Jalen Ramsey RED FLAGS Resurface?? + Ranking Top Steelers Free Safety Options.

Jalen Ramsey RED FLAGS Resurface?? + Ranking Top Steelers Free Safety Options.

And we got some Jaylen Ramsay headlines to react to today. Some red flags have resurfaced ever since the Steelers traded for him and that whole Pittsburgh Miami mega deal happened. You have someone from Miami, an insider reporter from Miami bringing up his perspective from seeing it from the Miami standpoint and and ultimately why the Dolphins were so willing to move off of Ramsay. And we knew before the Ramsay trade even happened that that relationship hit a breaking point and Ramsay wasn’t going to be in Miami anymore. And some of these reasons we knew already heading into the trade, but it kind of resurfaced recently with uh this Miami sports columnist bringing it to everyone’s attention. He went on, I’m not exactly sure what publication or radio show or TV show he went on to say this, but here’s what he had to say about Ramsay leaving Miami and again ultimately why Miami was so fine with moving off of him only after two years. Says they won’t miss him regularly showing up for practice as the rest of the team was in the middle of stretching. They won’t miss how he constantly undermined defensive coordinator Vic Fangio two years ago and coach Mike McDaniel last season in a manner that spread like a bad odor through the larger team. Hyde wrote he became a symbol of the Dolphins collecting talent rather than building a team. Ramsay and Tyreek Hill were constantly late for practices or meetings in a manner that set the culture of last year’s Dolphins. He added that Miami was forewarned about that attitude or those attitude issues with Ramsay from his prior teams. Still, GM Chris Greer sent a third round pick to the Rams in 2023 and paid 52 million for Ramsay’s 27 starts, five picks, one Pro Bowl season, and a series of internal headaches right up to Monday’s trade. So, should the Steelers be concerned of these Jaylen Ramsay red flags? Again, some of this we kind of knew the the Ramsay Miami dynamic was going down the tubes and Mike McDaniel was saying, “I can’t even like finding some of these players to show up on time for practice doesn’t even work. I I can’t I can’t even find them. I can’t even hurt their pockets.” They still they’re still showing up late, I think. I can’t remember if Ramsay’s name was definitively included with those Mike McDaniel sentiments if like reporters put two and two together, but I think everyone knew. I think everyone could read between the lines. Ramsey was unhappy with the Dolphins. McDaniel saying stuff like that in the media and eventually Jaylen Ramsey was traded. So, should the Steelers be concerned? Could some of this stuff with Ramsay pop up here in Pittsburgh? Yeah. Well, we ultimately we don’t know, right? We don’t know for sure. Anything can happen. Let’s just get that out of the way. But the fact that we knew about this stuff before we knew that Ramsay wasn’t the most professional in his two seasons in Miami and the Steelers still made the trade for him. makes me think that it’s going to be fine because I think with Ramsay, there has to be a certain respect level he has for the organization, the coaching staff, the front office, and just the whole operation that he’s with. Because even though this Miami reporter uh sorry wrong story there even though this Miami reporter with this uh middle sentence there says Miami was forewarned about the attitude issues with Ramsay from his prior teams. He’s not just saying team, he’s saying team. So, you could assume he’s including the Rams in the conversation of forewarning Miami about potential Ramsay issues, but we didn’t hear about any of this stuff with Ramsay in LA. Not at all. In fact, if it was so bad with Ramsay in LA, why were the Rams trying to trade for him back after we knew that Miami was trying to move off him? So, I think it’s again with Ramsay, it’s more just about respect level for the coach, the brand, the the operation that he’s a part of. And I’m not saying this is the way that you should be handling yourself or how you should be going about your business, but I’m just saying based off Jaylen Ramsey’s past. I I think this is the MMO with him because with the Jaguars early on with him when Jaguars defense was good and they were actually like kind of in the playoffs, kind of in the mix, you didn’t hear any bad things about Ramsay being a professional, showing up late, any of this stuff. And then kind of towards the end of those last probably like year or two down there in Jacksonville, that’s when things starting to get a little shaky between player and organization and ultimately they traded him out to the Rams. With the Rams though, nothing. You you didn’t hear anything. And we know how the Rams are as a franchise right now. They’re one of the tops in the league. Ultimately, they moved off of him. I thought it was more of like just a money issue and Ramsay was aging and the Rams had so much salary cap allocated to too many other star players they couldn’t afford him anymore and then he goes to the Dolphins they give him the new deal and it’s well and good for like the first season but then you just see things fall apart and I