Cowboys’ DB coach on board with Ezekiel Elliott over Jalen Ramsey
The Dallas Cowboys faced an interesting decision with the fourth overall pick in last week’s draft – Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott or Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
Both were coveted by the team, but they ultimately felt Elliott gave them the better chance to win in the immediate future. And secondary coach Joe Baker is more than OK with how everything played out even though they passed on a player (Ramsey) that some felt ranked as the top player of the class.
Baker, who is going into his fifth season with the team, remembered the 2014 season when DeMarco Murray carried the offense and the Cowboys owned the time of possession. That kept the defense fresh and the hope is that Elliott provides a similar type game.
“I remember what that was like when we were running the rock and the DBs were drinking a lot of Gatorade on the sideline. I loved that,” Baker said, chuckling. “So I’m all-in. And we ended up getting two DBs who we feel like are really good additions to the secondary. So I feel like we’ve gotten better also.”
In 2014, behind Murray and a strong running game, the Cowboys ranked first in time of possession by having the ball 32:51 of the 60-minute game. Last year, they possessed it 31:07 and were 13th in the league.
And, the players Baker is referring to, are the Cowboys using sixth-round picks on cornerback Anthony Brown and safety Kavon Frazier. Neither of them, though, is expected to get anywhere close to the level of Ramsey.
At the end of the day, Baker knows what’s best for the organization and understands the impact Elliott can make.
“They’re all such great players. It was one of those things where you really couldn’t go wrong with either one of those guys,” Baker said. “And I know we all feel like Ezekiel makes the whole team better. So I’m 100 percent on board.”
This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ DB coach on board with Ezekiel Elliott over Jalen Ramsey."