Kelly: Jalen Ramsey Trade Reinforces that Miami Dolphins Are Working off a New Blueprint
Would you sacrifice a quiet, uneventful draft process for a proven playmaker, a potential game-changer in the NFL?
Allow me to put this another way.
Would you be willing to trade Cordrea Tankersley, Jerome Baker, Michael Deiter, Brandon Jones, Hunter Long and Channing Tindall, all of the Miami Dolphins' last six third-round picks, for Jalen Ramsey?
I know what my answer would be, and it seems as if the Dolphins' new circle of trust shares this opinion.
That’s why General Manager Chris Grier seems to be working off a new blueprint to turn South Florida’s NFL franchise into a Super Bowl contender, and I have no objection to the franchise’s shift from squirreling away draft picks to packaging them for proven stars.
It has taken me years to buy into the “F–k Them Picks” approach to building a successful NFL franchise, but the Tyreek Hill trade sold me.
When you’re presented the opportunity to acquire an elite, game-changing, but potentially expensive player for an early draft pick, pull the trigger.
And do it without shame, hesitation, or worry about consequence.
THE RAMSEY TRADE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE MIAMI DOLPHINS GOING FOR IT
That’s what the Dolphins did this offseason… again… acquiring Ramsey for a 2023 third-round pick, a tight end most of the franchise forgot about (Long), and a restructured contract that guarantees Ramsey $35.5 million over the next two years.
That’s a no-brainer because of the impact that Ramsey’s presence could potentially have on the entire team.
“That would be a cool opportunity that would be hard to replicate, so that’s the litmus test,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel when explaining the decision-making process behind acquiring Ramsey, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, from the Los Angeles Rams. “My big thing is you add players that can make the rest of your team better.
“When players can make other people better, you’re on to something.”
Like how a healthy Terron Armstead makes every offensive lineman better because he can handle the left tackle spot without assistance, no matter against who the four-time Pro Bowl selection is lined up.
Or how Hill, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, makes everyone on offense better because of the attention his speed and playmaking ability demand.
Xavien Howard makes everyone on the team better because the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback has consistently shadowed the opposition’s best receiver for years, and he is one of the NFL’s leaders in turnovers created since entering the league in 2016.
And now there’s Ramsey, a lock-down press cornerback who has spent the majority of his career in the debate for the NFL’s top defensive back.
Can you imagine the assist Miami’s defensive front could receive with Ramsey and Howard on the boundaries, potentially locking down the opposition’s top two receivers for a second or two longer than normal, giving pass rushers like Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb extra time to hunt quarterbacks?
Or how about a defense that features Howard patrolling the quarterback's favorite route or area on a third-and-7 passing play, with Ramsey defending a receiver one-on-one while Jevon Holland plays Where’s Waldo with the quarterback?
That certainly would get the attention of opposing coordinators, potentially keeping them up at night.
Ramsey’s addition provides Miami plenty of opportunities to get creative, and everyone ultimately should benefit from it.
THE DOLPHINS AND THEIR FANS SHOULD STAY FOCUSED ON THE PRESENT
Eventually the credit card bill will be due, and the team might face some financial hardships like the situation that forced the Rams to unload Ramsey this offseason as part of its rebuilding strategy.
Ramsey is on Miami’s books for $25.5 million in 2024, which is his $14.5 million base salary and an $11 million roster bonus.
This approach has led to Miami having eight players — Ogbah, Hill, Baker, Howard, Tua Tagovailoa, Armstead, Chubb and Ramsey — under contract next year who collectively eat up roughly $187 million in salary cap. But owner Steve Ross has proven he’s willing to write ridiculously large checks (signing bonuses and roster bonuses) to make the cap cost more manageable.
That’s why Dolphins fans should worry about tomorrow in the future and enjoy the big-game hunting the Dolphins have been doing the past year, adding elite players at whatever the cost.
Even if it fails, at least the Dolphins are taking a different approach to an old problem.
