JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville.
Ramsey’s agent, David Mulugheta, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen on Monday that he asked the Jaguars to trade his client. League sources also told ESPN that the Jaguars have had talks with teams and are asking for at least one first-round pick but would like more than that in return for the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback.
Another league source said he believes a trade could happen as early as this week because of the damage to the relationship between Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone after Ramsey’s sideline outburst during Sunday’s loss to Houston. Ramsey yelled at Marrone as he walked by on the sideline and moments later players and coaches had to get between Ramsey and Marrone near the bench.
The incident Sunday wasn’t the first time Ramsey’s discontent with the team spilled over into the public. He and fellow defensive backs Tashaun Gipson and Davon House were unhappy with the way they were used during the 2016 season. Ramsey, who was a rookie that year, and Gipson complained of being limited by the scheme and Ramsey also advocated a clean sweep of the defensive coaching staff.
Ramsey also was critical of the team’s defensive calls in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game against New England after the 2017 season.
Ramsey, the fifth overall pick in 2016, also wants a new contract. He said in the offseason that the team wasn’t going to get a hometown discount after the Jaguars told him they were not going to work on a contract extension for him this season. Ramsey, who showed up to training camp in a Brinks truck, is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and the team has picked up his fifth-year option in 2020.
Marrone said Monday that the team wasn’t going to discipline Ramsey. He downplayed the sideline incident, which was caught by CBS cameras, in which Ramsey yelled at Marrone because he was upset that Marrone did not challenge a completion to Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
“Those things, they happen all the time,” Marrone said. “They really do. I think now they’re a little bit more publicized but ever since I played there’s always stuff that goes on during the course of the game. I know when I was a line coach they didn’t see a lot of them, though, because no one was really in on them. But those things occur and it’s a high-intensity profession. There’s a lot of emotion that goes on.
“… We knew it was going to be a tough game, going to be on the road, we wanted to match that intensity with the Texans coming off that tough loss that they had and we were all jacked up.”
Marrone said he did not speak to Ramsey about the incident either after the game or Monday. Ramsey left the postgame locker room after declining to speak to the media. The players had Monday off but will be back in the building on Tuesday to prepare for Thursday night’s home game against Tennessee.
Ramsey was guarding Hopkins on a 3-yard completion that converted a third-and-2 late in the first quarter. Ramsey immediately jumped up and signaled incomplete toward the Jaguars sideline and wanted Marrone to challenge the play. Marrone didn’t and Ramsey was irate when he came the sideline after the Texans took a 3-0 lead on a 39-yard field goal six plays later.
Ramsey stormed past Marrone and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton wrapped his arms around Ramsey and guided him to the bench. Marrone came over to the bench and exchanged words with Ramsey before safety Ronnie Harrison and strength and conditioning coordinator Tom Myslinski got between the two. Harrison walked Marrone away.
Marrone said Monday that he went to the bench to tell Ramsey to calm down and focus on the rest of the game. “I wanted him to move on from it,” Marrone said. “I mean, that was over plays ago. Move on from it. Let’s go. We’ve got a long way to go in this game. Get that behind you.”
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