Rams paying the price for trading Jared Verse with Myles Garrett injured

It's no secret that the price of acquiring then-Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett was truly steep. Not only did the Los Angeles Rams surrender multiple draft picks, they also tossed in promising young edge rusher Jared Verse. That sacrifice stings more than ever with Garrett being placed on injured reserve.

As if his Week 1 debut was not bad enough, now he'll miss at least four weeks. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reports that Garrett is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. If all goes as well as hoped, he may be back in action in Week 6 to face the Arizona Cardinals.

That's a big if.

Verse gets a huge head start in putting up stats, which factors into any evaluation of the Rams' immediate net gain or loss from the trade. It's impossible to ignore that everything Verse does in Cleveland could have helped Los Angeles. On top of that, the Rams traded a small king's ransom in draft assets and has only an injury designation to show for it.

Getting Garrett healthy is Rams' top priority, but ...

Of course, it's vital to get Garrett healthy, so having surgery to fix his knee is a necessary step. But the timing, the diagnosis, and just about every decision made up to this point are now thrust under the microscope.

Who pushed Garrett to play in the season opener? Had a decision been made to start the season on IR, Garrett could have returned a week sooner and, more importantly, avoided further injury.

Would LA have released young nose tackle Tim Keenan if Garrett started the year on IR? Would formerly retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald have returned if he knew Garrett was hurt? While these may seem like overreactions manufactured in hindsight, but they are all logical questions fans have every right to ask.

Meanwhile, Verse will put up at least five games' worth of stats while Garrett is sidelined. Even a fully healthy Garrett will face a ramp-up period. Verse was a face of the Rams defense, a loudly spoken lightning rod who stood up to trash-talking opponents. And his energy was certainly missed in Week 1.

Every Rams fan will root for Verse, and rightfully so. But any success he has with the Browns will only fuel a sour aftertaste if the team struggles without Garrett or his return is delayed.

It was bad enough that Garrett no-showed in Week 1. Now the Rams must accept his absence for the month, or longer.

As always, thanks for reading.

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