Dolphins Will Not Relent On Trading Jalen Ramsey
The Dolphins are still planning to trade disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Miami’s standoff with the nine-year veteran has dragged on since April, when the team declared its intention to trade Ramsey after reported disagreements with head coach Mike McDaniel. No deal has materialized, in no small part because Ramsey is owed $23.2MM in guaranteed money this year. Complicating matters further is his reported desire to stay on the West Coast.
Still, Breer believes that the Dolphins and Ramsey are “past the point of no return,” and as a result, he expects a trade to “happen on the doorstep of camp.”
But assessing Ramsey’s potential destination is little more than a guessing game at this point. The Raiders, Panthers, and Vikings are not pursuing the three-time All-Pro, while the Rams are the only team that has publicly expressed interest.
A reunion with Sean McVay would not be a shocking outcome to this situation, but the Rams are not the only team in Los Angeles. The Chargers also fit Ramsey’s West Coast wants, and general manager Joe Hortiz was the Ravens’ director of college scouting when Baltimore tried to trade up for Ramsey in the 2016 draft. Unlike the Rams, however, neither reports nor comments from team personnel have linked Ramsey to the Chargers.
The Falcons could also look into acquiring Ramsey after their failed pursuit of Jaire Alexander. Ramsey’s contract will be an obstacle for a cap-strapped Atlanta front office, but as training camp approaches, the Dolphins may be willing to eat some money to finally put an end to this saga.
Vikings Didn’t Pursue Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey
The Vikings did not move to acquire Jaire Alexander or Jalen Ramsey when they became available this spring despite the perception of a thin cornerback room.
Minnesota parted ways with veteran Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin this offseason and only retained Byron Murphy from last year’s starting cornerback contingent. The team then signed 2020 first-rounder Jeff Okudah and former Eagle Isaiah Rodgers to inexpensive short-term deals in free agency.
The trio of Murphy, Okudah, and Rodgers operated as the Vikings’ starting cornerbacks in spring practices, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Also taking first-team reps were 2023 third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL, and 2024 UDFA Dwight McGlothern, who made the 53-man roster as a rookie.
The Vikings are confident in that group, and as a result, acquiring Alexander or Ramsey was “always a longshot,” per Lewis. However, as Lewis notes, that does not mean that the team didn’t inquire about either player.
Alexander is now a Raven, and while Ramsey is still available, Minnesota does not appear to be a likely landing spot. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has typically avoided splashy trade acquisitions during his tenure, the lone exception being T.J. Hockenson at the 2022 deadline. The Dolphins’ desire to move Ramsey and his sizable contract have likely dropped his value to a mid-round draft pick, but the Vikings seem content in the depth and chemistry of their current cornerback corps.
Jalen Ramsey Trade Not Imminent; Tyreek Hill Wants Him To Stay
After Jaire Alexander found a new home in Baltimore, the trade of Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is reportedly “the next domino” expected to fall around NFL circles, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Adam Wells of Bleacher Report). While that sounds like we’re on the precipice of a decision, the rest of Fowler’s quote seems to imply that we may be waiting for that domino to fall for quite some time. 
Despite Fowler’s domino analogy and the Dolphins being “optimistic” about working a deal out that will make all parties happy, Fowler tells us, “Nothing hard and fast developing or imminent right now, but they’ve talked to multiple teams in recent weeks and months.”
He goes on to say, “The big hangup still is that big-time money he’s got on his contract, $20-plus million guaranteed for 2025. Teams have a hard time reconciling how much they’re going to have to pay at that contract.” He cites the Rams as a team that is “still sort of in the mix” for Ramsey, considering their need at the position and their familiarity with the star defender who helped them win a Super Bowl.
While that seems like a solid possibility, Miami’s star wide receiver Tyreek Hill has other plans in mind. Yesterday, Hill posted a video on X with a caption indicating he’s going to “get (Ramsey) back.” The video came from an event in New York City called Fanatics Fest, at which Hill was being interviewed.
He told the interviewer that he was going to hang out with Ramsey in this upcoming week, saying, “I’m getting Ramsey back in a Dolphins jersey, I don’t care what they say.” He continued, “He’s a dawg. He’s one of the best corners in the league, man. Great leader. Great teammate, too, though. That’s what he doesn’t get a lot of credit for, man.”
