The Miami Dolphins and the Steelers completed a blockbuster trade on Monday, sending CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith and a 2027 seventh rounder to Pittsburgh.
In exchange, Miami will receive safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth round draft pick. The Dolphins will retain $3M worth of Ramsey’s salary in order to facilitate the deal.
Ramsey will join a Pittsburgh secondary which also features Darius Slay Jr., and Joey Porter Jr. as well. The 3x All-Pro corner will receive a $1.5M pay raise this season, bringing his total compensation to $26.6M. Meanwhile, Smith will sign a 1 year contract extension which will see him earn $12M according to his agents.
The trade brings an end to months of speculation as to where Ramsey would play in 2025. Miami put him on the trading block officially in April, though reports indicate they’ve been open to a trade longer than that. Multiple outlets linked the 30 year old defensive back to the Los Angeles Rams, whom Ramsey had previously played for.
Unfortunately, it looks like LA’s unwillingness to take on the majority of Ramsey’s salary ultimately proved to be a game of chicken that they lost.
Smith will now be reunited with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who has previously coached Smith in both Atlanta and Tennessee. On the other end of the spectrum, Fitzpatrick will head back to the team who originally drafted him 11th overall back in 2018.
The 28 year old is a 3x All-Pro himself, and instantly adds some depth and versatility to a Dolphins secondary that was in desperate need of playmakers. The club is essentially overhauling their entire defensive back room, having already released CB Kendall Fuller, traded Ramsey, and allowed safeties Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer to leave via free agency.
Fitzpatrick will also play a pivotal leadership role for a Miami squad which has now seen 4 captains from 2024 leave town (Ramsey, Terron Armstead, Calais Campbell, and David Long Jr.).
Smith’s departure will make for an interesting positional battle during training camp at tight end, as the club now only has Julian Hill, Pharaoh Brown, Tanner Conner, Hayden Rucci, and Jalin Conyers at the position. None of which have much experience being an offensive playmaker.
It’s unclear whether Miami’s front office will attempt to make another trade or sign a veteran TE via free agency. However it’s evident that the Dolphins are beginning to feel a bit of a cap crunch with QB Tua Tagovailoa set to see his cap-hit spike from $9.5M in 2024, to $39.2M this season.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.