Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey

JACKSONVILLE Dede Westbrook Jerseys 2019 , Fla. (AP) — plans to play in the Pro Bowl despite a lingering knee issue.Ramsey said Wednesday he has a bone bruise in his right knee, an injury that first became public when the third-year pro was limited in practice on Oct. 11.“With a bruise, you just have to rest and not do anything for it to get better,” Ramsey said. “It is a bone bruise. It still hurts now, but the trainers have told me after the season to rest for like a week and a half or two weeks and it will be good.”Since the Jaguars (4-10) won’t be in the playoffs, Ramsey expects to have time to heal before the Pro Bowl on Jan. 27 in nearby Orlando.Ramsey has started 46 consecutive games since being drafted fifth overall in the 2016 NFL draft and hasn’t missed a game because of injury since his sophomore year in high school. He was suspended for a preseason game in August.“I love the game of football, so any opportunity I get to play I want to play with a lot of heart and a lot of passion,” Ramsey said. “I think a lot of guys in this locker room are the exact same. Being able to play football is truly a privilege we have been blessed with by God with all our talents and our skills.“If you have an opportunity Black Dawuane Smoot Jerseys , you don’t want to go out there and waste it.”Ramsey was the only Jacksonville player voted to the Pro Bowl, a significant drop from having six defenders make the team last year. The Jags still could have a few more added as alternates, including linebacker Myles Jack and defensive ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue.Ramsey became the third defender in franchise history to make multiple Pro Bowls, joining John Henderson and Marcus Stroud, and the first Jacksonville player since running back Maurice Jones-Drew (2009-11) to make consecutive Pro Bowls.“It is super special, back to back,” Ramsey said. “It was a goal coming into the year to be the best I can. This is a step in that direction. This season has not gone how I would have liked it to go. This is a positive end to the end of the season.”Ramsey has 57 tackles, 11 pass breakups and three interceptions this season while shadowing some of the toughest receivers in the league — Odell Beckham Dawuane Smoot Jerseys 2019 , Tyreek Hill, Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and T.Y. Hilton. Ramsey noted that his stats picked up at the end of his first two seasons, pointing out that four of his nine career interceptions have come in December, which makes him eager for the final two games against Miami (7-7) and Houston (10-4).Coach Doug Marrone praised Ramsey for playing through pain.“It’s a credit to him that people felt like he was earning of it, and I believe so,” Marrone said. “He is a guy that’s been out there every Sunday, plays through injury and we match him up on the top guys.” With the news that Blake Bortles would be benched in favor of backup Cody Kessler Black Cam Robinson Jerseys , conversations arose wondering whether the Jaguars would retain the underperforming quarterback for the 2019 season. The financial hit is $21 million if he remains on the roster, $16.5 million if they cut him. While the argument has been made his cap figure makes keeping him the fiscally responsible choice, I have argued that Blake occupying a roster spot serves no purpose if he is not seen as a viable option moving forward, backup or otherwise. Eating dead money is not uncommon, case-in-point the $13.56 million hit to the Buffalo Bills courtesy of Marcel Dareus.In his Wednesday “O-Zone” column, John Oehser shared the following observation regarding how he thinks the Jaguars might be approaching the roster value of Blake Bortles.Coming from someone with inside access to the organization, the frankness of John’s response is very telling. It indicates there is a recognition that a watershed moment has occurred, and that it is best to move on from past mistakes.But something Blake said in his Wednesday meeting with the press got me thinking. If/when the Jaguars draft a quarterback in 2019 Cam Robinson Jerseys 2019 , is there roster value in his NFL experience as a starter?Amidst his acceptance of the situation and the difficulty of Nathaniel Hacket getting fired, Blake gave high accolades to Chad Henne for the way he handled his benching.For all his flaws, Blake has consistently handled his job with Stoic resolve. It might be argued his maturity would help the next heir apparent better transition into the NFL life. How much different is learning behind a starting quarterback from learning the ropes from a seasoned backup? The obvious answer is sitting for a year instead of harsh on the job training, but is the mentoring that much different?Where I once thought there was an easy decision, now I am not so sure. The difference between keeping and cutting Bortles is a mere $5 million. If Blake truly did learn how to be a professional in the face of adversity, and if he can be the Henne to the Jaguars next starting quarterback, maybe the cost savings in releasing Blake is actually not a value move.