Seahawks trade for Jalen Ramsey is tempting, but is it wise?

The latest NFL bombshell dropped just hours ago, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly shopping All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey, per his request. Naturally, this leads to a simple question: should the Seahawks be interested?

Now, let’s remember there is some gray area for what “interested” means. The Seahawks should be exploring adding just about every player in the league. It is their job to constantly hunt upgrades and make their team as good as possible.

Seattle and GM John Schneider are most definitely going to do their homework on Ramsey, so in that case, they’ll be interested. But how seriously should they take their pursuit?

On the surface, Ramsey is a good fit. The Seahawks have major questions in their secondary and Ramsey is one of the best in the world. And Seattle does have extra draft capital, even after they dipped into the surplus to acquire Jadeveon Clowney.

But like most things in sports, just looking at things on the surface level rarely get’s you a good answer. Let’s start with the concerns in the locker room. Ramsey doesn’t have the greatest reputation there and his loud mouth has caused a lot of friction with upper management of the Jags.

Seattle just got out of this type of relationship regarding Richard Sherman. The team is playing well, the locker room appears to be in a good spot. Could adding a personality like Ramsey upset the apple cart?

Second, the Seahawks need for secondary help is at the nickel corner spot and safety, not outside corner. Of course, Ramsey would be a big upgrade over both Shaq Griffin and Tre Flowers, but neither player is suited to play nickel, and neither has been a big issue this season.

Third, there is the cost to acquire. While we can’t say for sure what the terms Jacksonville will get, we have a good idea of what they are looking for.

“At least one first-round pick”. At LEAST one. So the Jags are looking for a first-round pick, plus more for their cornerback. And if the situation was different, he would be worth it for Seattle. However, Ramsey will make $13 million against the cap in 2020 and will then hit free agency as a 26-year-old, where he will likely demand $20 million per year.

So not only would he cost you multiple, high round picks, he is going to cost a boatload of money beginning next season. And that’s without factoring in the locker room and scheme fits. If Ramsey is going to cost all that, is it worth it?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to go and trade for Miami Dolphin nickel corner Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is controlled for 4 years, is going to count for less against the cap and is likely going to cost significantly less draft capital?

If the Seahawks can get a Clowney-esque deal on Ramsey, then they should pull the trigger. But in the real world, trading for Fitzpatrick makes more sense for anybody, including the Seahawks. It is tough to let great players go by, but sometimes, it is the best thing you can do.