After Hill, himself, was largely rumored to be on his way out of South Beach for some time before, ultimately, reaffirming his commitment to the Dolphins –an affirmation head coach Mike McDaniel wholeheartedly reciprocated — Hill, perhaps, stands as good a chance as anyone in convincing Ramsey to stay. Seeing Miami make a significant effort to improve its relationship with one star player may be enough to help another remain in place.
For now, though, Ramsey has been absent for all of Miami’s Organized Team Activities and mandatory minicamp, and a month and change remain before training camp begins. He recently continued to express his desire to return to the west coast in a trade, but maybe hanging out with Hill this week will be enough to change his mind. Hill will have plenty of time to work his magic, though, as nothing seems imminent, and the first sign of any sort of soft deadline remains over a month away.
Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey Prefers Trade To West Coast?
With minicamps wrapped up around the NFL, player movement is set to quiet down until training camps begin next month. In the case of Jalen Ramsey, therefore, his post-Dolphins future could remain uncertain for several weeks.
Team and player have mutually decided to part ways in this case, with a falling out between Ramsey and the coaching staff driving the decision. The 30-year-old has been on the trade block for months, and since June 1 Miami has been in position to facilitate a trade with preferable cap consequences. Little movement has taken place, though, as a small number of suitors have been connected to a Ramsey pursuit.
[RELATED: Raiders Not Pursuing Dolphins CB In Trade]
The Cowboys, Panthers and – most recently – Raiders have each come off the list in terms of potential landing spots for the seven-time Pro Bowler. The Rams, by contrast, have been a team to watch throughout the Ramsey sweepstakes. Head coach Sean McVay has made it clear Los Angeles is interested in a reunion, something which stood in stark contrast to the team’s stance on Jaire Alexander. The latter signed with the Ravens earlier this week, taking one high-profile cover man off the market. Ramsey remains as a notable option still available deep into the offseason.
During a Friday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link), ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided an update on this situation. To little surprise, Schefter predicts the Ramsey trade will take place in time for the start of training camp in mid-July. In terms of a landing spot, he added the three-time All-Pro’s preference appears to be a West Coast team. In addition to the Rams, that would obviously leave the Chargers as a potential suitor.
Ramsey spent considerable time with the Rams, helping to lead the team to victory in Super LVI. A return to McVay and Co. would thus come as no surprise. The Bolts, by contrast, have not yet been mentioned as an interested party regarding Ramsey. They have been busy at the CB this offseason, adding the likes of Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste in free agency. Tarheeb Still enjoyed a strong rookie campaign, and he is in line to remain a key member of the Chargers’ secondary in 2025 and beyond.
With Asante Samuel Jr. still unsigned, though, the Bolts could stand to make another move in the secondary this offseason. General manager Joe Hortiz has over $27MM in cap space to work with at this point, meaning the Chargers would be able to absorb the $21MM in remaining guarantees on Ramsey’s pact with more ease than many other teams (including, to a small extent, the Rams). It will be interesting to see if a strong push emerges in the near future connecting Ramsey to Los Angeles’ AFC franchise.
Until and unless that happens, the Rams will no doubt remain the favorite in this case. Finances will be key in facilitating a Ramsey swap, and the Dolphins’ willingness to retain money will go a long way in determining the value received in return. With his intentions regarding a destination fitting what many already expected, the big-ticket trade target will continue to be linked to a return to his second career team.
Raiders Not Interested In CB Jalen Ramsey
One of the major cornerback dominoes recently fell with Jaire Alexander electing to join the Ravens. That leaves Jalen Ramsey in place as a high-profile cover man still available via trade.
It has long been known Ramsey and the Dolphins will pursue a parting of ways this offseason. With the calendar having flipped to June, a trade is much more feasible for the team from a cap perspective. However, Ramsey is still on the books with Miami and the list of teams known to be interested remains rather short.
The Rams have been named on more than one occasion as a potential landing spot for Ramsey. The three-time All-Pro played 63 combined regular and postseason games for Los Angeles and was a member of the Super Bowl LVI-winning team. Head coach Sean McVay has spoken about pursuing a reunion, but over the past month no indications of progress have emerged on that front.
