The Eagles have a game on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, but all anyone in Philadelphia wants to talk about? Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The race for Ramsey is still ongoing, but as the days continue to end without a trade, it seems like the chances Ramsey stays in Jacksonville are increasing.
Speaking recently on NFL Network, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport suggested that the Jaguars are not simply going to give away Ramsey and could decide to not only keep him, but make him the highest paid cornerback in the NFL.
″Owner Shad Khan loves Ramsey, would be willing, from what I understand, to pay him and make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL as soon as he possibly can," Rapoport said. "There is a lot of love here. So, for the Jacksonville Jaguars to part with Ramsey, they're going to have to be convinced, overwhelmed that it's the right move."
The Jaguars being willing to keep Ramsey could be true. More than likely, however, it is a message to the teams trying to pry him away -- up the offer or we aren't trading him.
If the Jaguars change their mind and do decide to move Ramsey, it sure seems like the Eagles are on the short list to land him. This week ESPN, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated have all reported the Eagles are among the favorites to land Ramsey.
The Eagles being in on Ramsey isn't surprising.
The Eagles being in a mix for a player is nothing new, as they do their homework on every player that becomes available. What does seem to differentiate their interest in Ramsey as opposed to the Jadeveon Clowney rumors from last month is that this isn't one sided — Clowney wanted to come to the Eagles, but the Eagles didn't have interest. In this case, it seems it is the Eagles who have interest, as opposed to Ramsey putting them on his list. That isn't to say he wouldn't want to come here, but the Eagles being the proactive ones is an important distinction and makes the chances of a deal happening much higher than they were with Clowney.
The reasoning behind the Eagles' interest in Ramsey is obvious. Ramsey has been the best cornerback in the NFL over the last two seasons, one of the last remaining "shut down" cornerbacks in the league.
The Eagles have a need at cornerback, as their secondary has struggled the first two weeks. The team has shown faith in guys like Ronald Darby, but you have to wonder how much longer they will continue to do so, especially with a goal of winning the Super Bowl this season.
The price to land Ramsey is not going to be cheap — the Jaguars are reportedly looking for two first-round picks in exchange for the elite cornerback.
If Roseman is indeed looking into it and has interest in Ramsey, however, you have to think he will find a way to get the deal done if he truly does want to add the elite cornerback to his roster -- assuming the Jaguars are willing to trade him.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
