Jalen Ramsey hasn’t been shy about voicing his opinion on other NFL players. His latest target is Rob Gronkowski.
Not too long ago, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey set off a firestorm in a GQ magazine interview, in which he gave his perspective on certain NFL quarterbacks. This time, talking to ESPN the Magazine, Ramsey took aim at New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Ramsey’s defended his claim, per ProFootballTalk, by saying Gronkowski has struggled when matched up against corners.
“I don’t think Gronk’s good,” Rasmey tells Mina Kimes regarding Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. “Let me say — I don’t think Gronk is as great as people think he is.”
Ramsey went on to explain to Kimes that the numbers back up the assessment.
“Any time Gronk has been matched up with a corner, he’s had a very bad game,” Ramsey said, “and that corner has had a very good game.”
Why would Ramsey criticize a player the caliber of Gronk? Even if he believes that to be true, Gronk is one of the most feared and respected players in the NFL. What’s to be gained from criticizing him?
While Ramsey may have stats to back up his claim, Gronk’s stats speak for themselves, too. Dating back to the 2011 season, Gronk has tallied at least a 1000 yards every season he’s played in at least 14 games.
Even with the injuries that shortened a couple of his seasons, Gronk’s output has put him on a fast-track to the Hall of Fame. If what Ramsey said was true, though, every NFL defensive coordinator would have figured him out by 2012. Instead, we’ve watched one of the most physically gifted tight end’s dominate the game routinely. Maybe Ramsey knows this and is using his comments to shield his real feelings.