The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was good last year, but it faltered down the stretch. In particular, their secondary struggled to stop explosive plays. Therefore, the Steelers were looking to upgrade the back end of their defense, and that led them to trade for Jalen Ramsey. While Ramsey is a talented player, he brings some baggage as well. A recent report outlined how much of a problem he was with the Miami Dolphins. NFL insider Adam Caplan recently broke down what caused the friction between Ramsey and the Dolphins.
“He didn’t like the way that Vic Fangio was using him two years ago because he moved Ramsey around a lot,” Caplan said on FOX Sports Radio. “Ramsey, if he had his druthers, as I understand it — and this happened with the Rams too because he played some nickel with the Rams — he’d like to be an outside corner. He’s got ideal length for that position.”
Fangio was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2023, Ramsey’s first year in Miami. For most of his career, Ramsey has been a boundary corner, and he’s been successful in that role. However, in Miami, the seven-time Pro Bowler moved around more. While he was still primarily an outside corner, Ramsey saw more time operating out of the slot.
Even last year, Ramsey moved around frequently in the Dolphins’ defense. On Twitter, Underdog NFL shared Ramsey’s snaps by position in 2024 as tracked by Pro Football Focus. Fangio was no longer with the Dolphins, but that didn’t stop them from moving Ramsey around.
According to Caplan, Ramsey would prefer solely being an outside corner, but that could be a problem with the Steelers. The biggest question surrounding Ramsey is where he’ll play. Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay seem set as Pittsburgh’s boundary corners. And neither of them is particularly suited to play in the slot. Moving Ramsey around would be easier.
Reports indicate that the Steelers view Ramsey in multiple roles as well. With Minkah Fitzpatrick gone, they have a hole at safety. Ramsey has expressed an interest in playing safety before, so perhaps that’s a position change that he would get behind.
Still, Ramsey has a reputation as being difficult when he’s frustrated. Luckily, Mike Tomlin has a lot of experience dealing with players like that. He handled Antonio Brown for years. There’s optimism that he can work that same magic with Ramsey.
If Ramsey buys into the versatile role that the Steelers reportedly want him in, Pittsburgh’s secondary could be lethal. Ramsey, Porter, Slay, and DeShon Elliott look like a fantastic group of defensive backs on paper. However, if Ramsey grows frustrated with his role, like he did with the Dolphins and Rams, then this trade could backfire on the Steelers. It comes with just as much potential for bust as it does boom.