think the the falling apart had to do partly with stars like Ramsay Tyreek Hill just not having respect for a Mike McDaniel not having respect effect for the Dolphins organization and how they do things. They’re not a championship high class organization compared to a team like the Rams or even a team like the Steelers. Like there’s levels to this. Again, we we’ve gone all off season complaining about the Steelers woes, the Steelers hiccups as a franchise and where we are right now. But again, there’s levels to this. We’re we’re still like a top 10 franchise in this league in terms of consistency and relevancy, the brand, the cache, all that stuff. And just operating ourselves in a professional manner season in season season out, Steelers are up there top 10 at least. Historically, top five, top three, right? But for all the the bad that we could talk about the Steelers and how we’re not reaching our goals, still not reaching our standard, Tomlin, the Steeler brand, the Steelers organization, front office, Rooney, just the players, the caliber of players, the operation that we got going, it’s it’s a tier above tears above levels above the Miami Dolphins, tears above the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rams, like we’re on that level, you know what I mean? We’re on that level. So, that’s why I don’t think we’re going to be getting any uh issues with Ramsay, at least for this season. At least for this season, because Ramsay is a mercenary. We I mean, you never know how things could go down the line. I mean, I would anyone be surprised if this move and and just some of the stuff that the Steelers did this off seasonason and the shakeups that happened, if they didn’t turn out well completely, there is going to be a little bit of uh friction between Ramsay and the organization, Ramsey and the team, Ramsey and Tomlin, I we wouldn’t be surprised. But if Rogers is bowing out, the offense is putting up 25 30 points a game, the defense is top 10, I don’t think we’re going to have any issues at all. That’s where the Steelers are at right now. I think with the shakeups, a move like this, the moves we’ve made with the DK Metaf trade, bringing in Rogers, all the turnover and stuff, we’re in this boomer bus position. So, some may say, “Oh, this is risky bringing in Ramsay. You know, this report just resurfaces here, so there’s some red flags and everything. Bro, how risky can it be? It doesn’t matter what players we’ve had here over the last however many years. We’ve at least been relevant. We’ve at least been in the mix. We’ve we’ve had, you know, pickins AB, um, good professionals, guy, guys that are, you know, the shining light for what it means to be a Steeler and how they should handle themselves in the NFL, like a Cam Hayward, like a Me Fitzpatrick. We’ve had those guys here. We’ve had all these different quarterbacks from super experienced Russ Wilson, Justin Fields, Kenny Picket, Mason Rudolph, Mr. Bisky, we’ve we’ve at least been nine and eight, 10 and seven. So, bringing in Ramsay, I don’t I don’t think that’s the thing that’s going to be rocking the boat. But if it does, and it really is this boom bust thing where Ramsay, Rogers, it’s it’s this like ticking time bomb one way or another. It’s either going to be boom or bust. If it becomes a bust and we go under 500, worst season in the last 18 years in the Tomlin Center, well, okay, good, man. Good. It’s It’s time to really start looking a different direction and blow this thing up. But if it’s boom, I mean, no one’s complaining about that either. Obviously, that I mean, that’s the goal. That’s why we made all these moves. Honestly, our worst case scenario is just nine and eight, 10 and seven again with all these new players. But I mean, that’s that’s a whole another conversation for another day. But I I don’t think this I I’m not really worried about this Ramsey Ramsey stuff practice. We’re we’re talking about practice. Come on now. Yeah. If there is anyone that can handle this type of I guess you could say lack of professionalism of showing up late for practice and not doing all the little details right when it comes to being a professional. It is Mike Tomlin considering he’s had guys like AB and Pickins here. And I’m not saying it’s a good thing to just be letting that slide because we talked about this with James Harrison and his assessment of Mike Tomlin as a coach. He likes that Tomlin’s a player’s coach, but also doesn’t like how Tomlin’s a player’s coach because there’s pros and cons and that’s sometimes the negative to being a player’s coach and letting things slide. But yeah, we we’ll see, man. I I don’t know. There’s something to be said for change of scenery, right? There’s something to be said for that. All of a sudden, you go to a new place and everything just falls in line. There’s a new motivation. You you start doing all the little things right and you want to be a leader with your new team. You team, you want to get off to a fresh start and really build a new foundation. Like that’s happened all the time throughout the course of NFL history and sports history. Couple examples I brought up, these are kind of random, but Randy Moss, remember things were really desolate with him and the Raiders for a couple