Dolphins Land Jalen Ramsey from Rams
The Miami Dolphins are adding another high-profile veteran.
The Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams have consummated a trade that will send three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Miami, as first reported by ESPN reporter Adam Schefter and confirmed by a league source.
In return, the Dolphins will sent tight end Hunter Long and a 2023 third-round pick (the 77th overall). That's the first of the Dolphins' two scheduled third-round selections, the one they acquired last year from the New England Patriots in the trade involving wide receiver DeVante Parker.
The trade will become official at the start of the league year Wednesday.
Given Ramsey's credentials and the fact that Long got very little playing time in his first two seasons after arriving as a third-round pick out of Boston College in 2021, this very obviously was a case of the Rams making the trade to get rid of Ramsey's contract.
He has three years and $46 million in base salary left on his contract, though his salary for 2024 and 2025 is not guaranteed, per overthecap.com.
Ramsey had a cap number of $25.2 million in 2023 that included $17 million in salary and $8.2 in pro-rated signing bonus (that will remain the responsibility of the Rams). Of his base salary, only $5 million is guaranteed in 2023 and none is guaranteed in 2024 or 2025.
The possibility certainly does exist that the Dolphins will restructure his contract to bring down his $17 million cap hit for them in 2023.
WHAT GETTING RAMSEY MEANS
Adding Ramsey to the defense obviously would be a major boost for a Dolphins team that went through several starters opposite Xavien Howard in 2022 while Byron Jones missed the entire season after having leg surgery.
The Dolphins already have informed Jones that he'll be released next week with a post-June 1 designation, and getting Ramsey would put the Dolphins to have the best cornerback tandem in the NFL.
Along with his three All-Pro nods, Ramsey has made the Pro Bowl six of his seven NFL seasons after he joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as the fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft.
He has 19 career interceptions, including four each of the past two seasons.
Ramsey also has been durable, missing only four games in seven seasons.
Ramsey, a native of Tennessee who played at Florida State, would join a defense already featuring big names like Howard and linebacker Bradley Chubb, who the Dolphins acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos last November.
