So much for a quiet off-season for the Miami Dolphins, as they acquired All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams for a 3rd round pick and tight end Hunter Long. WHAT????
When I first heard yesterday the Dolphins were in discussions with the Rams to acquire Ramsey, I was like no way, because the Dolphins would probably have to give up their 2nd round pick and more. How could the Dolphins make it work to get Ramsey under the cap? Well, in the end, the Dolphins got Ramsey on the cheap. The Rams last year at this time were the Super Bowl Champions, but what a difference a year makes. For the last 4 to 5 years, the Rams have been trading away draft picks and taking on big contracts, but it’s starting to come back to bite them. The Rams had to get under the salary cap and don’t have a 1st round pick again this year. They had to start selling off some of their higher-priced players, even if it meant getting less value in return. The Rams acquired Ramsey 3 years ago for two 1st round picks and now trade him for 50 cents on the dollar. The Rams had no leverage in this deal.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier took advantage of this opportunity. He could have given up a 2nd round pick and possibly picks in next year’s draft, but the Rams are in basically a fire sale mode. They will take what they can get, so Grier gives up one of his 3rd round picks and a backup tight end who didn’t work out after being selected in the 3rd round just two years ago. Grier knew they needed another cornerback, and probably the price would have been too steep in free agency. Without a 1st round pick, he would have gotten the leftovers in the late 2nd round, so he went after one the best in the league when the Rams made him available.
It’s amazing what a few years make. Just a few years ago, the Dolphins were acquiring draft picks in a rebuild, but now they are making aggressive moves and trading picks for better players. Last year, they made trades for Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. This year it’s Ramsey. The funny thing about this trade is the Dolphins are giving up the 3rd round pick they got from the New England Patriots for DeVante Parker when nobody was willing to give the Dolphins more than a 4th round pick last year. Basically, the Dolphins are flipping Parker for Ramsey.
The Dolphins can move Kadar Kohu inside and have Tril Williams returning from injury. This move improves the Dolphins’ secondary by teaming Ramsey with Xavien Howard. It most likely means the Dolphins will move on from Nik Needham, which is sad, but he’s coming off an injury and is also looking to get paid. The Dolphins have a backup plan.
This also makes the defense much better as well. The Dolphins now need to find an inside linebacker to complete this defense. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will find ways to get the most out of the talent of this defense as they took a step back last year. Injuries played a role in that, but the Dolphins were also banking on the defense, staying together for another year to take the next step, and that failed. The Dolphins had to make some changes, and this was the first move.
The one downside to this trade is it leaves the Dolphins with only four picks in the draft, but the Dolphins wouldn’t get a player of this caliber in the 3rd round. The Dolphins didn’t give up anything in the 2024 draft. The Dolphins upgraded their roster, and the Rams were willing to give away one of their best players. What’s not to like about this deal?