seasons. Everyone thought he was the issue. Unprofessional me first guy goes to the Patriots. I mean, setting records. Vince Carter, that’s another one. I mean, people were really bashing him. He was really unhappy in Toronto, like purposely like tanking games, not even playing hard out there. But then goes to the Nets and you know there was kind of like a second little stint with that Nets organization with Jason Kit at point guard and uh you know they made the playoffs for a few years were successful for a little bit with Vince. Oh, you could even talk about this. I mean this is a sucky example but James Harrison remember his last it was his last season here where It was looking ugly when we were giving TJ Watt the playing time and Harrison didn’t know his role and you know those meetings that were happening throughout the course of the week leading up to Sunday and it just became a toxic environment. So you could say for whatever new team was going to bring on James Harrison, oh man, there’s some red flags there. Look at how he acted with his former team. We end up cutting Harrison. He goes to the Patriots and yeah plays well for them. is actually an impact player for their journey to get back to a Super Bowl. They ultimately lost to the Eagles. But yeah, why can’t that be the case for Jaylen Ramsay? I mean, you could even talk about that with Pickkins. That’s the other thing. Like there’s we’re going to say like, “Oh, Pickkins has a certain track record. He has a certain history. He shouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt because we traded him away.” But that that could happen with Pickkins, too. Change of scenery, right? At least with Jaylen Ramsay is he’s given some sort of track record of being a professional four stretches, being a Hall of Fame caliber player and you know having seven Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion, whereas Pickkins, he has he’s never reached that degree of success in the NFL just yet. Now, it’s been only three seasons for Pickkins, but yeah, I I don’t think he’s really giving you any signs of having his play and production outweigh some of the antics and drama that he brings. That’s something that AB did. That’s something that Jaylen Ramsay has done. Pickings hasn’t even made a Pro Bowl just yet, and you’re getting some of the the headaches and drama. So, hopefully with Ramsay, I mean, it’s more like the Rams with him coming to the Steelers. I mean, that’s what I’m hanging my hat on is when there’s good structure, it’s a good organization, he’s in a spot where he respects the coach, respects what that organization has going on as a whole, then you just fall in line. You know, you’re just you’re part of the group. You’re not making waves. You’re not me first. You’re not acting in an unprofessional manner. You’re not showing disrespect, anything like that. Uh because that’s what we saw. That’s at least from afar what I knew Ramsay to be with the LA Rams and that’s what I’m hoping for with the Steelers cuz you he’s doing everything right right now. He’s doing everything right. Talking about how he loves the Steelers. Excited to be here. him and Jonnu were talking about hopefully the rumors were true about the Dolphins talking with the Steelers about a potential trade with those two guys coming here and then posting videos on social media that relate Ramsay’s arrival to past success that the franchise had and former legends and their mentality and how Jayla Ramsey has that same mindset. So, like he’s doing everything right right now. He He also had a conversation with Ryan Clark and Troy Palamalu that was posted out there online a few days ago. Doing all the right things right now. Absolutely doing all the right things. Could it go bad down the line? Yeah, I guess anything can happen, but I don’t know. Steelers needed a shakeup one way or another. And this is not really something I’m concerned with right now to be honest with you. Um, how much time we got? I think we got time. But yeah, we definitely got time for another segment here. I wanted to There’s two things cuz I I kind of gave a sneak peek with this. Maybe we’ll save this for tomorrow. I wanted to go over free agent safety rankings because obviously we made the Minka and Jaylen Ramsay trade which leaves an opening for the Steelers at the safety position kind of depending on how you’re looking at it. Is it just going to be Deshawn Elliott, Juan Thornnehill, Jaylen Ramsey being that versatile piece that solves Mink Fitzpatrick not being here or do we go out of our way to just try to get a replacement now that we have one less safety on the team? We we make that type of swap. So, there’s names out there and it doesn’t look like the Steelers are in any rush, but who would it be wise for the Steelers to attempt to bring in if if we were to try to sign someone? because there’s big names, there’s notable names, but like there’s only to me when I look through this, when I I I dug deep, I did the research, there’s really only two names that I think would fit the bill for what we need right now, would make sense, and we wouldn’t be wasting our time. So, I have Julian Blackman and Justin Simmons in my top two. And I would probably have Julian Blackman, former Colts