It wouldn't be an NFL offseason without a trade rumor that sets fanbases on fire, and the latest one has Bears Twitter doing somersaults. In a proposed three-team deal floated by Dolphins writer Hunter Cookson of The Sporting News , the Chicago Bears would land star cornerback Jalen Ramsey while sending left tackle Braxton Jones to the Cleveland Browns. The Miami Dolphins, in turn, would receive former Northwestern star cornerback Greg Newsome.
Cornerback? Really? That’s the Move?
It's classic offseason fodder — speculative, messy, and probably never happening. Still, when a potential trade involves a cornerstone of the Bears' offensive line and a big-name defensive playmaker, it's absolutely worth breaking down.
Turning 31 in October of this year, Ramsey remains an elite playmaker. The Dolphins' defense declined after the departure of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio; however, Ramsey still started all 17 games in 2024, earned his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl nod, and recorded 11 passes defensed along with two interceptions.
The ball-hawking numbers dropped, but Miami used Ramsey more as a disruptor than in the traditional cover corner role he’s known for. He had 47 blitz snaps and 12 pressures, the latter of which led all defensive backs. His 85.7 PFF grade against the run was one of the best among all defensive backs. On PFF's annual cornerback rankings, Ramsey still comes in at 14th.
So, how does a player of Ramsey's ilk fit into new Bears' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme? To quote Ace Ventura: "like a glove". Ramsey's positional versatility and ability to create pressure from the cornerback position would be crucial in Allen's disguise-heavy scheme.
But does it really solve a problem? Cornerback is one of the deepest positions for the Bears, and Kyler Gordon (fresh off an extension just a few months ago) has shown strengths that would make Ramsey somewhat redundant. Also, are the Bears ready to close the door on Tyrique Stevenson? Sure, the former Hurricane had a rough go of it in 2024, but he showed enough promise in his rookie season (and even in spurts last year) that giving up on the 2nd-rounder seems short-sighted.
And, let's be honest, getting rid of a starting left tackle, despite the current injury, just seems like one of those moves that will inevitably come back to bite the Bears in the butt if they follow through. Braxton Jones isn't elite, but he's stable, and like his predecessor Charles Leno, you wind up missing the yeoman effort players like him offer. At least this time, the Bears wouldn't have to scramble and lure Jason Peters (who still started eight games in 2023) off a skiff in the middle of a river to play left tackle.
Still, hitching your star to Kiran Amegadjie and rookie Ozzy Trapilo is just one of those situations where, if it comes to fruition by mid-October, we're all scrambling to question why this was the plan.
Blockbuster or Blunder?
This proposed trade feels like classic offseason catnip — big names, flashy hypotheticals, and just enough logic to keep the group chats buzzing. But for the Bears, it's the kind of move that sounds better in a vacuum than it does in the trenches. Jalen Ramsey still has juice, no doubt. But sacrificing stability at one of the most critical positions in football just to add to a position of relative strength feels like solving the wrong problem with the wrong resource.
The Bears don't need more sizzle. They need structure. And unless Ryan Poles is planning to unveil a hidden left tackle on the roster nobody's thought of yet, mortgaging Braxton Jones for a 30-year-old corner — even one with Ramsey's résumé — is a gamble that feels more Madden than methodical. Poles should not be entertaining such gambles going into Caleb Williams' second season. Fun to talk about? Absolutely. Worth doing? Only if you've got a boat and Jason Peters on speed dial.
