Jalen Ramsey has been with the Dolphins for the past two seasons, but his time in Miami may soon be coming to an end. Team and player have mutually agreed to “explore trade options,” Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. 
No deadline is in place for a potential deal to be worked out, per the report, but the draft looms as a logical deadline on that front. Cornerback already represents a position of need for the Dolphins with Ramsey in the fold. Moving on from the seven-time Pro Bowler would create an even larger vacancy at that spot, but Rapoport and Pelissero note it would not come as a surprise if a trade were to take place.
[RELATED: Ramsey Did Not Request To Be Traded]
The No. 5 pick in the 2016 draft, Ramsey quickly established himself as one of the league’s top cover men during his tenure with the Jaguars. Midway through his fourth season in Jacksonville, he was traded to the Rams and subsequently extended on a five-year, $100MM deal. Ramsey remained in Los Angeles through the end of the 2022 campaign, earning a pair of his three first-team All-Pro nods along the way. He was then traded again, however, this time to the Dolphins.
Upon arrival in Miami, Ramsey agreed to a restructure but he later worked out another lucrative accord. This past September, the Florida State product signed a three-year extension averaging $24.1MM. That figure moved him back to the top of the pecking order in terms of annual compensation for corners at the time, although the market has since continued to move upward. Ramsey is on the books for four more years, although he is only due a guaranteed base salary for 2025.
The 30-year-old already collected a $4MM roster bonus last month, but the remainder of his compensation – including $21.1MM fully locked in – would become the responsibility of his new team in the event of a trade. Miami would be hit with a $25.21MM dead money charge if a deal were to be worked out before June 1, making a pre-draft deal financially challenging. If a swap were to occur after June 1, by contrast, the Dolphins would see $9.92MM in cap savings while generating only a $6.75MM dead money hit.
Ramsey is set to carry a cap charge of $16.66MM in 2025, but that figure is scheduled to spike in the coming years. Another restructure of his pact on the part of an acquiring team would thus come as no surprise, although the number of suitors will be limited based on finances. As teams prepare to add their draft classes to their offseason rosters and make late-stage free agent moves, few have enough idle cap space to comfortably absorb Ramsey’s deal; it will be interesting to see how much of a market exists on the trade front.
After being limited to 10 games by a knee injury in 2023, Ramsey logged a full campaign last season. He notched a pair of interceptions (continuing his streak of recording at least one every year in the league), and added 11 pass deflections. Pro Football Reference listed Ramsey with underwhelming numbers in coverage, but PFF evaluation in that department helped him land a top-10 grade for corners. While age and finances will give plenty of teams pause, Ramsey (when healthy) will still be counted on to operate as a versatile No. 1 corner if he lands on a fourth career team.
The Dolphins will once again have Kader Kohou in place to handle slot cornerback duties next season, but their decision to cut Kendall Fuller left them in need of drafting a starting-caliber option on the perimeter. That situation will be duplicated if Ramsey winds up being dealt, a scenario worth watching for over the coming days.
Still a stud.
Then why has he been traded so many times?
Because a player can be really good and also be traded twice in nine years? See also: Khalil Mack.
I don’t think you can put Mack in the really good catagory but thats my opinion as he’snot a difference maker….and there usually is an underlying reason why a guy doesn’t stick….contract..trouble either with a WAG or the law….not sure this applies but we don’t know everything here.
Mack has over 100 sacks in his career, is one of the best run defending edges in the league, has made nine pro bowls and four first team all pro. He’s an easy hall of famer, like Ramsey. If you don’t think he’s really good, I don’t know what to tell you.
Jacksonville traded Ramsey because they didn’t want to give him a huge contract. LA traded Ramsey because they tore much of their roster to eat their cap vegetables for a year. Neither was because Ramsey wasn’t very good.
Mack used to be really good, but hasn’t been an impact player for many years. He had a great 2023 season, but that looks like an outlier more than anything. He has only had 5 seasons with double digit sacks. Not sure how he made 9 Pro Bowls.
He’s literally been traded twice. Twice.
And he’s been traded because he’s often injured and a known primadonna so he’s only worth bringing in if you think you have a real shot at winning a championship with him.
Explain this prima donna behavior from him? He’s been nothing but a professional.
He demanded a trade out of Jacksonville and LA couldn’t afford him.
Being traded doesn’t mean you’re bad.
Really…a contract to a player only works one way…the players way….when they get frustrated that someone is making more money than the signed contract he has…he’s being disrespected and starts making demands….can you do that on your job?
Maybe because the Rams reset their roster after they were in cap hell after the Super Bowl, and Miami has a coach who doesn’t emphasize defense to the point that their own players openly call them soft. Deion Sanders played for four teams. Revis played for three. What exactly is the point about how many teams he plays for if he’s still the truth on the field? He still is that.
Is he though? Or has he always been a mid CB with a big mouth?
Burn it all down.
Trade Hill and Chubb.
Baltimore has 11 draft picks and a need.
Baltimore cap space – 11 mill
Ramsey cap hits
2025 – 16 mill
2026 – 27 mill
2028 – 36 mill
They also need new deals with
Henry Linderbaum Hamilton Humphreys Jackson Flowers
possibly Andrews Faalelee Oweh Washington Simpson Madibuke Smith Rosengarten
Sorry
2025 16 mill cap hits
2026 25 mill cap hit
2027 27 mill cap hit
2028 36 mill cap hit
2026-2028 aren’t guaranteed at all, so you don’t have to worry about those. Baltimore could always acquire him for just one year. And some of these names don’t really affect things. Madubuike just signed a new deal last year. Rosengarten has three quarters of his rookie deal left. Simpson hasn’t even been good.
Bring San Diego Fleet, you seem to have me muted (but responded to me?), but Ramsey’s cap number is under $17 million this year and he doesn’t have any guaranteed salary afterward. There would likely be some contract rewrites for anyone acquiring him.
Don’t see Baltimore tying up cap space the next 4 years when a lot of guys are gonna be up for new contracts namely Lamar Jackson
I do see Baltimore addressing the position via draft possibly taking the kid from East Carolina Shavon Revel Jr
They could also double up and take some guys day 3 like Jordan Hancock or Denzel Burke out of OSU Zy Alexander out of LSU.
But doubt Ramsey is seriously considered unless he pulls a stefon Diggs and agrees to a 1 year deal
I highly doubt a cornerback about to turn 31 is going to get meaningful guarantees into a fourth year. Regardless, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Baltimore hit the secondary more than once in the draft, even if they were to get Ramsey.
Foolish Dolphins. 7x pro bowl, 3x 1st team all pro, career 76.5 passer rating on balls thrown his way, sub 60% completion % on balls his way, and 18 career TDs.
Pro bowl as early as 2023 and started all 17 games last year.
Sauce Gardner last year: 56.9% completion, 541 yards given, 86.9 passer rating allowed.
Ramsey last year: 62% completion, 462 yards given (in 2 more games played), 83.2 passer rating allowed.
He isn’t Surtain or Stingly level, but he absolutely still has it.
They haven’t gotten past the wildcard with him on the team, he is expensive and they need to get younger. You don’t want to keep a that is getting older too long. It’s better to let him go a year early that too late.
I wouldn’t mind him coming to the Broncos. The tandem of PS2 and Ramsey would bring tones of Harrs/Talib. Would be Rrreal hard for QB’s to find open targets especially if they upgrade the interior DL.
Corners fall off bad when they hit 30, it is a very speed dependent position.
Ramsey isn’t really the type to flip to safety either.
Swap him to the Packers for Alexander.
Maybe the Cowboys or Eagles will pick him up