safety, as my number one right now over Justin Simmons. And then after that, I think you could rank the rest of the guys however you want to. It’s just I would say they’re more in the not worth it category. Guys like Marcus Williams, Jordan Whitehead, Quadry Diggs, Jordan Py. Again, these these are some notable names. These are six notable names in total that I just rattled off. Julian Blackman, Justin Simmons, Marcus Williams, Jordan Whitehead, Quadry Diggs, Jordan Puyer, but I would have Julian Blackman one, Justin Simmons 2, and then after that, I don’t really think it matters. I don’t. Let me explain why I have Blackman one and Simmons 2. Even though Simmons is the bigger name, made two Pro Bowls, you know, has reached higher highs in his NFL career compared to Julian Blackman. My reason for Blackman over Simmons is he might just be the better player at this point. He might be he I mean, he’s more in his prime, only 26 years old. And if you’re talking about a free safety replacement, right, you think of free safety guy at the back of the defense, last line of defense, guy that is roaming around out there trying to be a ball hawk. Blackman’s coverage grades pretty damn good over the last couple seasons. According to PFF, in 2023, they gave him a 72.6 coverage grade and in 2024, a 73.5. which is h from my recollection I didn’t write it down is in like in the top at least the top 30 of safeties in the league those coverage grades at least top 30 I think even might that might even be a top 25 coverage grade right there if you’re in the low 70s but as a overall safety PFF graded him definitively as a top 26 guy last year top cover safety by PFF with the 72 the 73 grade you know top 20 top 30 was number 26 as a true free safety not even just true true free safety that’s that’s all the safeties in total 26 like that’s pretty good you think you have two safeties per team so he’s in the upper third of the NFL in terms of safety play And some of his concerns were with his tackling. It looked like it took a little bit of a step back last year, but traditionally has been good. Had an 81 tackling grade in 2023, 75.5 tackling grade in 2022. But those coverage grades as a free safety, that’s the thing I feel like you want to weigh a little bit more. a strong safety, a guy that you you typically bring up into the box and want to make those tackles. Like for us, Deshawn Elliot, Ryan Clark back in the day, you want the tackling to be a little bit better than what Blackman put on display last year. Obviously, the best safety is one that can cover and do both and is, you know, just that ultimate playmaker out there. But as a free safety and the age and just where he’s at and his level of play, Julian Blackman might be the better answer for us if we’re going to be taking a swing at free agency. Now, Justin Simmons, it’s not like he was awful last year with the Falcons. I was looking through some of the Falcons media assessment on Simmons play last year and how they feel about potentially bringing him back. And most are lukewarm on it. Most are apathetic of like, yeah, he could come back, but we’re not really going out of our way. It’s it’s not like he played bad, but he didn’t really do well. Now, some are excusing that as Simmons not being the best scheme fit for what their defense was and how their just defensive coaching staff and what they were doing last year on that side of the ball was god awful. So, they weren’t setting up anyone for success, let alone Justin Simmons, but now they got Jeff from the Jets and now I I don’t know how confident you are in him because we we saw how things went with him and the Jets last year. Now, he was put in a tough spot of going from defensive coordinator to head coach in the middle of the season, all that stuff. But I think as a defensive mind, defensive coordinator, most view him in a positive light compared to who the Falcons DC was last year. I think it was whoever it was, it was like he was his first time being a defensive coordinator and it was just an utter failure. So, no one was looking good on that Falcons defense. But, it’s not like Justin Simmons was god awful. He was average, but just not the elite free safety that we’re used to seeing whenever he was back in Denver. He’s older than Julian Blackman. He’s, you know, 31, 32, graded out worse as a safety compared to Blackman over the last year, I think even last couple years. So that’s I think that’s just where we’re at. Like is Justin Simmons going to all of a sudden revive his career another year older in a new situation compared to Julian Blackman who is still in the prime of his career. Graded out as a solid safety last year. It’s just that maybe he Blackman wasn’t a part of the best situation either being with the Indianapolis Colts because they’ve just been spinning their tires over the last how however many years both offensively and defensively. I would have them as the top two. I think they would actually have a role and make sense for our defense. Whereas like Marcus Williams, Jordan Whitehead, Cuadri Diggs, Jordan Puyer, it feels like all of them are just over the hill and it there’s no coming back. Justin Simmons, again, you could make the argument. Tough situation with him and the Falcons