Last September, the Dolphins rushed to give cornerback Jalen Ramsey a contract with a new-money average of $24.1 million, days after the Broncos made cornerback Patrick Surtain II the highest-paid cornerback with a new-money average of $24 million.
Fewer than eight months later, the Dolphins are looking to trade Ramsey.
Which means they never should have given him his latest contract.
A trade will have significant consequences. Based on the terms of his contract from last year — and the existing proration from the prior deal — a trade before June 1 will trigger a $25.213 million dead-money charge. After June 1, a trade would split the dead money into $6.745 million in 2025 and $18.468 million in 2026.
Ramsey has already received a $4 million roster bonus on March 16. The best time to trade him would have been before that bill came due.
Ramsey also has a fully-guaranteed option bonus for 2025, in the amount of $18.98 million. The new team would be on the hook for that payment, along with a fully-guaranteed base salary for 2025 of $1.255 million. That’s $20.153 million for a 31-year-old cornerback whose best days are in the rear-view mirror.
It makes for a tough sell. The Dolphins may have to pay some of that $20.153 million to make a trade happen.
They’re going to pay it anyway, thanks to a contract that seemed like a stretch at the time and that now can fairly be called ill-advised.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey may be on the move.
NFL Media reports that the Dolphins and Ramsey have mutually agreed to explore trade options heading into the 2025 season.
Ramsey signed a three-year extension with the Dolphins before the 2024 season, but the first new year of the deal is not until 2026 so he is under contract through the 2028 campaign. The last guaranteed money included in his deal comes this year, however, and he was due around $25 million in salary and bonuses for the coming season.
Ramsey started every game for the Dolphins last season and recorded 60 tackles, two interceptions and a sack. He was not selected for the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie season and the three-time All-Pro has not been selected for that roster since he was with the Rams in 2021.
Next week’s draft could provide an opportunity to move Ramsey for draft pick compensation and such a move could signal a shift in focus for the Dolphins after they failed to reach the playoffs last season.
Former Washington State receiver Kyle Williams is having a busy April.
Per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, a total of nine teams have set up pre-draft visits with Williams. He was with the Dolphins on Sunday and is set to visit the Bears, 49ers, and Seahawks this week.
Williams, 22, played his first three collegiate seasons at UNLV and spent the last two years with Washington State. He finished the 2024 season with 70 catches for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.
He played 50 career games for UNLV and Washington State, catching 248 passes for 3,609 yards with 29 TDs.
Williams impressed at the scouting combine with his 4.4-second 40-yard dash and is projected to be a second or third-round pick in this year’s draft.
The Cardinals worked out free agent quarterback Tyler Huntley on Friday, according to the NFL’s transactions report.
The team has Jacoby Brissett and Clayton Tune behind Kyler Murray.
Huntley, 27, spent last season with the Dolphins. He started five games in place of injured starter Tua Tagovailoa and completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 829 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Ravens.
In 2022, Huntley made the Pro Bowl despite starting only four games in place of injured starter Lamar Jackson. He threw for 658 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions that season.
In his career, Huntley has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,786 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He is 5-9 as a starter.
Cornerback Kader Kohou has re-signed with the Dolphins.
Miami tendered Kohou as a restricted free agent last month and the NFL’s daily transaction report for Friday shows that Kohou signed that tender. The tender carries a $3.263 million salary for the 2025 season.
Kohou made the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and has been a regular in their secondary for the last three seasons. Kohou has started 40 of the 49 regular season and playoff games he has appeared in for the AFC East club.
Kohou has 180 tackles, three interceptions, a sack, 28 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
