From the AFC South to the NFC West for the game's top cornerback
Ramsey traded to Rams for two firsts
Oct 15, 2019, 7:09 pm
Photo via: Jaguars/Facebook
Jalen Ramsey finally got his way and is on his way out of Jacksonville.
The deal
It’s happening: Former Jaguars’ CB Jalen Ramsey is being traded to the LA Rams for two first-round picks in 2020 and 2021, and a fourth-round pick in 2021, source tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2019
This isn't too far from what the Texans gave up for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills. It is a hefty price to pay for cornerback help after they traded away Marcus Peters and put Aqib Talib on injured reserve.
This is a desperation move for the Rams who are squarely in win-now mode. It will be interesting to see how they work Ramsey into a future that includes heavy prices for Aaron Donald, Jared Goff, and Todd Gurley.
As for the Jaguars, there is almost no chance a player of Ramsey's talent is available where the Jaguars select using these Rams picks. But, Ramsey clearly wasn't playing for them. They might have done the best they could do in regards of what deals they could get for the stud cornerback.
Rams outlook
This doesn't help their offense but my goodness their defense got so much better. They have the best defensive lineman in football and now the best player in the secondary in the NFL.
Wade Phillips has to be smiling from ear to ear with this move. Especially after they lost one stud corner to injury and one was moved.
Not to mention, they helped fortify their offensive line with another trade with the Browns as well. This doesn't immediately flip everything, but the Rams are much much better than when the game finished against the 49ers.
Jaguars outlook
The Jaguars lose a leader and stud on defense while gaining a roster spot that was occupied by a player that wasn't going to play for them in 2019. This doesn't help the Jaguars at all in 2019 but it helps fortify a team down the road that might be cash strapped when looking to add talent.
It isn't the best move in the world, but once Ramsey made it clear he wasn't playing for the Jaguars this was the only move.
AFC South outlook
The Texans, Titans, and Colts have to be breathing a sigh of relief right now. To see a player of Ramsey's talent exit the division is huge. The Titans take over as the best cornerback room in the division but the Colts are no slouches either. It also ends the best 1-on-1 matchup in football which is DeAndre Hopkins and Jalen Ramsey when those two square off in what used to be a twice-yearly headline.
NFC West Outlook
The Rams defense is now the second-best unit behind the 49ers. They also now have the best secondary in the division when you factor in the depth of their safety spot and what Ramsey brings to the table. The 49ers and Seahawks have already missed Ramsey once, so the Cardinals will get the Ramsey experience twice. This could tip the scales towards the Rams in an intense matchup between Seattle or the 49ers if their offense could get going.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.