last year. At least with still giving average to above average safety play, you get him with a better team. All right, maybe maybe he hits a little bit of that Denver mojo again, but I’m I’m not getting my hopes up that much. Blackman, yeah, same thing. Like, you know, he’s he’s still playing good. I I don’t think anyone’s saying he’s washed over the hill, anything like that. He’s in his prime, just playing good as a safety, as a professional safety in the NFL right now. Whereas Marcus Williams, man, he’s looking bleak with the Ravens these last couple years. Jordan Whitehead did a little reunion stint with Tampa Bay last year, but got banged up. torn Peek, almost took him out for uh the rest of the season and came back late in the season for a game, but just didn’t look like himself in his reunion with the Buccaneers last year. And then he got injured in a car accident this off seasonason. So like tough scenario for him, tough situation. Cuadri Diggs is 32 years old, had a season ending injury with the Titans and Tennessee doesn’t want him back. Jordan Puyer, I think he’s cooked, was declining the last few seasons with the Bills. Dolphins tried to make a splash headline move in the division by bringing him in, trying to get some of that revenge factor in there with bringing on Puyer and it it really didn’t work out. Dolphins don’t want him back either. Going back to Marcus Williams, whenever he was targeted, quarterbacks went for 143 passer rating. He did go with the Saints. He had a good first season with the Ravens, but these last two years, I mean, there’s a reason he got benched last year and Ravens had to go a different direction. So, like, I just I don’t know if any of those guys give us anything more than what we have with Deshawn, the combination of Deshawn Elliott, Juan Thornho, and potentially Jaylen Ramsey doing some safety work. I don’t think they give us anything. Julian Blackman, Justin Simmons, I I think they can give us something. I think they could actually have a little rule have give us some snaps that are meaningful because here’s the thing too. You got to consider all these guys have been out in free agency this whole time and now you could argue Juan Thornhill plays kind of a little bit of a different position than some of them being a strong safety but like he also technically played free safety with the Chiefs. If you look at what he was labeled as on their depth chart, it was doing some free safety. Also, he’s more of a strong safety like archetype though, prototype. We picked Juan Thornhill. So, maybe we are just 100% fine going with Juan Thornnehill versus bringing in anyone else, which I think I’m fine with right now. I’m completely fine with Juan Thornhill. He’s had his success in the league. Was considered a top 10 safety with the Chiefs. Was considered a good coverage safety, too. Good tackling safety, good cover safety. was just good all-around safety essentially with the Chiefs and then goes to the Browns. Tough situation for him there. Took a little bit of step back, but I don’t think is over the hill. I think maybe you can make the case between Julian Blackman or Justin Simmons versus Juan Thornhill. Who would you rather sign between the three? But Thornhill compared to the last four that I listed off, I think it’s a no-brainer. You’re sticking with Thornhill. But obviously the Steelers like Thornhill’s game better than a Blackman or Justin Simmons because if not one of those guys would be here. Now here’s the other thing. Maybe if Minka wasn’t on the team whenever we made the Thornhill signing, maybe we do go Blackman or Simmons and we think that’s a better fit because it’s more of a onetoone replacement because they’re traditional free safeties as opposed to Juan Thornhill. But still, man, like I don’t know. I don’t know. I think there’s a reason we brought him in. The reason we gave him the contract that we did and it’s for a time like this. Minka’s no longer on the team. You got to step up because that may have happened during the regular season, right? Minka could have got hurt. Deshan Elliot could have got hurt. We’re calling on Juan Thornhill to play starting safety snaps and snap a finger. So yeah, that’s that’s my assessment on like the free agent safety landscape. Not really going out of my way and I think the Steelers share that thought process, but if we did, I’ I’d probably go Julian Blackman one and then Justin Simmons too if I had to pick. And maybe tomorrow I’d switch it just because Justin Simmons is the more successful safety historically. And maybe you could argue just overall bad situation for him last year in Atlanta. But yeah, I don’t know. Either one I’d be fine with, but I’d also be fine with going through training camp, going through preseason, and seeing what we got with Juan Thornhill, Deshawn Elliott, and Jaylen Ramsay. That’s my guess what the Steelers do. But let me know your thoughts down in the comments on uh both topics discussed today. Jaylen Ramsay, potential red flags, any concerns with this Miami report resurfacing? And uh do you think the Steelers got to go out of their way to bring in a safety after this Minka Ramsey deal? But that’s it. Stay chilling. face.

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