Dolphins Continue Their M.O. with Big-Money Deals

Cornerback Jalen Ramsey was another example of the team's vision.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) shake hands during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The contract extensions keep coming in South Florida.

On Friday, the Miami Dolphins signed star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to a three-year contract extension, making him the NFL's highest-paid cornerback. Ramsey's $24.1 average annual value tops Patrick Surtain II's deal ($24M Annual Average Value, or AAV) from Wednesday.

Ramsey's deal follows an offseason trend in Miami of giving new contracts to the team's core contributors.

This offseason, Tua Tagovailoa signed a four-year deal, Jaylen Waddle signed a three-year extension, Tyreek Hill's contract was restructured to include more guarantee money in the next two seasons, and coach Mike McDaniel received a three-year extension.

Re-signing the players and coaches who have helped the team make back-to-back playoff appearances is an obvious strategy, but it means something a little more for the Dolphins.

Finding Organizational Stability

We could talk about Tua, Hill, Waddle, McDaniel, and Ramsey's impact on the field all day. Nobody is debating whether their influence on the team is positive. However, these extensions are just as much about on-field accomplishments as off-the-field ones.

"It's awesome for me to have fundamental beliefs and foundational beliefs on what we're here to do as an organization," coach McDaniel told reporters on Friday. 

"As coaches, the players that we get, we're supposed to maximize them. When players are maximized, they can be compensated appropriately in however fashion that is. As a coach, you're supposed to add value to a player. So in that process, when people lean in, whoever it is, every single contract is important to me because that's part of our jobs to do, and that's why I stay out of the books and let people handle that stuff."

These extensions are a message from the Dolphins to the league and players that things are different this time. Miami isn't known for its organizational stability, especially since the 2000s.

Since 2000, the Dolphins have employed seven head coaches (11 if you count interims) and had 25 different starting quarterbacks. Those are the core tenets of any football team, and the Dolphins have been marred by instability at both spots.

Such a strong belief in the core group has allowed Miami to secure its surrounding stars and keep them happy. The Dolphins didn't owe Hill or Ramsey adjustments to their contracts. They did it because they knew it was for the team's benefit.

"Since he's been here, it's almost felt purposeful mutually in that Jalen saw a different level of player and leader this team could benefit from, so he seized that, and I think the team has definitely benefited from it," McDaniel said about Ramsey.

"So I think that's a little caveat to what's been unique about elite players. There are several of them in the league that have that captain mentality. And when you have that captain mentality and are a competitor that wanna dictate the terms, you have a rise in everyone's competitiveness. And that's an overall win for the Miami Dolphins."

Compare the Dolphins' offseason with another team with a penchant for contract drama — the Dallas Cowboys.

As of this writing, Dallas still needs to re-sign Dak Prescott, extend star pass rusher Micah Parsons, and leave head coach Mike McCarthy on the final year of his deal without much clarity. Only recently did they re-sign WR CeeDee Lamb after a public contract dispute.

Those disputes and questions likely prevented the Cowboys from making meaningful additions in free agency. The Cowboys spent the least amount of money in free agency, according to Spotrac.

Miami — a team with more clarity and long-term stability — still attacked the offseason like a true contender, adding players like Kendall Fuller, Jordyn Brooks, Jordan Poyer, and Aaron Brewer.

Spending more money doesn't always equal more wins, but the Dolphins organization's alignment on who the key contributors are and how to keep them around should make it easier to create long-term success.

Why Sign Ramsey Now?

Stepping back from the big picture, it's fair to wonder what the benefit of an early extension for a 29-year-old cornerback is. Besides keeping a leader like Ramsey happy, solid on-field reasons exist to think this contract could age well enough.

Ramsey's ability to play all over the defense should allow his game to age more gracefully. Some of his best seasons came when he was primarily a slot defender.

Assuming his athletic ability doesn't fall entirely off a cliff, Ramsey's size and football intelligence would make him a plus defender in the slot for the next few seasons. He would be an excellent check for teams with high-end tight ends.

Ramsey could also transition to playing more from the safety spot. He has yet to play much free safety, but he does have experience playing in the box as a strong safety. Ramsey has the size and tackling chops to hold up in the running game, and he's a solid coverage option.

The Dolphins have been looking for a long-term running mate for Jevon Holland, and Ramsey could be a fit. Again, this assumes Ramsey's play at corner falls off, which it hasn't yet.

Who's Next?

Speaking of Holland, he might be next in line for a contract extension. The safety's rookie contract expires after this season, and since he was a second-round pick, there's no fifth-year option for the Dolphins to pick up.

"I talked to [Holland] yesterday and the day before that," McDaniel said when asked about Holland's extension. "I talk to him every day. And we talk about football. And again, all the stuff that's not fun about the business, that's the great thing about Chris Grier.

"I leave him to do his job, and we talk about football. And that's what he wants. He doesn't want us to be masters of all things life skills coach…I think players appreciate the fact that it's not on my mind because I think it's a disservice to what I should be doing that day for that player and all the players. And so we have great conversations. "I Dapped him up this morning. He was really fired up about the team meeting. I think he laughed at a couple of my jokes. Stay tuned."

Holland could be at the level of players like Tua, Hill, Waddle, and Ramsey, but he's got the potential to reach those heights.

Either way, if the Dolphins re-sign Holland, it'll be another sign that the team is more confident in its long-term stability — something it hasn't had in a long time.