Rams-Dolphins: Was trading Jalen Ramsey two years later the right move?

Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams made a shocking move by trading away star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. In return, the Rams received a third-round pick in the upcoming draft and tight end Hunter Long.

The return was nowhere near what the Rams paid to land the NFL’s best cornerback in 2020, when they gave up multiple first-round picks. Such a return was always unlikely, but a third-round pick and a tight end depth seemed slim at this point.

Although it was a difficult decision, trading Ramsey was a necessary one. After a disastrous 2022 season, it was clear that the Rams needed to shed some contracts and bring in younger talent. Ramsey wasn’t old by any means, it saved the Rams from a big hit forward. After the trade, the Rams picked up $19.6 million in dead money but were able to clear the path for free agents like Jonah Jackson and Kam Curl through 2024.

Head coach Sean McVay said this week about Jalen Ramsey:

“We have a cool relationship and he knows the respect and admiration I have for him as a player and what he has meant to this team. There were a lot of difficult decisions ahead for us as a football team, and it had nothing to do with the fact that we didn’t want him here. There were a lot of things we needed to do based on some previous years and things like that. He understood that.”

The Rams were facing an active rebuild. This process included giving up big contracts and bringing in younger talent with whom the team could move on and build towards a breakthrough in 2025 and beyond. Unfortunately, Ramsey simply wasn’t included in that plan.

In some of these trades, the draft pick acquired does not become even half of the player it was traded for in the trade. For example, when the Jacksonville Jaguars traded away Ramsey, they were left with K’Lavon Chaisson, Travis Etienne and Jordan Smith. Etienne was a good running back at times, but Chaisson was a bust and Smith was nothing special in the NFL.

However, the Rams received a pick in the third round, which turned out to be Byron Young. Young has been a solid complementary edge rusher the last two years. He may not be a star on the sidelines, but he’s a good supporting character opposite a star player like Jared Verse. Tight end Hunter Long has been injured for much of the last two years. Still, he has shown some blocking upside when healthy.

Injuries are difficult to predict and there is no guarantee that Ramsey would have been injured had he remained with the Rams. Ramsey spent most of his first season with the Dolphins with a meniscus injury. Still, he had three interceptions and five passes defended in ten games. His three interceptions tied with Witherspoon and Jordan Fuller for the most on defense. He is Pro Football Focus’ top-rated cornerback this year.

Since Ramsey left, the Rams have certainly missed his physicality and presence at cornerback. Last season, the Rams got by with Ahkello Witherspoon and Derion Kendrick on the outside. This season was another year of duct-taping the issue. Tre White didn’t perform as hoped, while Darious Williams was fine and Witherspoon was brought back, but he gave up big plays.

The Rams would never replace Jalen Ramsey and what he did for the defense. However, they didn’t necessarily try to work through the draft. The position remains one of their biggest needs heading into the 2025 offseason.

Aside from trading for Matthew Stafford, acquiring Ramsey is probably the most important move in the “F Them Picks” era. With the Rams, Ramsey was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection, including the 2021 Super Bowl season. He also made one Pro Bowl each season with the Rams.

It’s a move that works out for both sides and is a rare win-win trade. The Rams got what they wanted with the draft pick: a clean salary cap and a young defensive building block. On the other hand, the Dolphins have a very good cornerback on defense and Ramsey is still playing at a high level despite a halftime loss.

Nearly two years later, the Rams will likely do the exact same thing and trade Ramsey to the Dolphins. They needed to enter a new era, and unfortunately the Ramsey trade was one consequence of that.