In the meantime, few updates to this situation have taken place. The Panthers are among the teams which can be ruled out as a landing spot for the seven-time Pro Bowler. It appears the same is also true in the case of the Raiders. Ramsey is not a target at this point, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes.
While things could of course change during the summer, that update points to Ramsey winding up with the Rams or another, currently unknown, suitor. At the age of 30, interested parties will be hesitant about trading away draft capital in addition to taking on the remaining guarantees (totaling roughly $21MM) in his scheduled 2025 compensation. A release could garner consideration in the event Ramsey – who was an excused absence from mandatory minicamp – were to remain on the Dolphins’ roster deep into the summer.
The Raiders have over $36MM in cap space at the moment, so they could afford a high-priced acquisition such as Ramsey. Unlike in past years, the team could be prepared to make a splash late in the offseason, and many have specifically pointed to the cornerback spot as one which could be of interest regarding an addition. Vegas’ setup in the secondary is yet to be determined given the number of new faces in place, but Ramsey should not be expected to become one of them.
Panthers Unlikely To Pursue CBs Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey
Jaire Alexander has drawn immediate interest following his Packers release. He is joined by Jalen Ramsey as a high-profile cornerback available late in the offseason, but in both cases the Panthers should not be considered a landing spot. 
Carolina is not positioned to make a run at Alexander or Ramsey, Joe Person of The Athletic writes (subscription required). He adds a defensive back addition of some kind could be in store before training camp begins next month, and with over $18MM in cap space the team could certainly afford a free agent pickup. As expected, though, other options will be on the Panthers’ radar.
Alexander was the subject of trade talks at multiple points this offseason, and once it became clear no restructure agreement would be reached the Packers moved forward with a release. Trading for the two-time Pro Bowler would have required taking on the remainder of his contract – a tall order given Alexander’s injury history – but numerous suitors are interested now that doing so is no longer necessary. The Bills were among the teams which discussed a trade, although given their current cap situation a free agent deal could be unrealistic at this point.
It has long been known Ramsey is available via trade given the mutual decision made with the Dolphins to move on. Finances are key in his situation given the roughly $21MM in guaranteed salary owed for 2025. Reaching agreement with Miami will no doubt depend largely on how much of that figure the team will retain to facilitate a trade. Ramsey, 30, is a candidate to return to the Rams (a team which, by contrast, does not appear to be a prime suitor for Alexander).
As Person notes, a depth addition at the cornerback spot would be welcomed given the options currently on hand at the position. At safety, meanwhile, a move is also worth watching for. Both Julian Blackmon and Marcus Williams have taken part in free agent visits this offseason, and each veteran is still unsigned at this point. Carolina could circle back to one of those two of look into another free agent such as Justin Simmons based on his familiarity with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Making a move in the secondary will be welcomed on a defense which ranked 23rd against the pass last season. In the case of Alexander and Ramsey, however, Carolina should not be considered a likely destination.
Jonnu Smith, Jalen Ramsey Absent From Dolphins Minicamp
JUNE 11: Despite McDaniel’s Tuesday remarks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that Smith’s absence is actually excused given the ongoing trade talks in his case. McDaniel declined to say whether or not Smith will be subject to fines (valued at a three-day total of roughly $104K) for his absence, but a decision on that front could help indicate whether or not he will remain in Miami for 2025.
JUNE 10: A pair of Dolphins veterans won’t be in attendance during mandatory minicamp this week. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey will be absent from upcoming practices, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
Smith continues to seek a new contract and will be sitting out in apparent protest. The veteran’s absence is unexcused, so he’ll be subject to fines if/when he returns. Ramsey’s absence is excused as the two sides work to find a new home for the cornerback, according to McDaniel (via Wolfe).
Smith has been included in trade talks for several weeks now, although the tight end has made it clear that he wants to stick in Miami. The veteran is entering the second season of a two-year, $8.4MM deal and has been pushing for an extension, although it sounds like the Dolphins aren’t in any rush to ink the 29-year-old to a new deal.
To Smith’s credit, the tight end is rightfully looking to capitalize on a career season. After showing flashes in stops with the Titans, Patriots, and Falcons, Smith emerged as one of Miami’s most reliable pass catchers in 2025. The tight end finished the year with career-highs in receptions (88), receiving yards (884), and touchdowns (eight). The Dolphins don’t have much of a solution behind their starter, but it’s uncertain if that would be enough for the organization to blink during extension talks. Smith, meanwhile, would be subject to more than $100K in fines if he sits out all of mandatory minicamp.
