It’s nothing short of a medical miracle for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Just one day after he arrived in Los Angeles via trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ramsey appeared on the Rams official injury report, stating that he missed the team’s practice session for “not injury related” reasons.
So that back injury which was serious enough to keep him out of three straight games while he was still with Jacksonville has apparently healed. Wow! It’s amazing- the healing powers of a trade!
The Jalen Ramsey factor is something to consider in case you are doing any NFL betting this weekend, with the 3-3 L.A. Rams visiting the 1-5 Atlanta Falcons. While the Rams have lost three straight, they are still favored -3.5 on Sunday, with a total set at 53.5. While last year’s NFL runner-up have been extremely disappointing, they are still in a much better state than the Falcons right now.
Ramsey has said he is overjoyed by his now having landed in L.A. and hopes to make his debut with his new team this weekend. No doubt he’s also ecstatic about having relief from that intense back pain which has kept him from performing at his job for nearly a month! Maybe all those pop songs describing L.A. as a magical place are just telling it like it is!
All joking aside, Jalen Ramsey and his holding his former team hostage has been the NFL’s biggest sideshow this side of Antonio Brown thus far in 2019. Ramsey’s forcing his way out and eventually to the other side of the country do present themselves as a red flag for his new and current employer. Apparently, the Rams believe his talents and skills, as well as their need for a cover corner in their lackluster secondary, was worth this risk/reward proposition.
The Rams gave up two first-round picks, in 2020 and 2021, as well as a fourth-round pick in 2021, in order to acquire the former Florida State Seminole. The reigning NFC champions have seen their season sputter, and perhaps a wild card move like this will pay off.
Typically, whenever you have a player refusing to suit up, like you have here, it’s a buyer’s market. This was not the case at all however, because Ramsey attracted all kinds of potential suitors, including the team that won the National Football Conference prior to the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles. Thus a bidding war erupted and the Jaguars actually got a pretty good haul in return for a strong asset that they weren’t able to utilize.
The Jags are in a decent situation, having some young pieces to build around, and a stockpile of draft picks to build around in the near future. Factor in how they play in the wide open AFC south division and the future direction of this franchise looks away.
Although owner Shahid Khan really wanted to Ramsey to stay, the club had no choice but to let him go. And they should be okay, at least for now, given the softness of a schedule that accompanies being in the AFC South.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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