As the Miami Dolphins try to gear up for a possible playoff-or-bust season in what could be Mike McDaniel's swan song, the front office is figuring out if they can move off their best individual defensive player in cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Ramsey has requested a trade, and Miami seems prepared to honor it. NFL insider Cameron Wolfe has provided an update on the situation after weeks without any major updates, and it seems like Dolphins may need to wait a bit longer for any sort of official swap to happen.
Wolfe said that there is "nothing imminent", but he did bring up July 1 as a possible time when trade talks could start to get ramped up. Miami would take a cap hit of over $25 million if he is traded before July 1, but that number would drop to under $7 million if they trade him after that date.
Wolfe also brought up a quote from Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who said "relationships are hard" and cited that emotional fracturing as the main reason Ramsey wants out of town. Ramsey and the Dolphins are reportedly done with one another, as a trade seems to be a matter of when, not if.
Cameron Wolfe says Dolphins may trade Jalen Ramsey after July 1
Miami allowed a nearly 70% completion rate and a passer rating of 97.6 when Ramsey is off the field since 2023. Tom Brady's career passer rating was 97.2, for reference. When Ramsey is on the field, the completion percentage shrinks to 64% and the passer rating falls to 88.7. That's more in line with Gardner Minshew's 88.5 career rating.
Ramsey leaving the Dolphins would be a nightmare from a roster construction point of view, as an already suspect secondary reeling from the loss of Jevon Holland to the Giants in free agency would lose the one player who could strike fear into opposing defenses.
Without Ramsey, Kader Kohou and fifth-round rookie Jason Marshall Jr. may end up playing prominent roles in his absence. Former second-round pick Cam Smith, who has done next to nothing in the pros, may be counted on to play a big part in replacing Ramsey.
The Dolphins aren't in a great situation right now with Ramsey. Everyone and their grandmother know they want to trade him, the value they get back won't be adequate, and they lack the talent to keep this secondary performing well without him. To put it simply, this is a sub-optimal time.