Rams trade Jalen Ramsey to Dolphins for tight end Hunter Long, third-round pick
The Rams, in a major move to bounce back from a disastrous 2022 season and build draft capital, have agreed to trade star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.
The person requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about a transaction that will not become official until the start of the new NFL league year on Wednesday.
In exchange for Ramsey, the Rams acquire tight end Hunter Long and a third-round pick in the upcoming draft. The Rams now have 11 picks in the draft, though they haven’t had a first-round pick since 2016, when they traded a record 14 picks to select quarterback Jared Goff with the top pick.
The trade came as no surprise to Ramsey, the fifth player selected in the 2016 draft. After the season, he hinted multiple times on social media that he knew he might be traded.
“I specifically prayed for this for a month and now it’s happening!” Ramsey tweeted. “@MiamiDolphins GO!”
Ramsey was acquired by the Rams near the middle of the season in 2019 in a trade that sent two first-round picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The three-time All-Pro was a cornerstone for a Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI to end the 2021 season.
In 2020, Ramsey signed a five-year, $100 million extension that included $71.2 million in guarantees, at the time the largest contract for a defensive back in NFL history.
Ramsey, 28, is slated to carry a salary cap of $25.2 million next season, according to overthecap.com.
The cap for the 2023 season is $224.8 million. As of February 21, the Rams were about $15 million over the cap, according to overthecap.com.
Trading Ramsey is the Rams’ third move involving a star player since they went 5-12, the worst post-season performance by a Super Bowl champion in NFL history.
On February 23, the Rams and linebacker Bobby Wagner agreed to part ways after one season. Last week, the Rams released running back Leonard Floyd.
In more than three seasons with the Rams, Ramsey intercepted 10 passes, including two in the final game of last season against the Seattle Seahawks. He also made several plays to secure the win.
In 2020, under the guidance of then-defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, Ramsey’s role on the Rams expanded beyond tight cornerback. He played outside and inside, and also lined up at safety, hybrid linebacker and pass-rusher.
Raheem Morris, who replaced Staley, continued to use Ramsey at multiple positions.
Ramsey’s departure leaves the Rams with a huge hole in the secondary. Cornerbacks Troy Hill and David Long Jr. and safeties Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott are pending free agents.