The Miami Dolphins have been trying to trade All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey for months now. It’s yet another veteran who wants out of town (which should raise some red flags for the Dolphins, but probably won’t).
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler went on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Saturday morning to give an update on the current trade talks regarding the Florida State University alum. Spoiler alert: It’s not much of an update other than telling Dolphins’ fans to essentially ‘hurry up and wait.’
“This is the next domino to drop league-wide when you talk to other teams, this is the next big move that is anticipated around the NFL,” Fowler said via Bleacher Report. “The Dolphins are optimistic that they can work out a deal with Ramsey. Nothing hard and fast developing or imminent right now, but they’ve talked to multiple teams in recent weeks and months.”
The Dolphins have no one to blame but themselves for this situation (as per usual). Last September, they signed Ramsey to an insane three-year, $72.3 million contract extension. He’s now 30-years old at a position that requires speed and isn’t very kind to those that lose a step (unless you’re former Washington Redskins CB Darrell Green).
This contract is hanging around the Dolphins’ necks and other teams would prefer it wasn’t hanging around theirs.
What teams would be interested in swinging a deal?
The team whose name has been bandied about the most is the Los Angeles Rams. Not only do they have a need, they are in win-now mode.
“The L.A. Rams are believed to be still sort of in the mix here,” Fowler said. “At least that’s a team that others have identified as just the perfect fit. You know, they have a need, they’re familiar with the player, they won a Super Bowl with him, so we’ll see.”
Some people might forget that the Rams came within a play or two of beating the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles last season in the playoffs. The Rams were driving late in the 28-23 loss in the snow globe, but came up short on a fourth-down incompletion. It was very close and the Rams would like to add a piece that could get them over the top.
“But the hangup still is that big time money he’s got on his contract, $20-plus million guaranteed for 2025,” Fowler continues. “Teams have a hard time reconciling how much they’re gonna have to pay at that contract.”
Does Ramsey have a preference?
While some players like Atlanta Falcons‘ quarterback Kirk Cousins have a no-trade clause in their contract, Ramsey doesn’t. Someone like Cousins has a say in where he ends up because he has to waive that clause.
On Friday, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter told the Pat McAfee Show that Ramsey “would like to go to the West Coast, to Los Angeles — Rams, Chargers, somewhere like that.”
For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like the Dolphins really care where Ramsey wants to go at this point.
Training camp starts about a month from now and Schefter expects a deal to get done before that. Whether or not Ramsey ends up with his preferred team is anyone’s guess. At this point, he might not care all that much, as long as he’s not in Miami with the Dolphins.
