Miami Dolphins veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey is expected to be traded ahead of the start of NFL training camps, and the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly checked in on his availability recently.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, during an appearance on ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike Tuesday, the Steelers “checked in” with the Dolphins about Ramsey to find out the price tag. However, Schefter stated that the Steelers are unlikely to trade for the former All-Pro cornerback who is entering his age 31 season.
“I think Pittsburgh checked in. I’m not so sure that Pittsburgh’s gonna be the destination. In fact, if I had to guess, I would say Pittsburgh would not be the likely destination,” Schefter said regarding the Steelers and Ramsey, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “I think when you’re trying to figure out a home for Jalen Ramsey, two teams that make sense and we’ll see how it plays out, would both be in Los Angeles, be it the Chargers or the Rams. I know people have brought up the Rams, and the Rams just continue to float around out there. It would have to work financially for both sides.”
Last week on The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter stated that a Ramsey trade is inevitable before the start of training camp as the Dolphins continue to have trade talks about the seven-time Pro Bowler, who is under contract through 2028.
The hang-up with any Ramsey trade is the money tied to him, not to mention his age.
For the Steelers, checking in makes some sense as their long-term future at cornerback is up in the air. There’s a lot riding on Joey Porter Jr. entering Year 3 as a player who needs to step up and progress in his development at the position. Veteran Darius Slay is set to play on a one-year deal in his age-34 season, while young corners like Cory Trice Jr., Beanie Bishop Jr., and rookie Donte Kent are all developing under first-year secondary coach Gerald Alexander.
Despite being a big name at the position, Ramsey’s play doesn’t match up with the finances tied to him, which is why the Dolphins are seemingly set to move on from him just one year after signing him to a big contract.
Last season, Ramsey played 1,027 snaps and earned a grade of 76.9 overall from Pro Football Focus. Ramsey yielded a career-worst receiving percentage at 70.8% of targets going for catches, allowing 46 receptions for 546 yards and two touchdowns and recording just five pass breakups and two interceptions on the year.
Though he had some struggles and the production has declined in recent years, Ramsey should have some suitors. Schefter speculating about the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers matches up with comments from last week on The Pat McAfee Show when he stated that he believes Ramsey wants to go to the West Coast in a trade, limiting his options.
The Steelers, obviously, are not on the West Coast, but similar things were reported about WR DK Metcalf wanting to be West Coast only before he was traded to the Steelers.
Financially, the Steelers could swing the trade for Ramsey — longtime Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac dismissed it as a possibility — but they are in the middle of T.J. Watt contract talks and could want to focus there, rather than adding another big-money salary from the outside via trade.
