Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is still playing football at an elite level, but that isn’t stopping the Miami Dolphins from trying to trade him. The veteran corner has three years left on his deal, and he’s due north of $25 million in each season, so the franchise thought it was best to move on from the seven-time Pro Bowler.
Ramsey is still a member of the Dolphins, so it remains unclear where the next chapter of his career will be played, but there’s already speculation about what it could look like. Albert Breer recently released a piece covering multiple current NFL stories, and he made an interesting comment on Ramsey.
Breer didn’t say anything about which team Ramsey could be playing for, instead focusing on what position he could be playing for his new team. The veteran reporter expressed that he’s intrigued by the possibility of Ramsey moving from corner to safety in the coming years.
"On Jalen Ramsey, I’m really, really intrigued by the possibility he converts to safety in the next year or two. I think he could be another Charles Woodson or Rod Woodson in that regard, where the switch extends his career into his mid-30s."Albert Breer (Sports Illustrated)
Albert Breer thinks Jalen Ramsey could soon convert to a safety
As Breer pointed out, this isn’t uncommon for elite corners to do later in their careers. Hall of Famers Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson are the most high-profile examples. After legendary careers on the outside at corner, both moved inside to safety, tacking on several more years of quality play to their already great careers.
Ramsey, who only turns 31 in October, is still playing at an elite level at corner, and can probably maintain that form for a few more years. If the day comes where he’ll be more productive at safety, he’ll certainly be equipped to make the transition. The elite defensive back has already been used a chess piece throughout his career, bouncing around from corner to nickel and even safety. That means becoming a full-time safety should be easy work for him.
The challenge, though, would be Ramsey’s salary. If this move was to happen in the next one or two years like Breer said, Ramsey would still be on is current deal. He’s the third highest-paid corner at $24.1 million a year, and that’s a few million more than the highest-paid safety (Kerby Joseph at $21.25). So Ramsey wouldn’t just be going from corner to safety on the field, he’d be doing it at the bank as well.
Ultimately, that’s a discussion for Ramsey and his team to have in a few years. Now, he and the Dolphins must decide who his team will be for the 2025 season.