Replacing Ramsey

By: Josh Frey-Sam

Jalen Ramsey can still play.

The 30-year-old’s best days might be behind him, but he is still one of the better cornerbacks in the league and can be a piece that pushes a middling team to the next level or a contender over the top.

If you missed it, Ramsey and the Miami Dolphins mutually agreed to let the three-time All-Pro explore trade options on Tuesday. It effectively spelled the end to a two-year partnership that didn’t yield the results that either side had hoped for.

A reset is exactly what both sides need, though this is a tough pill for Dolphins fans to swallow. The team was 8-9 last season and is stuck in the middle. Trading away one of their best players certainly won’t help their case.

There are a few layers to this, however, so let’s break them down.

1. When will a trade happen?

I wouldn’t expect a draft day deal next week, or anything to materialize anytime soon, for that matter. This is likely to be a summertime deal, after a needy team strikes out on landing a starting-calibre CB in the draft. More specifically, it will be a post-June 1 trade, owing to the financial burden a trade will have on Miami’s salary cap.

If Ramsey is traded before June 1, the Fins will incur a dead cap and net loss of $12.552M against the cap. If traded post-June 1, the dead hit this year is $10.745M, and Miami instead nets a $5.916M savings.

2. What will the trade partner incur?

Ramsey, who turns 31 in October, has four years left on his deal, but would come on the cheap for one season. He would be owed a $1.255M salary in 2025, a $10M salary in 2026 and 2027, and a $21.135M salary in 2028 — which, by that last year, he would certainly be cut and probably strongly consider retiring.

Though the production won’t jump off the page at you, Ramsey was still solid last season. He played every game, while allowing just 46 receptions and still having a strong impact in run defence, which was what truly made him elite for all those years.

I’m not a huge PFF guy, but their grades can at least give you a sense for how a guy fared — Ramsey ranked 16th among all CBs with a grade of 76.9, while receiving an 85.7 grade in run defence (10th best).

3. Who is a legitimate trade partner?

Because Ramsey wouldn’t do much damage to any team’s cap until 2028, it actually makes him a fairly coveted player across most of the league.

A few teams that come to mind:

Arizona — a team that isn’t close to competing, but is looking to take that next step and desperately needs another difference maker on the backend.

Jacksonville Jaguars — could a return to the team that drafted him be in store? Ramsey’s addition would bolster that secondary and really give the Jags a feel of a dark horse in the AFC.

Kansas City Chiefs — this would be so Chiefs. They’ve been quiet all off-season, and making a splash like this wouldn’t surprise me. I also think Ramsey is a great fit in Steve Spagnuolo’s defence.

Los Angeles Rams — another potential reunion. The Rams loved Ramsey during his time there, and he would absolutely send this budding team over the top in a season filled with high expectations.

4. What’s next for Miami?

Before I knew about Ramsey’s trade request, I projected East Carolina CB Shavon Revel to the Dolphins with the 48th overall pick in my latest mock draft.

Could landing a top cover guy vault to the top of the team’s needs? Perhaps, but I would argue it was already a top need and that the offensive line remains a bigger priority. There will be some interesting CBs in the second round, and that’s still where I expect Miami to strike.

While the draft should be used to upgrade that position regardless of anything else that happens, I also view the Fins as a candidate to trade for a CB.

May I remind you of Green Bay Packers star CB Jaire Alexander, who is currently being shopped by the hosts of next week’s draft.

Alexander would be a younger replacement and a tremendous fit to take over as CB1. He already turned 28, and when healthy, has proven he’s one of the top cover guys in the league. The problem is he hasn’t been healthy recently.

Alexander has played in just 14 contests in the last two seasons, making the $16.1M and $18.1M salaries over the next two seasons a risky pill to swallow for interested teams.

However, thinking about the state of the Fins right now, Jaire makes a lot of sense there. This is a team that is stuck in the middle and desperate to get out — adding a star player can help push you to the next step.

Miami also wouldn’t need to pay top dollar in order to acquire him.

All in all, we might have two top cornerbacks on the move this summer.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh