Jalen Ramsey's Price Tag Proved too High for Howie Roseman

Eagles general manager has others he could target in a trade, but it may not be at cornerback since team is getting healthy again at that position

So Jalen Ramsey won’t be joining the Eagles after all, after the Los Angeles Rams sent their first-round draft picks in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts plus a fourth-round selection in 2021 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday night.

Clearly that price was too rich for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who had reportedly checked in weekly with the Jags about Ramsey’s availability. Roseman’s best offer was, according to multiple reports, a 2020 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick.

“There is no disappointment,” said Pederson on Wednesday when asked about the trade. “(It’s) hard to comment on that because obviously he's not on our team. Yeah, (I have) a lot of respect for him, good player, happy for the Rams, obviously. He'll be a great addition. They have some corners that are banged up. They obviously traded one (Marcus Peters to the Ravens), so he'll fit in well there.”

The trade deadline is Oct. 29, so there is time for the Eagles to add a cornerback who can help, and nobody needs the help more than they.

The Eagles have the 29th-ranked pass defense and have allowed 13 passing touchdowns in six games. The secondary’s performance in a 38-20 loss to the Vikings, whose quarterback, Kirk Cousins, threw four TD passes, can best be described as embarrassing.

“Corners need to be able to put bad plays behind them,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “We have been inconsistent doing that.”

That was a ringing indictment of Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas.

Think what you may of Jalen Mills, but that is the one thing he brings is that ability to put a bad play behind him and not lose confidence.

Mills returned to practice on Wednesday after starting the season on the PUP list. He hasn’t played for since the middle of last season when he suffered a foot injury.

Ronald Darby also is being ramped up this week after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury.

Pederson said the team will see where Mills and Darby are at the end of the week.

The return of the Eagles’ two starting cornerbacks during their 2017 Super Bowl season should help. Maybe not the help Ramsey would have provided, but serviceable enough to at least perhaps give the pass rush another second to get to the quarterback.

“Listen, we're getting guys back, too, on our team, and I'm excited about the guys we have coming back and getting in the mix,” said Pederson. “We're starting to get healthy as well, so that's the encouraging part from our side.”

That is another reason Roseman may have hesitated in shipping off a pair of No. 1 draft picks. Also, the GM knows that his roster is currently the third oldest in the NFL and he needs a young influx of talent not just at cornerback, but other positions as well.

Roseman still has cornerback targets that will be cheaper than Ramsey; again, not as good as Ramsey, but serviceable.

More importantly, he still has draft capital he can use, with the Eagles expected to have as many as 10 picks in the 2020 draft.

Roseman doesn’t have to spend it on a corner. In fact, if Mills and Darby can return fully healthy and productive enough, the general manager may want to eye another position.

There are reports that New York Jets defensive end Leonard Williams could be available.

There are also receivers to consider, though last year’s deal to bring in Golden Tate at the trade deadline never fully panned out for either the Eagles or Tate.

Or Roseman could try to land a running back to make his backfield the same kind of three-headed monster it was during their Super Bowl run with LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement.

So it’s time to move on from Ramsey, as painful as it might be.