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Instead of trash talking, Jalen Ramsey regarding Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald with respect

John Reid

On most game weeks, Jalen Ramsey usually has plenty to say about the receivers he will be covering on Sundays.

But instead of boasting on Wednesday about his expected match up this upcoming Sunday against veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Ramsey stayed silent before uttering: “I’m going to keep it quiet this week.’’

In his only public comments of the week, Ramsey went on Jaguars radio station 1010XL and said he regards Fitzgerald with respect and considers him to be a legend and a first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer when he eventually retires.

Ramsey said he is so excited about the opportunity to be matched against Fitzgerald for the first time that he’s looked forward to Sunday’s game at the University of Phoenix Stadium since the Jaguars’ schedule was released in April.

That’s saying a lot coming from Ramsey, who enjoys exchanging words with receivers in an attempt to unravel them emotionally.

Three weeks ago, Ramsey called Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro receiver A.J. Green soft, that his time is almost up, and that it was easy covering him after he was limited to just one catch for 6 yards before their ejection for fighting.

Fitzgerald, who in his 15th season with the Cardinals (4-6), could be the biggest challenge Ramsey and the Jaguars’ secondary have faced this season.

The Jaguars are holding teams to a league-low 162 yards passing per game. However, Fitzgerald moved to fifth place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list with 15,157 yards after his nine-catch, 91-yard performance against the Houston Texans this past Sunday. And Fitzgerald’s 108 career touchdowns rank as the eighth-most in NFL history.

Behind Fitzgerald and former Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the Cardinals are the fifth-best passing team in the NFL, averaging 258.9 yards per game.

“I was joking about it with Jalen and [Tashaun] Gipson today, and I was saying this man is cold, he makes a play and he just throws [the ball] straight to the referee and runs back,’’ cornerback A.J. Bouye said. “I don’t know how the game is going to be as far as the trash talking thing, that’s not our main focus. Our focus is to do our job, and we have a lot of respect for him as a player. We know how dangerous he is and for him to still be at a high level, a top five receiver, is amazing. You’ve got to have respect for a guy like that.’’

Ramsey expects to be assigned to shadow Fitzgerald, which will likely have him playing inside at times. Bouye also may draw Fitzgerald in coverages, too.

“It will be great. I’m sure those young DBs are excited about going against him,’’ Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said during a conference call Wednesday.

Ramsey is tied for second in the NFL with 14 passes defensed, and Bouye leads the team with four interceptions. Jacksonville is tied for the lead in the NFL with 23 takeaways, which included five in this past Sunday’s 19-7 victory against the Cleveland Browns.

Fitzgerald runs precise routes, makes yardage after the catch and blocks downfield to spring Arizona’s backs for extra yardage on run plays.

“We play against good receivers week to week,’’ Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “The thing that makes him different than anyone else is that, not only does he have a great catch radius, I think everything that you see on film — he can make unbelievable catches, run great routes — but what people don’t talk about is here is a guy that is a first-ballot Hall of Famer that does a lot of dirty work. You are playing against someone who has played years in this league at a very high level. He is playing at a very productive level this year.’’

After 10 games, Fitzgerald has been targeted 98 times with 768 receiving yards on 69 catches. He is coming off back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 yards receiving.

“We have the ultimate respect for Larry because he is a future Hall of Famer and he’s playing at a high level,” middle linebacker and defensive captain Paul Posluszny said. “Throughout his entire career he has been the ultimate professional, representing the NFL and his team. He is someone that you can tell a young kid if you want to watch someone in the NFL do things right, watch Larry Fitzgerald.”