Cowboys and Eagles Made a Mistake Not Paying the Price for Jalen Ramsey
By Ryan Giglio
On one hand, the Los Angeles Rams may have saved their season by acting aggressively and trading for Jalen Ramsey.
On the other, the Dallas Cowboys appear to have made a mistake by standing idle as their season starts to slip away, and the same can be said for the team attempting to swipe the NFC East from their clutches, in the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas had Super Bowl aspirations coming into the year, so a postseason second-round exit will not be enough to satisfy the team or its fans. In fact, there would be a good chance such a potential exit would cost Jason Garrett his job.
My biggest concern all along about the Cowboys had been the defense. It just doesn't play with consistent fire. It does not create turnovers. It commits key penalties. I've seen this unit play very well. But not often enough.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 13, 2019
During the Cowboys' three-game losing streak, no defender has been a difference maker. That's why the team has given up 55 points in its last six quarters.
Well, Ramsey is exactly what Dallas is missing and desperately needs. He's got a swagger and attitude that aligns with his domination at the corner position.
Jalen Ramsey is about to make the Rams defense real loud ?
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 16, 2019
(via @thecheckdown)pic.twitter.com/WDXY6yl8L6
For instance, Ramsey would not have allowed Robby Anderson to streak down field for a 92-yard touchdown to cap a 12-second drive. The back-breaking play came on busted cornerback coverage, which has troubled the Cowboys all season.
The Cowboys are practically in Super Bowl or bust territory. That means you do whatever it takes to strengthen your team, especially when it involves one of the game's youngest stars on a rookie contract. Imagine being able to no longer justify taking Ezekiel Elliott over Ramsey? You could've simply had both.
Of course, there's another 3-3 team in the NFC East as well, and they're heading to Dallas this week, hoping against hope that their patchwork secondary can contain a hobbled Amari Cooper and a resurgent Michael Gallup.
Top 5 Worst Performances in the Eagles game:
— Andrew McDevitt (@AMcDevittTV) October 13, 2019
1. Sidney Jones
2. Zach Ertz
3. Rasul Douglas
4. Charles Davis
5. Doug Pederson
Carson did everything he could, can’t make up for the worlds worst secondary ever assembled and an All-Pro TE who can’t catch or hold onto the ball. pic.twitter.com/1Tn9cj37tc
Ever since their Super Bowl season, the Eagles' achilles heel has been their utterly porous secondary, which is now surviving without Ronald Darby (who wasn't exactly up to code in 2019, anyway).
Darby and Jalen Mills returned to practice this week, but when they're your solution, your solution ain't right. Was two first-rounders in a potential contention year too high a price to pay for Ramsey? Or did Philly need to take the next...Miles Sanders with a mid-20s pick again next year?
Both of these two NFC East rivals could've used Ramsey to make a major statement. Instead, they'll do battle without him.