The Miami Dolphins‘ mandatory minicamp is in the rearview and the franchise is now in the midst of a break before training camp gets underway in late July.
Though it was an excused absence, Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey wasn’t present during Miami’s minicamp as the franchise explores potential trade options.
One of the popular theories is that the Los Angeles Rams could be a trade partner. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said at the beginning of June that Ramsey had the Rams “on his radar as a potential option.”
“The LA Rams, Ramsey’s old team, is on his radar as a potential option. Nothing moving there as of yet. He should have a new team this fall,” Fowler said at the beginning of June.
“The expectation is that Ramsey will be traded in the coming days and weeks. They can save about $10 million on their salary cap if they do so. That is not the issue. He’s got $24 million guaranteed. That is the major issue here. Teams have been a little spooked by that.”
On Tuesday, Rams head coach Sean McVay said from the team’s mandatory minicamp in Maui that he wouldn’t rule out a trade for the Dolphins’ star cornerback. But, McVay noted the “obstacles” that could prevent a move.
“Usually, those are scenarios and situations that you have to have plans in place prior to executing some of the decisions that have occurred. Definitely don’t want to rule anything out because we’re always open-minded to onboarding and acquiring quality players and people like him if we’re able to do that, but there would be some obstacles that are real that are in the place of maybe preventing that from occurring,” McVay said.
McVay dissected some of the other “layers” to a potential Ramsey deal.
“What is his salary? And are we able to take that on just based on our current situation when you onboard a player that’s earned the right to be paid where he’s at? Those are things that you’re usually planning months in advance and obviously, it was unforeseen that he would become available.
“And if you do execute a trade, what are they looking for in return? Is there a conversation to be had in terms of a portion of that contract that they pay? Are they interested in players or draft capital? So there’s a lot of layers to that,” McVay said.
Ramsey returning to the Rams had been a trendy pick because of his familiarity with McVay and the franchise. The three-time, first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler enjoyed some of his best seasons with the Rams.
Ramsey won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams to cap the 2021 NFL season. The 6-foot-1 corner was a first-team All-Pro in both 2020 and 2021 with the Rams and a Pro Bowler every season in Los Angeles from 2019-22.
The Dolphins open training camp on July 27 from the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens. If Ramsey indeed isn’t a part of the long-term plans, the franchise would love to have moved him beforehand.