The New York Jets were right not to pursue Jalen Ramsey

The New York Jets decided to stay out of the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes as they saw him get traded to the Los Angeles Rams this past week. They were absolutely right for doing so.

Last week, part of a more active than usual NFL trade deadline, the Los Angeles Rams acquired CB Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick. Meanwhile, the New York Jets steered clear of the big-name cornerback.

While the drama with the Jaguars was unfolding, there was lots of chatter about the potential of Ramsey getting traded to the Jets. Although there is no doubting what Ramsey would bring to the Jets, the team did the right thing by allowing someone else to trade for him.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas entered the role in a precarious situation. His predecessor, Mike Maccagnan went through free agency and drafted a full class of players before his firing.

Douglas has made efforts to roster the team how he sees fit, but we will not truly get an idea of his vision until 2021 or 2022 when Douglas goes through a few offseasons of building the team the way he feels he needs to.

Douglas was hired with major money already invested in the cornerback position. He finds himself on the hook for Trumaine Johnson‘s five-year, $72.5 million deal. Johnson has clearly underplayed the contract and fallen below expectations.

This being said, the Jets have holes virtually everywhere. It simply would not make sense for the Jets to purge expensive draft capital and spend money to keep Ramsey on the roster. In spite of Ramsey’s talent, it was imperative that they go another direction.

More from The Jet Press

• NY Jets: Jonnu Smith would be a smart free-agent target
• NY Jets: 3 non-quarterback trade targets on offense
• NY Jets expected to be ‘much more aggressive’ in free agency this year
• NY Jets: Patriots will not use the franchise tag on Joe Thuney
• NY Jets officially place the franchise tag on safety Marcus Maye

Yes, it would be nice to have a cornerback on the roster that is a game-changer like Jalen Ramsey.  Jets fans were used to that during the prime years of Darrelle Revis.

Ramsey or no Ramsey, the cornerback play as a whole would be given a boost if the Jets were actually able to solidify a pass rush.

The Jets have arguably been deficient on the edge since they decided not to reach a deal with defensive end John Abraham in 2006.

While they were fortunate in drafting a generational center in Nick Mangold with the compensation they received, the loss of a true edge rusher is something that still plagues the Jets to this day.

Finding an edge rusher to get after the quarterback would mask the deficiencies in cornerback play, if even slightly. Any kind of a pass rush would make life easier on the secondary and it can be inferred that it would not be thought of as much of a need.

While the sky is the limit for Jalen Ramsey, he was not the right fit for the New York Jets.

The Jets are wise to keep all the draft capital they can to help quarterback Sam Darnold, find talent on the EDGE, and get younger and faster at the cornerback position in 2020 and beyond.