Odds Split on Jalen Ramsey Playing Another Game for Jaguars in 2019

• Disgruntled CB Jalen Ramsey is expected to miss Week 5’s matchup against Carolina
• Jags owner Shad Khan has put a halt to trade talks
• Odds split at -120 as to Jalen Ramsey playing another game for the Jaguars

Cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been extremely vocal about his desire to be traded away from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Yet the team seems reluctant to part with the young talent, even though he did not participate in the Week 4 win over Denver.

While both sides continue to sidestep questions from reporters, the rift between Ramsey and the Jaguars’ front office is clearly evident. With a return unlikely for this week’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers, oddsmakers are questioning if we will ever see Jalen don a Jaguars’ jersey again.

Odds Jalen Ramsey Plays Another Game for Jacksonville

Odds as of Oct. 3.

Entering Week 3 of the regular season, one sportsbook was offering -250 odds on Jalen Ramsey being traded prior to the NFL’s Trade Deadline, with a +170 price tag on him remaining in Jacksonville.

Now, only two weeks later, the current betting odds paint a completely different picture.

Oddsmakers are now split on the cornerback’s future. Adam Schefter recently reported that he believes that the team has dug in and is willing to ride out the storm.

"If I had to look into my crystal ball & make a prediction, my read would be that he's not traded this year. That's not to say it couldn't change by next week but right now, this week, I believe Jacksonville is dug in" – @AdamSchefter on Jalen Ramsey #flyeaglesfly

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) October 2, 2019

Numerous teams have expressed interest in acquiring the services of the two-time Pro Bowler, but reports have surfaced claiming that Jacksonville has already turned down an offer that would send them two first-round picks in exchange. Yahoo Sports recently reported that two NFL executives stated that Jags owner Shad Khan hopes to resolve the issue and sign Ramsey to a long-term deal.

Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan: No plans to trade CB Jalen Ramsey.https://t.co/DXNBQX4OCe

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2019

The team now finds itself in a peculiar predicament where the front office is likely willing to wheel and deal, only to have ownership step in and stifle all negotiations. While Khan’s involvement doesn’t necessarily mean that trading Ramsey is off the table completely, it clearly suggests that suitors will need to offer up something massive.

Mustache Mania

It’s not all negative press coming out of Jacksonville, however, as Gardner Minshew mania is in full effect, with the 6th-round rookie QB becoming the hottest sensation in the league.

Minshew had his number called when starter Nick Foles went down with an injury in the team’s season opener, and his impressive start has earned him the sixth-best passer rating in the league (106.9) with a 69.4 completion percentage.

Ramsey’s decision to arrive at training camp in an armored Brinks truck along with bags of cash and a bullhorn proves that the athlete is willing to use theatrics to get his point across. But ownership’s decision to halt trade talks allows the media focus to shift towards the positive changes in Jacksonville, halting Ramsey’s ability to create his own narrative.

Uncharted Territory?

Athletes deciding to forfeit their playing time in hopes of being traded is nothing new, as Le’Veon Bell recently proved. The San Antonio Spurs saw Kawhi Leonard sit out almost an entire season and eventually caved into his request to be relocated for the final year of his contract.

Anthony Davis, with the help of Klutch Sports and LeBron James, also forced his way to a new home with a title contender while still contractually obligated to play for the Pelicans.

Ramsey’s shenanigans aren’t on [Antonio Brown’s] level, but they aren’t aboveboard, either

The NFL is starting to see its fair share of holdouts, with Zeke Elliott, Melvin Gordon, and Jadeveon Clowney all opting to holdout from reporting to camp at the start of this season.

Sure, most of these situations ended in favor of the player, but as was witnessed in the case of Antonio Brown, sometimes too much bad attention can ultimately end your career. One cannot ignore the outside factors at play when drawing comparisons with the AB scenario, but the antics he used to force his way out of Oakland were childlike.

Antonio Brown just posted on his Instagram a video dubbed with an apparent phone call between him and Jon Gruden #Raiders https://t.co/JfZiKOhzEn

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) September 7, 2019

Ramsey’s shenanigans aren’t on AB’s level, but they aren’t aboveboard, either. Jalen has already attributed absences to flu-like symptoms, the birth of his second child, and a back injury, and it is this latest “injury” that looks to sideline him once again this weekend.

This injury was first reported following the Jaguars’ victory over the Titans in Week 2, a game that took place shortly after his trade request was made public. While the birth of his child officially caused the 24-year-old to miss the first game of his NFL career, this injury will likely see him miss his second this weekend.

Jaguars To Ride This One Out

Jacksonville is in the news for all of the right reasons, and the team recently announced “Minshew Mini Packs” to celebrate the rise of their new signal-caller and the team’s two upcoming home games against the Saints and Jets. Happy fans fill stadiums, and while armored vehicle arrivals will have you trending on Twitter, a porn-star mustache teamed up with a pair of aviators, a bandana, and a 106.9 passer rating will fill a stadium.

Billionaires don’t like to be told what to do, and the following statement from Khan sends a clear message to the media, the team, and Jalen that he is calling the shots here.

”Football is a team sport and I’m sensitive to what individual insight or viewpoint or requests (there) might be,” said owner Shad Khan.  ”But we have to do the right thing for the team. We value the values Jalen adds to us, to the Jaguars. I think we value him highly. We’re still looking at what is the right thing for the Jaguars, and I think right now the best thing is to have him be part of the team.”

There is nothing more Ramsey can do at this point to force the owner’s hand.