What Led to the Idea of the Dolphins Trading Ramsey

Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier said he already has had discussions with some teams about a deal for the seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

There still remains some mystery as to what exactly has led the Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey headed for a divorce, even as GM Chris Grier tried to provide some answers Tuesday.

Grier pre-empted questions during his annual pre-draft press conference with a statement confirming the earlier report indicating that the Dolphins and Ramsey had agreed to explore trade options.

While Grier declined to provide the exact reason Ramsey would like to move to another team, he did say that the issue was not contract-related and the cornerback did not specifically ask for a trade — though agreeing to explore trade options is not that far removed from being the same thing.

Grier also made clear this situation has been brewing for a bit.

"After a couple weeks of discussions between ourselves internally and Jalen and his representation, we decided that it was probably in the best interests for all parties to move forward," Grier said. "I will say these decisions aren't done quickly and they're not taken lightly because we spent a lot of time this offseason working through this, talking through things. At the end of the day, Jalen did not ask for a trade. So we went through the process and just felt that after numerous conversations and then talking last week with Jalen and his agent, that it was best to move forward and it was in the best interests of the Miami Dolphins and for Jalen Ramsey."

This is where one has to wonder if it's not about the contract, why would Ramsey be willing to switch teams just two years after being acquired from the Los Angeles Rams and returning to the state where he played his college football (Florida State)? And why would it be in the best interests for the Dolphins to trade their most talented defensive player?

"Really those discussions I'll keep internally," Grier said. "I'm not going to get out here and talk about it. But we had a lot of discussions on it and from both sides and at the end of the day, we felt this is what was best for the Dolphins and for Jalen."

Grier said he already had had discussions with other teams about a Ramsey trade and didn't know whether a deal would be consummated before, during or after the draft.

The possibility of Ramsey even being on the roster in 2025 was brought up, and Grier didn't dismiss it out of hand, though the reality is that once this kind of story comes out, it's almost past a point of no return.

"Trades come together at all different times," Grier said. "You've seen from before the draft, day of the draft, during the draft. I think A.J. Brown was during the draft, it happened (when he was traded from Tennessee to Philadelphia). So, you know, when it happens, it'll happen. And if it doesn't, we'll deal with it then.

"Again, this was long discussions, I would say throughout the offseason. So this wasn't anything we rushed to and just said today, let's do this. So we're prepared if he's here, we'll deal with it and if he's not, we'll adjust as well. So we feel good about where it is. It's never easy to replace a player like Jalen. He was a good player for us, he's a good player, he'll probably be a Hall of Famer here. But for the Miami Dolphins going forward, we feel like this is the best chance to help us win, not only just this year, but in the future as well."

THE INITIAL RAMSEY REPORT

Ramsey has played the past two seasons for Miami after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 in exchange for tight end Hunter Long and a third-round pick.

Ramsey has four years left on his contract, but his guarantees run out after 2025.

His salary for 2025 is $24.2 million, all guaranteed, though it's mostly bonuses with his base salary only $1.3 million, per Over The Cap.

Ramsey's cap number currently stands at $16.7 million for the Dolphins in 2025, but it would go to $25.2 million if he's traded before June 1 because his signing bonus no longer would be spread out over the next three years. That scenario would allow the Dolphins to get 2025 draft pick compensation.

The cap number would go down to $6.7 million (with the remaining $17.5 million on the books in 2026) if the trade went down after June 1, though it clearly couldn't involve 2025 pick compensation.

If the Dolphins do indeed move Ramsey, it would mark the third time in his career he's been traded — before the Dolphins got him from the Rams, he was traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars after being that team's first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

What could the Dolphins get for Ramsey?

That's complicated because there's no questioning his ability, even if he's not quite as elite as he once was, but he's somebody who hasn't stuck around any place for very long and it's entirely possible he's looking at once again redoing his contract.

Considering those factors, it would seem a second-pick would be the best-case scenario, and that might not even be realistic. After all, consider what the Dolphins gave up to get him two years ago.

CORNERBACK CONCERN GETS BIGGER

The immediate impact, though, is that Ramsey's departure would make the cornerback position an even bigger issue than it already is, and very well could increase the likelihood of the team's first-round pick being used at that spot, whether it be for Will Johnson or Jahdae Barron.

After the Dolphins released veteran Kendall Fuller in mid-February, Ramsey was left as the one sure thing among the outside cornerbacks — recently re-signed Kader Kohou clearly is more effective in the slot.

The rest of the cornerback group includes young unproven players exclusively, the list including Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, Cam Smith, Roy Cooper Jr., Isaiah Johnson, Jason Maitre, along with long-ago first-round pick Artie Burns.

The defense already has lost this offseason two of its biggest names when lineman Calais Campbell and safety Jevon Holland left in free agency for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants, respectively.

On offense, the team saw four-time Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead decide to retire after 12 seasons.

And then there's the uncertainty surrounding wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The Dolphins now look like they're about to add another big name to their talent drain of the past year and a half.

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