Jags' Ramsey: I'll never play for Cowboys 'unless the Joneses leave'
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey cemented himself as one of the NFL's premier trash-talkers this offseason when he called out a handful of the league's quarterbacks.
Ramsey, the No. 5 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, is also showing that he can hold a grudge, particularly against a Dallas Cowboys team that passed over him in favor of selecting running back Ezekiel Elliott.
"I will never play for them," Ramsey told ESPN's Mina Kimes in an interview released Thursday. "Unless the Joneses leave," he added.
Ramsey explained to Kimes that he believed the Cowboys' coaching staff wanted to choose him at No. 4 but owner Jerry Jones (and executive vice president Stephen Jones) stepped in and made the push for Elliott.
Elliott garnered Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors as a rookie while leading the league in rushing attempts (322) and yards (1,631).
It took Ramsey until his sophomore season to collect his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl credentials. He has recorded six interceptions and 31 passes defensed while starting all 32 games over his first two years with the Jaguars.
Feeling spurned by the Cowboys, Ramsey said it took him some time to appreciate the Jaguars, a franchise for which he's now the face.
"I wasn't expecting to come into the NFL and essentially be the best person on my team," he said. "This is going to sound really bad, but ... I didn't like that team. They were so used to losing. It didn't affect them."
But after helping lead the Jaguars to an impressive turnaround and their first trip to the AFC Championship since 1999 last season, Ramsey now says he's confident in the team and much-criticized quarterback Blake Bortles, of whom he said "Playoff Blake is good," in his previous breakdown of the position.
"The Jaguars can win a Super Bowl with Blake Bortles at quarterback," said Ramsey.
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