What Ramsey's Exit Would Mean for Defense

Three players started 17 games for the Miami Dolphins defense last season, but only one is expected to remain with the team entering next year.

Jordyn Brooks is a projected starter at linebacker, Calais Campbell signed with the Arizona Cardinals, and Jalen Ramsey is now on the trade block.

The Dolphins and Ramsey believe parting ways is the best path forward for both sides. Miami is rebuilding its defense, and without Ramsey as a centerpiece, it may pivot to a more straightforward system designed to support a younger, less experienced unit.

It seemed like Miami’s defensive blueprint was coming together after the hiring of coordinator Anthony Weaver and making Ramsey the league’s highest-paid cornerback at the time with a three-year extension before the 2024 season.

Even as Weaver is on track to become the first multi-year defensive coordinator under Mike McDaniel, Ramsey’s time in Miami is expected to end just seven months after signing a $72 million extension.

Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro, was a team captain last season and projected to be a stabilizing presence for a defense making sweeping changes in the defensive backfield. His two interceptions were the fewest in five seasons, but he showed little sign of slowing down in his ninth season.

He started 17 games for the second time in three years. Ramsey was responsible for shadowing opposing offenses’ top receivers but also set a career high with four quarterback hits and recorded six tackles for loss, his most since the 2021 All-Pro season with the Rams.

The Dolphins' defense allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game (314.4), but needed to revamp the team after beginning the 2024 season as the NFL’s oldest roster. Ramsey’s skill set was expected to be a steadying force in a shifting defense, but his likely departure leaves Miami recalibrating without one of its most versatile leaders.

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Ramsey’s 2024 Season in Review

Ramsey was primarily a boundary corner in his first season with the Dolphins — playing 601 of 659 snaps outside in Vic Fangio’s defense — but Weaver moved him around last year.

Ramsey played 728 of his 1,027 snaps at boundary cornerback as Miami’s top cornerback last season. He also played 185 snaps in the slot and 80 in the box, according to Pro Football Focus.

Opposing quarterbacks completed nearly 71 percent of passes and averaged 11.9 yards per reception while targeting Ramsey in coverage. Garrett Wilson's 114 yards on seven receptions in Week 14 was the only time he was beaten for over 63 yards in a game.

Ramsey was penalized five times and allowed two touchdowns, but limited opposing receivers to 40 or fewer yards in 13 of 17 games, per PFF.

A seven-time Pro Bowl selection known for his steady tackling, Ramsey saw his missed tackle rate balloon to 19.4 percent after missing 14 tackles — six more than his previous career high. He was asked to do more for Miami last season, taking on a heavier and more varied workload across the formation. The uptick in missed tackles could reflect the wear of that expanded role — a load that likely would grow even heavier next season.

The Impact of a Youth Movement

Ramsey was a featured piece in a secondary loaded with NFL experience last season. Jordan Poyer and Kendall Fuller landed in Miami with 19 combined years of experience, and while the unit featured two players 25 or under, Jevon Holland and Kader Kohou entered the year with over 30 starts in their careers.

The Dolphins signed Ashytn Davis from the Jets after 22 starts over five seasons and added Ifeatu Melifonwu, who started 14 games over four seasons in Detroit. Kohou remains in the mix —likely at slot cornerback — and Storm Duck, a 2024 undrafted free agent who started three games last season, would be penciled in to start opposite Ramsey if the season began today.

Losing Ramsey is a blow to Miami’s defensive talent, and trading him before or during the draft would include a $25 million cap hit. While the Dolphins could have used Ramsey’s versatility and his departure creates another hole in the secondary, he’s still only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

The experienced secondary of 2024 created opportunities for Ramsey's dynamic skill set, but with a younger, less seasoned group, Miami may focus on simplifying the back end scheme to protect emerging players. Ramsey's talent is undeniable, but paying him last year is now considered a misstep for a defense in transition — a luxury the Dolphins can no longer maximize as they reshape their roster.

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