Philadelphia Eagles: Losing Ronald Darby may actually be a good thing
After an ugly, injury-ravaged start to the 2019 NFL season, could the Philadelphia Eagles actually be better off without Ronald Darby in the short-term?
If we’re being honest, Ronald Darby is probably the Philadelphia Eagles‘ best cornerback.
Darby is clearly the team’s fastest (4.39 40 coming out of Florida State), most tenured, and despite some less than ideal showing to start off the 2019 season, he should still earn a huge payday if/when he hits free agency.
However, Jim Schwartz‘s defense may actually be better off, at least right now, with the fifth-year corner standing on the sidelines in street clothes.
More from Philadelphia Eagles
- 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
- Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
- Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles
Why? Easy, it finally brings an end to the team’s dreaded cornerback rotation once and (hopefully) for all.
That’s right, that weird platoon situation the Birds have been trotting out with Sidney Jones earning right corner snaps on one drive only to pass it off to Rasul Douglas on the next should be ancient history, as the duo will both have to take the field as full-time starters against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, and potentially beyond – with only recently re-signed Southern Illinois UDFA product Craig James serving as a reserve.
Is that cornerback crew, rounded out with Avonte Maddox in the slot elite? Not even close, but at least the Eagles will be able to see what they have once and for all in-house.
Who knows, maybe if things (god forbid) go really, really bad in Green Bay and the team drops to 1-3 under the glaring gaze of the national spotlight, Howie Roseman will finally cave in to external pressure and make a trade for the best corner in football, Jalen Ramsey – that is, unless they have to include Zach Ertz to get a deal done (*spoiler alert* that won’t happen).
Furthermore, while it seems less likely, maybe Jones or Douglas (but probably not Douglas) will royally step up in Week 4 and dominate Aaron Rodgers and his albeit average collection of receivers in route to a lockdown performance. Jones already picked off the first pass of this career in Week 2, so with a more consistent snap count, he could rise to the occasion without a safety net.
After suffering a brutal torn Achilles at his Washington Pro Day, a shutdown game opposite currently-anointed-top-cornerback-in-waiting Jaire Alexander could be just what the doctor ordered to unlock the casino corner scouts coveted in 2017.
Or hey, as previously mentioned, it could go really, really bad and we could all be lining up to buy Jalen Ramsey jerseys before the calendar flips over to October – that works for me too.
Next. Stop questioning Carson Wentz’s leadership. dark
Will it work? Will it go horribly wrong? Only time will tell, but I personally would rather see Raul Douglas and Sidney Jones sink or swim unencumbered over a clearly-not-healthy Ronald Darby toughing it out on the left side of the Philadelphia Eagles defense: While the results may be the same, the reward could be Jalen Ramsey in a midnight green number 25 jersey (rule of three).