Baltimore Ravens: Building a trade offer for Jalen Ramsey

The Baltimore Ravens have official inquired about Jalen Ramsey, so we’ll take it upon us to build an ideal trade offer for the talented cornerback.

Like many hoped, the Baltimore Ravens have done their research on Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who’s recently asked for a trade from the team. We discussed this a few days back as to whether or not it was a possibility and came to the conclusion that they should at least call the Jaguars.

Now, it seems that the Ravens have at least some interest in acquiring the corner that they tried to move up for in the 2016 NFL Draft. It’s certainly the right move, considering his talent, age, and injuries at the position. The question is what will Baltimore have to offer to seize his rights?

It will certainly cost a pretty penny, but I believe I have a scenario in place to where the Ravens can trade for Jalen Ramsey without totally breaking the bank. Let’s take a look…

2020 first round pick:

The absolute minimum cost for trading for Jalen Ramsey will be a first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. This is undoubtedly a high price to pay, but for a player of Ramsey’s talent, it’s more than worth it. Any draft pick is a gamble, no matter how “safe” they appear to be (hello, Trent Richardson). To use that pick on a guaranteed stud is worth the move, and Baltimore would be getting just that in Ramsey.

The bright side is that the Ravens are competing now and the future; something that Jalen Ramsey would provide the team. Having two of the top-five cornerbacks in the NFL in Ramsey and Marlon Humprey would make the team almost impossible to throw on. We saw last week vs. the Arizona Cardinals that some top-level depth could be needed after two key injuries.

In Ramsey, Baltimore has secured themselves a stud who is turning just 25-years old in October. Ramsey has one-year remaining on his rookie contract, but the Ravens have plenty of cap space to lock him up long-term. A first round pick is the minimum, but the Baltimore Ravens can spare theirs.

2020 fifth round pick:

This is where Baltimore can start to sway the trade in their favor. It’s unlikely the team gives up two high picks for Jalen Ramsey, as General Manager Eric DeCosta has a pretty good idea of what he’s doing. Moving an extra fifth round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is another ideal move for both teams.

Here, the Ravens are able to send another pick to Jacksonville without screwing up the beginning of their draft. The Jaguars acquire more ammo in a star-studded draft class. Everyone wins. But, to really sweeten the deal, Baltimore has to send a player with some upside…

Hayden Hurst:

This move would hurt quite a bit, despite Ravens Flock’s opinion on his draft value. Yes, Hayden Hurst was a reach at the time he was drafted, but “Ginger Thor” still maintains some serious upside and athleticism to make a difference for Baltimore. That’s why moving him will be a hard sell for the Ravens Front Office.

However, when one looks at the Jacksonville Jaguars roster it is evidently clear that tight end is a weakness on the offense. It wouldn’t be ideal to spend a high draft pick on one, either; this is more apparent knowing the team passed on T.J. Hockenson when he was available to them in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jacksonville doesn’t want to waste capital on a tight end, so why not make a trade for a stud who would fit in well with the team?

It’s not going to be easy for the Baltimore Ravens to swing a deal for Jalen Ramsey, but it’s not impossible, either. I believe this trade offer is more than fair to both sides, and the Baltimore Ravens could have two shut-down corners for the next decade. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who would no doubt miss Ramsey, still have corner depth and could use the picks to build a more complete team and get back to competing. All in all, this is the ideal trade for the Ravens and Jaguars to make for Jalen Ramsey.