Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel in Miami revealed new details on why the Miami Dolphins traded All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers in last Monday’s blockbuster trade. It turns out Ramsey had a diva-like personality and the Dolphins were fed up with the antics. Ramsey was reportedly frequently disruptive in the locker room and late to meetings.
In addition to trading Ramsey, the Dolphins also sent Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to the Steelers in exchange for free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Steelers also acquired a 2027 seventh-round draft pick and the Dolphins got a 2027 fifth-round draft pick in the trade.
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Smith revealed on Terron Armstead’s podcast that it was strictly a business decision in regard to the Dolphins moving on from him. He wanted to play for an organization that appreciated him, and he felt Miami wasn’t offering that financially.
“I had to make the decision to go where I’m appreciated and viewed on paper, economically, contract-wise as a top guy in this league which I know I am,” Smith said. “Pittsburgh was the team that saw me as that. Going through that process, I was hurt. I didn’t think that collectively — as an organization, players, coaches — that [they believed] trading Jonnu Smith is where our success starts.”
Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) runs a route against the Houston Texans in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec 15, 2024 in Houston. (AP Photo/Maria Lysaker)
Former NFL All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel Sr. ripped the Dolphins organization for trading Ramsey and Smith to the Steelers. He thinks Miami got fleeced by Omar Khan and the Steelers.
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“If the Steelers’ defense was ranked 12th in total defense, with almost no production from Minkah Fitzpatrick last season, I know, and I guarantee, Jalen Ramsey will make this defense a better defense,” Samuel said on the Say What Needs To Be Said podcast. “And the Dolphins had no reason to trade Jalen Ramsey, other than that they were sensitive. There’s no leadership in the Dolphins organization. Mike McDaniels is a pushover. Chris Greer, the general manager, has no backbone. These guys over here, the Miami Dolphins, they are running this team like a little league team. …
“To me, it doesn’t make sense. Because [the Dolphins] traded for another safety, when Jalen Ramsey could easily be moved to safety and be way more productive than the person you just traded for.”
Former Dolphins running back and current Las Vegas Raider Raheem Mostert also ripped the Dolphins for their treatment of Ramsey and Smith. He hopes both players shine with the Steelers and prove to Miami that they made a massive mistake.
“Hot take: Be a Pro-bowler on the Dolphins, get treated like sh**. Happy for my guys though! GO BALL OUT!!” Mostert wrote on X.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 20: Miami Dolphins Corner Back Jalen Ramsey (5) defends during the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts on October 20, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.(Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Ramsey, 30, has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the last decade. He is a three-time first-team All-Pro in 2017, 2020 and 2021, and a seven-time Pro Bowler from 2017-23. He won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams after the 2021 season.
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Initially drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Florida State, Ramsey has now been traded three times, first to the Rams in 2019, then to the Dolphins in 2023 and now to the Steelers.
Ramsey was traded to the Dolphins in 2023, and signed a three-year contact extension with the team in September 2024, but this spring both Ramsey and the team mutually agreed to part ways. The Dolphins needed to wait until after June 1 to make a trade.
The trade to Pittsburgh marked the third time in Ramsey’s career that he’s been traded. The Steelers will be the fourth club that the All-Pro CB has played for.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: New Details Revealed on Why Dolphins Traded All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey to Steelers
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