If you’re holding out hope that the Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey will kiss and make up at the last minute before June 1st, well, I am afraid I have some bad news for you.
It’s not happening.
And if you are curious as to why it’s not happening, the answer is simple: the relationship between Ramsey and McDaniel is broken.
It’s fractured, it has been reported on for months, and from Mike McDaniel’s numerous answers this week, when asked about Ramsey. We saw a side of McDaniel that was a bit annoyed when the topic of Ramsey came up.
McDaniel said,
“I mean, quite honestly zero has changed since the last time I said anything about him. I’m very much interested in the players that I’m coaching on the field today. I think if you have a team that’s focused on getting better each and every day, that’s plenty for me to worry about, and I guess I’ll leave it at that.”
Then McDaniel was asked if it’s possible to have a resolution between both sides before training camp. His answer gave no hope.
“I’m really worried about the players that will be out on the field today, and that’s about as much breath as I want to speak into it.”
Then, when he was asked if he was sad about the relationship with Ramsey going sideways, his answer was very frank.
“I’m very excited to coach a football team, that’s not dismissing, but quite honestly, everything is an opportunity cost. So I think it is quite honestly irresponsible for me to put down some of the thoughts and focus on the players that we’re working now to build a performance for the season and concern myself with that. That’s where I should be, I think.”
With comments like this, it’s safe to say whatever happened behind the scenes was ugly.
There is rumor and innuendo that Ramsey was one of the players who was consistently late for team meetings, and the fines didn’t seem to change his attitude.
We are unable to confirm that report, but that may have played a part in the fractured relationship. And I’m sure its more than one thing that fractured the relationship if we are being honest. It was probably a million little things.
But the fact that Ramsey (like many other veterans) over the past two offseasons are leaving Miami at an alarming rate is concerning.
Not everyone is leaving for more money. Some guys just want out.
Are they running away from Coach McDaniel?
It is a valid question that probably warrants discussion.
Is McDaniel having an issue connecting with his players?
Is the Dolphins locker-room culture, which McDaniel has created, so toxic that nobody wants to be here?
Do the players see through some of Coach McDaniel’s hokey buillshit at this point and want to go to a team with a head coach who is a true leader of men?
It could be any one of these things or a little bit of all of them.
Either way, the fracture between Ramsey and McDaniel won’t get repaired by June 1st, and Mike McDaniel has clearly moved on.
