That Time the Dolphins Ate Money to Make a Trade

The Miami Dolphins could be forced to pay some of Jalen Ramsey's salary if they want to consummate a deal

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium in the 2024 opener. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Jalen Ramsey watch continues more than a week after the 2025 NFL draft, and the biggest obstacle to a Miami Dolphins trade involving their Pro Bowl cornerback continues to be his contract.

It's not just about the Dolphins having to deal with the cap ramifications associated with a Ramsey trade, it's about finding a trade partner willing to take on the veteran's contract.

And it may get to the point where the Dolphins will have no choice but to agree to pay some of that salary to facilitate a trade.

And while the circumstances are a bit different, they Dolphins have done this before — with quarterback Ryan Tannehill in 2019.

When the organization set out to execute a complete rebuilding project — way beyond a simple reset — one of the decisions the Dolphins made was moving forward without their 2012 first-round pick after seven seasons.

But trading Tannehill, as is the case now with Ramsey, wasn't as simple as finding a team looking for a quarterback.

The Dolphins eventually were able to trade Tannehill to help get him off their books in 2020, which would have been the final year of a four-year extension he signed in 2016. To move Tannehill, the Dolphins agreed to pay him a $5 million signing bonus to push his cap number to $18.4 million for that 2019 season and got a measly return from the Tennessee Titans.

In exchange for Tannehill and a sixth-round pick, the Dolphins got a 2020 fourth-round selection along with a seventh-round choice.

THE JALEN RAMSEY SITUATION

Now, Ramsey is a lot more proven commodity as a player at this time than Tannehill was in 2019, but he's also older and actually is due to make more money than Tannehill was that year.

The Dolphins already have paid Ramsey a $4 million bonus this offseason, and he's got $21 million more coming his way in 2025, which an acquiring team would fully absorb at this time barring an arrangement with Miami.

As good as Ramsey has been in his career, finding a team willing to do that might be difficult.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay kind of suggested that when he spoke late last week about Ramsey and his potential interest in bringing him back to Southern California.

“He is a total stud,” McVay told Adam Schein of SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, “and you look at — obviously he has continued to play at a really high level. He and I have kept in great touch even since we ended up trading him to Miami. Special competitor, great person, great father.

“And so there are a lot of layers when you’re talking about a player of his caliber, all right, with regards to the contract, the compensation that they would be looking for in exchange for receiving a player of his magnitude. And so those conversations are ongoing as I’m sure they are with multiple teams. And we’ll see, but we’re never gonna shy away from opportunities to increase the competitiveness of our roster or add great players as long as it fits within the framework of everything that an acquisition like that would entail.”

The Rams make perfect sense as a trade partner for the Dolphins because they have a need in the secondary, reached the second round of the playoffs last season and have a quarterback (Matthew Stafford) who probably has only a couple of years left.

The stumbling block for the Rams, as it will be for any potential trade partner, will be the trade compensation and Ramsey's salary.

The two very well might be connected, with a team likely willing to give Miami more in exchange for Ramsey the more salary the Dolphins are willing to absorb.

The Rams have a little more than $18 million of effective cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.

POTENTIAL RAMSEY TIMELINE

The Dolphins, meanwhile, currently have a little under $11.7 million of effective cap space (includes space needed for draft class) and their 2025 cap clearly would benefit for any Ramsey trade occurring after June 1.

Under that scenario, the Dolphins would have to count $6.7 million for Ramsey, as opposed to more than $25 million if they traded him before June 1 (though $18.4 million would go against the 2026 cap).

Dolphins GM Chris Grier said there were discussions with other teams throughout the weekend about a Ramsey, but obviously nothing came to fruition.

Grier said the Dolphins won't necessarily wait until after June 1 to consummate a deal even if that would make the cap hit less painful, emphasizing he doesn't know when the right opportunity will surface.

Head coach Mike McDaniel, meanwhile, was asked point blank about how he would describe his relationship with Ramsey, which has been reported to be problematic, and he sidestepped the question saying there was no purpose in talking about it and taking away attention from the draft picks.