The Pittsburgh Steelers added a chess piece to their secondary when they traded for CB Jalen Ramsey in late June, but on The Pivot Podcast, Ramsey said the trade was in the works for a bit before being finalized.
“It was in the works for a little minute. It was in the works, but things had to get put together the right way. Things had to come together from my standpoint, to the Dolphins, to the Steelers. I think all of us had to come to, I guess you could say, an agreement,” Ramsey told hosts Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.
One of the things that had to get put together was Ramsey’s role. Before being traded, Ramsey said he talked to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan about where he would play.
“Even going back to talking about the acquisition, that was even a big thing for me,” Ramsey said. “I remember talking to Mike [Tomlin] and Omar [Khan], I’m like, yo, football-wise, that was one of the first questions I asked. How do you envision me fitting in with this defense? How do you envision me playing with this defense?”
Ramsey expressed respect for Slay and Porter Jr., knowing their capabilities. He believed he could contribute across the field.
“I know what I can do versatility-wise. In the nickel, in safety if you ask me to. Outside, matchups, whatever,” Ramsey said. “And the conversations we had really had me excited for the possibilities that we can see on the field this year, even if it’s playing a position that I haven’t played yet in the league. But in college, I played it all.”
Ramsey reiterated in the interview that his favorite defensive back of all-time is Charles Woodson. He’s said in the past that he could see himself playing a role similar to Woodson, who began his career at cornerback and became an All-Pro safety later in his career. While Ramsey won’t be a full-time safety with the Steelers, he’ll probably take snaps there this season, while also working in the slot in nickel packages.
It’s clear that moving around isn’t going to be an issue for Ramsey. He’s done it during training camp, and it’s something he actively wants to do. Tomlin said the Steelers had Ramsey as the top safety and cornerback on their board in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he’ll have the opportunity to prove he can play at a high level at multiple positions.
With the Steelers already having Slay and Porter in the fold, Ramsey made sure they saw him as a versatile piece, the same way he views himself. The team’s vision for him should allow the team to mix and match and cause matchup problems in the secondary.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how the Steelers deploy Ramsey when they get into the regular season, and he’s excited to show that he can excel wherever the Steelers put him.
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