngakoue and Bouye were already starters before Ramsey requested a trade, but Herndon did not find a full-time starting role until Ramsey began to sit out games with a back injury.
Herndon, a second-year player who made the 2018 team as a rookie undrafted free agent, has started four games this season. He played well in his first start against the Houston Texans in Week 2, but struggled mightily vs. the Denver Broncos in Week 4 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 6.
For Herndon, the departure of Ramsey means the next 10 games are essentially an audition for a full-time starting role beyond 2019. Herndon would have never even sniffed that opportunity if Ramsey remained a Jaguar.
If Herndon plays well over the next 10 games, he will have a case made to start next season. If he doesn't, the Jaguars will be looking for a No. 2 cornerback.
The Ramsey era in Jacksonville is officially over, and now the Jaguars have to move forward and make serious decisions on the rest of their defense. The unit was once built around Ramsey, and now it will have to be built to makeup for the loss of his elite talent.
