JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars' fan base may be feeling a sense of relief that the Jalen Ramsey saga has ended, but inside the locker room, players said it was never a distraction.
Starting free safety Jerrod Wilson also said the Ramsey saga wasn't a distraction for the team and that he didn't think there would be much of a change since the same quartet, A.J. Bouye, Ronnie Harrison, Herndon and Wilson, will start in the defensive backfield for the fourth straight game Sunday in Cincinnati.
"(Ramsey) wasn't really a distraction," Wilson said. He hadn't played the last few weeks because his back was hurting, so we've been able to have the same group of guys that past couple of weeks."
Leonard Fournette tweeted this out after the Ramsey deal.
— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) October 16, 2019
Although Fournette
"It wasn't hanging over," Fournette said. "Everybody was still playing. In spite of what he was dealing with, he came out and still supported everyone. He coached up the young guys like Tre (Herndon), telling them to look for the moves. At the end of the day, it is a business. To me, one of the top defensive players in the game, but we let him go. That's tough."
Fournette said the loss will take away the player most responsible for the attitude of the defense and said that he's expecting others to step up and play a bigger role.
"That's tough to see a guy like that leave," Fournette said. "He played a mega role in our defense. The attitude the defense had, that started with him. The trash-talking, that started with him. That's just a tough loss.
As for the approach on the field, defensive coordinator Todd Wash said there isn't much difference in the way the team will strategize for the Bengals.
"We’re still going to be our single safety, just kind of like we’ve been the last couple of weeks, three weeks, without Jalen [Ramsey]. But obviously, there has to be some tweaks and some changes when you let a player like that go to another team. We’re going to have to change some things up and make sure that we’re still putting our guys in position to make plays, that’s the most important thing."