Grading the Miami Dolphins trade for Jalen Ramsey
As everyone knows at this point, the Dolphins pulled the trigger and traded a third-round pick as well as tight end Hunter Long in return for Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The move shores up the secondary and pairs Ramsey with Xavien Howard with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Rams get a third-round pick and a young tight end in Long in what can only be described as a salary dump of Ramsey. The question is who won the trade?
For the Dolphins, adding Ramsey who has been selected to the Pro Bowl in six of his seven seasons in the league. Ramsey has also tallied 19 interceptions in his career and he has been able to rank in the top 15 in each of his seasons. Pairing him with Howard gives the Dolphins a formidable secondary to limit the success of the opposing teams. Given that both Ramsey as well as Howard will be in the secondary with last season’s standout Kader Kohou. The Dolphins swung and made a surprising splash to address a need at the same time giving up very little in return.
Initial grade – B+
Although I like the trade, and definitely applaud the value they got in Ramsey, I am hesitant to give a higher grade. Both Howard as well as Ramsey are similar in age (Howard is 30 and Ramsey is 28) so my concern is what the impact of father time will have on the duo. I am eager to see how Fangio revamps this defense as well as utilizes arguably two of the better corners if not the best pair of corners that he has had.
For the Rams, they secure a second pick in the third round and the services of a young tight end in Hunter Long who didn’t have much success in Miami, gets a fresh start with a team that could provide an heir apparent should Tyler Higbee and the Rams part ways.
Initial grade – C
The Rams needed to move on from Ramsey’s contract as well as acquire more draft capital and are in a rebuilding mode as more sellers than buyers this off-season. Although the salary cap concerns are still needing to get worked out as Ramsey is still due 19.6 million dollars, the Rams get draft capital that they can use to retool with more team-friendly contracts. It is a step in the right direction, and a wait-and-see what the Rams do with the picks they now have.
Overall winner – Miami Dolphins
As it stands now the Dolphins are the winner of this trade. They get an extremely talented corner to pair with Howard and replace Byron Jones. In return, they gave up a minimal amount in only a third-round selection and a young tight end in Hunter Long. The trade also seems to indicate that the team will keep Durham Smythe as well as Tanner Connor as their tight ends for 2023