The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The trade will be processed Wednesday, when 2023 league year officially begins.
Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, is largely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and joins another former All-Pro in Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard.
Miami has aggressively built its roster over the past year, also trading for All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb.
The Dolphins had a need at cornerback after informing Byron Jones he would be released when the new league year begins March 15 and made multiple salary cap-clearing moves over the past week, restructuring the contracts of Hill, Chubb and Terron Armstead.
The Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade for Ramsey in 2019, sending first-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021 and a fourth-rounder in 2021 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Los Angeles signed Ramsey to a five-year, $105 million contract extension less than a year later, which was the largest ever at his position at the time of the deal.
Ramsey has three years remaining on that contract, although there isn’t any guaranteed money remaining on the final two seasons. The veteran cornerback was the only player of that Rams’ Super Bowl-winning core group not to sign a contract extension or reworked deal last offseason. Ramsey currently ranks third among cornerbacks in AAV ($20 million), behind Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander ($21 million) and Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward ($20.1 million).
By trading Ramsey before June 1, the Rams will take on $19.6 million of dead money on their 2023 salary cap with $5.6 million of cap savings.
Ramsey was the third-highest ranked cornerback in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the season with four interceptions, 18 passes defensed, 12 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two sacks. His four interceptions were tied for a career high.
In seven seasons, Ramsey has 19 interceptions, seven forced fumbles and two sacks. He was named first-team All Pro in the 2017, ’20 and ’21 seasons.