We heard recently that Ramsey wouldn’t be in the building for mandatory minicamp. The two sides continue to look for a new team for the veteran cornerback, although the player’s contract remains a sticking point. An acquiring team would have to pick up at least $2.02MM in 2025 (Ramsey’s salary and per game roster bonus) with $65.7MM of non-guaranteed money due over the following three years.
There were recent rumblings that there was genuine interest in the cornerback, although suitors would be looking for some salary relief in a potential trade. The Dolphins are surely preparing for this scenario, although the front office has every reason to wait out the process in pursuit of the best possible deal.
Dolphins, Rams Not Showing Jaire Alexander Interest; Latest On CB’s Free Agency
Several teams have reached out to Jaire Alexander‘s camp since he became a free agent; the Bills negotiated with the Packers on a potential trade. But the former Pro Bowler remains unattached. A one-year deal should be considered likely.
Not high on a Packers pay-cut offer, Alexander elected to try his luck in what amounts to an audition season. That should be considered Alexander’s most likely play, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who predicts a one-year contract that will — should the veteran cornerback shake his injury issues — open the door to a bigger payday as a 2026 free agent.
[RELATED: Dolphins Excuse Jalen Ramsey From Minicamp]
While Schefter does not envision Alexander collecting as much as he would have made on a reduced Packers deal, an opportunity should come soon. Teams are understandably leery of Alexander’s injury past; the former first-round pick has missed 20 games over the past two years and 33 over the past four. Expecting much on a one-year accord is probably unrealistic for the seven-year veteran, but a starting opportunity to serve as a potential platform to a 2026 free agency bid should certainly be expected.
The Dolphins have a rather notable need at corner, as they are prepared for a Jalen Ramsey separation, but the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson indicates they did not touch base with the Packers on Alexander. Miami is also not believed to have contacted Alexander since his release. While the Dolphins have been connected to corners — Rasul Douglas, Asante Samuel Jr, James Bradberry — due to Ramsey’s eventual exit gutting them at that spot, they may not be ready to bet on another high-maintenance cover man. Their Ramsey trade did not work out, and it will lead to sizable dead money if/once he is traded. Alexander has been less dependable than Ramsey, though the seven-year Packer is the new top corner available as a free agent.
The Rams continue to come up as a Ramsey destination, but Sean McVay sounded considerably more hesitant on Alexander. Los Angeles has not made an outside CB addition this offseason, passing on additions in the draft and the UDFA ranks. Two 30-something CBs (Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon) are already on the Rams’ roster, but it sure sounds like they are comfortable reacquiring Ramsey, who will play an age-31 season in 2025. Alexander turned 28 in February.
“There are so many layers to the Jalen conversation,” McVay said. “Obviously, with Jaire, a lot of respect for him as a player, haven’t talked about those types of things. This will really represent our last OTA day, so we’ve kind of just been focused on our group. Les [Snead] and I have had some dialogue and discussions as it relates to the Jalen thing, but there’s really no news to report on. And with Jaire, nothing but respect for the player but I don’t know if that’s a direction that we would go.”
Ex-McVay staffer Ejiro Evero is running a third Panthers defense, and while The Athletic’s Joe Person notes Carolina will do due diligence on Alexander, nothing appears imminent there. The Panthers extended Jaycee Horn and re-signed Michael Jackson this offseason.
The team did not draft a corner, but Jackson — a 2024 trade pickup who started 17 games (albeit for the league’s 32nd-ranked defense) last season — signed a two-year, $10.5MM deal to stay alongside Horn. Alexander is a Charlotte native who would be expected to usurp Jackson were the Panthers to pursue him.
Jalen Ramsey To Skip Dolphins’ Mandatory Minicamp
As Jalen Ramsey and the Dolphins continue to prepare for a parting of the ways, the seven-time Pro Bowler will skip Miami’s three-day mandatory minicamp, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Minicamp begins on Tuesday, June 10.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said last week (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that “nothing has changed” regarding Ramsey. The team has insisted that the decision to seek a trade for the veteran cornerback is mutual, but Ramsey has been pushing for an exit, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He likely lost his $100k workout bonus by skipping OTAs and will incur another $105k in fines for skipping minicamp.
