The Los Angeles Rams completed a blockbuster trade on Tuesday, acquiring star cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, sending a couple of first-round draft picks and a fourth-rounder to the Jaguars in return.
Ramsey is considered by many to be one of the top cornerbacks in football, so this is a move that will obviously make the Rams' defense better.
It is important to note, however, that Los Angeles also dealt fellow corner Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens before landing Ramsey, so Ramsey will not be joining Peters in the Rams' secondary. He will just serve as an upgrade.
Remember: Aqib Talib has been placed on the injured reserve list, so even with Ramsey, LA is relatively thin at cornerback.
That makes this move more of a long-term thing than a short-term fix for the Rams.
Los Angeles has lost three games in a row and currently sits at 3-3, behind both the San Francisco 49ers (5-0) and Seattle Seahawks (5-1) in the NFC West.
While winning a third straight division title is not impossible, it's becoming less and less likely, as it is going to be very difficult for Los Angeles to make up three games in the loss column over its final 10 games.
Football isn't like basketball, baseball or hockey where it's a long season; it's only 16 games long, so a three-game deficit can serve as an insurmountable task even in Week 7.
And while the Rams are known for having a relatively weak defense, defense isn't even their only problem this season. Thanks to a clearly compromised Todd Gurley, their offense has been an issue, as Jared Goff simply does not look the same without the consistent threat of play action, and it seems like NFL teams have figured out Sean McVay.
So yes; Ramsey is a big name and is a terrific player, but it's hard to imagine him making any kind of significant impact on Los Angeles for the remainder of the 2019 campaign.
Had Talib been healthy, it would be a different story, as the Rams would then boast arguably the best tandem of cornerbacks in the NFL, but with Talib out and Peters now gone, Ramsey will basically be on an island by himself.
Plus, LA paid a pretty hefty price here. Two first-round draft picks is a king's ransom in the NFL, and the Rams also threw in a fourth-rounder on top of that.
Is Ramsey worth that much?
It remains to be seen.
Admittedly, a defense that now includes Ramsey as well as Aaron Donald and Dante Fowler is very intriguing. Donald is probably the best defensive player in the NFL, and Fowler, while not elite, is a fine pass rusher.
But the problem for the Rams is that their defense has so many holes that even bringing in Ramsey won't make things that much better.
There are a lot of problems in Los Angeles this season. Gurley is obviously compromised, Goff has looked shaky, the offensive line has had issues, the defense is a mess and, perhaps most importantly, McVay has lost some of his luster.
That is a slew of issues, issues that Jalen Ramsey by himself won't fix.
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