Jalen Ramsey may or may not follow in Charles Woodson’s footsteps, but he appreciates being with coaches who shaped the latter. A Hall of Famer, Woodson proved to be an elite versatile defensive back. Once a lockdown corner, he evolved over time to play slot and safety. That’s a long-time aspiration Ramsey had for himself, and now he’s reached that point in his career.
Mike McCarthy, who coached Woodson during his transition into a moving piece, sees similarities in Jalen Ramsey. “When Charles came to Green Bay, when we moved him inside and he played the nickel, I thought his game went to a whole different level”, he said, via the Steelers’ website. “Fast forward, my time in Dallas, seeing Jalen from afar, I appreciated his game, particularly as a corner. And practicing against the Rams, and then competing against the Rams, I was so impressed with him as a nickel, and it kind of felt very similar to the impact that I watched Charles make on those teams. I thought Jalen has the same ability”.
The Steelers traded for Jalen Ramsey last year and immediately deployed him in various ways. Aligned outside in base, he slid to the nickel in sub-packages. By necessity, he moved to safety later in the season. With more flexibility this year, Pittsburgh could better cater to his strengths as Charles Woodson saw late in his career.
“It means a lot”, Ramsey said about hearing his new coaches compare him to the eight-time All-Pro selection. “I want to be in the position that he was once in when he was playing…Knowing that I’m around the coaches who he was around in some of his best years is pretty cool”.
Still, Ramsey, who has not taken part in OTAs, admits conversations are ongoing about what exactly the Steelers envision for him this year. On paper, they already have two outside corners and two safeties in the starting lineup. In theory, that leaves the slot position open, but they’ll want Ramsey to do more than that.
Presumably, like Charles Woodson, he’ll be an every-down player, but line up in different spots depending upon the game context. Last year, Jalen Ramsey played every position in the secondary. And he got his longest exposure to work at safety since his college career, which should help this year.
The Steelers are paying Ramsey like an elite player, and they want to maximize their investment. They already have the blueprint for how to work with him if they see in him what Woodson gave to the Packers. Under Mike McCarthy, Woodson worked with Joe Whitt Jr. and Jason Simmons, the Steelers’ current secondary coaches. Even Scott McCurley, now their ILB coach, was a defensive assistant at the time.
No doubt there are plenty of conversations taking place between Jalen Ramsey and his new coaches about how they used Charles Woodson in Green Bay. While Mike Tomlin had that vision for him last year, this staff has the resume.
Recommended for you