The veteran cornerback has generated “more interest…than people realize,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Jackson), but his contract remains a sticking point. An acquiring team would have to pick up at least $2.02MM in 2025 (Ramsey’s salary and per game roster bonus) with $65.7MM of non-guaranteed money due over the following three years. However, the Dolphins already paid Ramsey’s $4MM roster bonus in March and would prefer to shed the remaining $20.235MM in guaranteed money on his deal, which includes an $18.98MM option bonus due on August 31, per OverTheCap.
If Ramsey’s new team doesn’t want to absorb all of Ramsey’s option bonus, the Dolphins could handle his contract in a manner similar to the Eagles-49ers Bryce Huff trade. Philadelphia declined Huff’s fully-guaranteed option bonus, which turned into a guaranteed salary for the same amount. The Eagles then restructured a portion of that salary into a signing bonus to absorb some of Huff’s remaining money and spread the dead cap charges across two years; the 49ers took on the rest of Huff’s 2025 salary.
A completed trade would leave $10.7MM in dead money on the Dolphins’ 2025 cap, along with any additional money they absorb in the deal. Another $18.4MM would hit the books in 2026, which could increase if Miami eats 2025 salary and converts it into a signing bonus as described above.
Despite interest from around the league, a trade is no guarantee. ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that Ramsey is more likely to be released than traded. In that case, the Dolphins would likely exercise his option bonus early, resulting in $11.8MM in dead cap charges in 2025 and a whopping $40.4MM in 2026.
Cowboys’ DaRon Bland Working At Slot CB; Jalen Ramsey Not On Team’s Radar
The Cowboys are dealing with a number of injuries at the cornerback position and, as a result, they have one of their best cornerbacks working outside of his usual position. Last week, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reported that All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland had been working out as a slot cornerback at Organized Team Activities. 
The team’s other usual starting corner, Trevon Diggs, is currently dealing with an injury and doesn’t have a clear timeline for his return, but it’s assumed at the moment that he will not be back for the start of training camp and may not be ready when the regular season rolls around. Additionally, third-round rookie Shavon Revel fell as far as he did, despite potential first-round talent, because of a torn ACL that forced him to miss most of his final season at East Carolina. While Revel could make his way back by camp, he’s not been available so far this summer.
These absences are not helpful at a time when the team is looking to fill a nickelback role that it had perfectly squared away in 2024. Last year, Jourdan Lewis played 606 snaps in the slot, and the next closest player didn’t even reach 100 snaps. Lewis, though, departed for Jacksonville in free agency, so now Dallas will need to find someone to replace him.
After Lewis, the next six players with the most slot snaps in 2024 were safeties and linebackers. Diggs was the next closest corner, and he only saw 28 snaps at nickel; Bland was the next cornerback with 16. Two of those safeties were starters Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker, so they’re not really options to take the role, but the third safety was backup Israel Mukuamu, who could be also an option to step up there in 2025. Watkins noted that another backup safety, Juanyeh Thomas, saw some work in the slot during OTAs, as well.
Bland prefers to play at outside cornerback, and there’s two good reasons why. The first, and most obvious, is that he’s played extremely well there. In his first two seasons, Bland reeled in 14 interceptions, returning five for touchdowns in 2023 alone. Last year didn’t see the same returns as he came back from a foot surgery that caused him to miss 10 games, but he still saw five passes defensed and graded out favorably, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in comparison to his teammates.
The second reason is that he’s heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Especially after the injury-limited season he delivered last year, Bland is going to want to make the most of his 2025 campaign, and he’ll want to do so at the more lucrative position as a boundary cornerback, a position at which he’s shown extreme aptitude. Per Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer understands where Bland’s coming from but told the media that “it is still early” and that “they don’t have all their guys out there” at the moment, so versatility is necessary.
Watkins claims that the ‘Boys have two problems to solve this summer: “another starter opposite Bland and slot corner.” One option that the team has seemingly ruled out is Dolphins trading chip Jalen Ramsey. Per Hill, a source with the team claimed that “there is nothing to the” rumors that Ramsey could be traded to Dallas.