The Miami Dolphins have the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, but a major question remains unanswered going into the final phase of the offseason.
“What is the plan at cornerback?” as Dolphins insider and ESPN reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques posed on Monday. “Miami entered the draft with needs at defensive tackle, offensive guard and cornerback. It addressed the trenches in the first two rounds but didn’t take a cornerback until Round 5.”
That’s Florida cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., who had 68 tackles and two interceptions in his four-year career with the Gators. Miami didn’t take another corner after Marshall.
“If the Dolphins trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey — which they are trying to do — they’ll need to introduce two new starting corners before the season begins,” Louis-Jacques wrote. “GM Chris Grier has suggested the team will look to the veteran free agent pool to fill its remaining needs — it’s just a matter of which players are interested in signing.”
Ramsey would leave a massive voice as he has produced multi-interception seasons annually since 2021. He had 60 tackles, a sack, and two interceptions last season.
However, Ramsey costs the Dolphins a bundle amid a three-year, $72.3 million contract.
Dolphins Still Intent on Trading Jalen Ramsey
GettyJalen Ramsey tackles Anthony Richardson in 2024.
While the Dolphins didn’t make a move with Ramsey during the draft, general manager Chris Grier said opportunities came up and that a trade is still on the table.
“We had conversations through the weekend with teams. Whenever it happens, we will make the deal at the appropriate time,” Grier told reporters on April 26.
It’s possible the Dolphins could wait for June 1 to pass when the team could drop the $25.213 dead money salary cap by $18 million-plus for this year and break up the dead money hit for multiple years. Grier only doubled down on “whenever those opportunities arise” with another team regarding a potential trade.
The Dolphins and Ramsey agreed on exploring trade options two weeks before the draft.
Possible Free Agent Targets for Dolphins
To eventually replace Ramsey, Miami will have to look at aged veterans to go the free agent route at this point for cornerback. Notable remaining available free agents include James Bradberry, Stephon Gilmore, Rasul Douglas, and C.J. Henderson.
Bradberry, 31, helped the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl last season, but the team released him amid a three-year, $38 million deal. He posted 54 tackles and an interception last season, and Bradberry has been consistent amid fewer than 44 tackles and an interception in every year of his career.
Gilmore, 34, had 56 tackles and an interception for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. He hasn’t dropped off in production overall, but Gilmore isn’t overly inexpensive as he made $7 million with the Vikings last season.
Douglas, 30, tallied 58 tackles for the Buffalo Bills but didn’t have an interceptions last season. However, he had four picks in 2023, and Douglas has made at least four or more interceptions in three of the past five seasons overall.
Henderson, 26, didn’t see the field last year, but his previous two seasons with the Carolina Panthers were promising. He had 58 tackles and two interceptions in 2022 followed by 39 tackles and a sack in 2023.
