The Miami Dolphins have continued their acquisition of talent by trading for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to multiple sources.
The Dolphins sent a third-round pick in this year’s draft and tight end Hunter Long to the Los Angeles Rams to seal the trade.
I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it’s happening! 🙏🏾@MiamiDolphins LETSGO! 🧡
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) March 12, 2023
Ramsey appeared to confirm the trade on Sunday afternoon, tweeting: “I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it’s happening! @MiamiDolphins LETSGO!”
Miami have aggressively pursued big-name stars in the last year. Last season, they brought in All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb. They were also fined and docked a first-round draft pick last year for tampering when they attempted to acquire Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
Thanks to an adjusted contract, Jalen Ramsey has two years fully guaranteed left to complete a deal that averages $20M per year. He got an additional $25M guaranteed as part of the trade ... and he gets his preferred destination in the #Dolphins. https://t.co/a2uiNarBo8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2023
The 28-year-old Ramsey is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and is a three-time All Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. Pro Football Focus ranked him the third-best cornerback in the league last season, and he won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams in February 2022. In Miami he will team up with another All-Pro cornerback, Xavien Howard.
The Rams went 5-12 last season and missed the playoffs just one year after winning the Super Bowl, and they’ve have been making changes to their roster this offseason. Los Angeles parted ways with veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner last month after one season.
Adding Ramsey is another step for Miami in rebuilding a defense that had a down year in 2022, by their standards.
After Miami finished last year ranked 18th in total defense, 24th in scoring defense and 27th against the pass, the Dolphins parted ways with defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and brought in former Denver head coach Vic Fangio to lead the defense.
Miami needed to bolster a secondary that was hit by injury last year and were without cornerback Byron Jones, who is expected to be released on Wednesday, when the NFL’s new year begins, in a cost-cutting move. Jones missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing achilles surgery last March.
Sunday’s trade means the Dolphins hold only four picks in this year’s draft: in the second, third, sixth and seventh rounds.
