Buffalo Bills fans know Jalen Ramsey as a rival cornerback who once trashed quarterback Josh Allen after he was drafted, but one analyst believes he could be a surprise addition to Buffalo’s roster.
Ramsey has bounced around the league and spent the last two seasons as a member of the rival Miami Dolphins, but is headed to the trade block after general manager Chris Grier said the team is ready to move in a different direction.
Analyst Ryan Clark said on NFL Live that he believes the Bills could be a good fit for Ramsey, despite the controversial past with the All-Pro cornerback.
Bills Could Use ‘Versatile’ Jalen Ramsey
Clark suggested the Bills have some big needs in the secondary, a problem that was laid bare in the AFC Championship game when No. 1 cornerback Christian Benford went down with a concussion and Patrick Mahomes torched the defense.
“And if you go back to the root of their problem in the AFC Championship, it wasn’t that they got stopped on a two-point conversion on a tush push or stopped on a fourth-and-one on a tush push,” Clark said. “It’s the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs that clearly couldn’t score on anybody, as we saw the next week, were able to put up 32 points. Jalen Ramsey becomes an immediate upgrade at so many positions in that secondary, and it is time for Josh Allen to get over the hump. In order to do that, that defense needs to ball.”
Clark added that the Bills could use a versatile player like Ramsey, who could play either cornerback or safety.
“I look at his versaility, his length, his ability to play in all the positions in the secondary, and I believe he’s a plug-and-play starter at so many spots for the Buffalo Bills,” Clark said.
The Bills could have some other options at cornerback. General manager Brandon Beane said the door remains open for cornerback Rasul Douglas to return, and the veteran has not had much interest in free agency.
The team also hosted another veteran cornerback on a free-agency visit this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on April 16.
“Veteran CB James Bradberry is making a free-agent visit to the #Bills today, per source. Bradberry has ties to Buffalo GM Brandon Beane and HC Sean McDermott, who were with Carolina when the Panthers drafted him in 2016,” Fowler reported.
Bills Would Need to Overcome Jalen Ramsey’s Controversial Past
Ramsey has been a despised player among many Bills fans after his early criticism of Allen. Just after the Bills drafted the Wyoming quarterback in 2018, Ramsey said he thought Allen was “trash” and predicted he would flop in the NFL.
“I think [Buffalo Bills draft pick Josh] Allen is trash,” Ramsey said in an interview with GQ. “I don’t care what nobody say. He’s trash. And it’s gonna show too. That’s a stupid draft pick to me. We play them this year, and I’m excited as hell. I hope he’s their starting quarterback.”
Allen has torched Ramsey in several meetings since then, and the three-time All-Pro cornerback has walked back his criticism to instead praise Allen.
