Grier did not specify the reasons behind his decision to exchange Ramsey, but clarified that the seven times PRO Bowler did not request a trade or a salary adjustment.
The Dolphins have considered exchange Ramsey for weeks. Despite a thin corner room behind Ramsey, Grier said that moving from the star corner gives the team the “best opportunity to help us win not only this year, but also in the future.”
“Really after a couple of weeks of discussions between us internally and pull and their representation, we decided that it was probably the best for all parties to advance,” Grier said. “I will say that these decisions are not made quickly and do not take light because we spend a lot of time this low season working through this, talking about things. At the end of the day, Jalen did not ask for an exchange.
“We went through the process, and I felt that after numerous conversations and then speaking last week with Jalen and his agent, which was better to advance, and it was the best interest of the Miami Dolphins and for Jalen Ramsey.”
Grier said he is not sure if an exchange will join before the NFL draft next weekend, but if one materializes, the Dolphins will have a clear need in the corner’s position.
Kader Kohou will probably be the initial slot corner of the team, although Grier said the team sees him as able to play both inside and out. Miami signed the former First Round Selection Artie Burns in free agency and still has Ethan Bonner, Storm Duck and Jason Maitre on his list.
The catalyst for Miami defensive high school could be the development of former second round Cam Smith, who played only six games last season. I rarely played as a rookie in 2023, which records mainly in special teams; Grier said the 24 -year -old needs to take a step forward this season.
“Cam Smith needs to reach the end of the day, he has to stay healthy and be in the field,” Grier said. “He has shown some flashes, but this is a very big year of him. He knows what is expected, because we cannot take his hand and wait for him more.”
The Dolphins have the 13th selection in this year’s draft and 10 draft selections in total, although Grier said he is willing to change if the correct offer is presented. An offer that is not looking for, he said, is a trade that involves the open receiver Tyreek Hill, but Grier said he would consider doing it if two first round selections were offered.
Keep Hill would coincide with the intention of the Dolphins to deal with 2025 after missing the playoffs last season. Grier said Ramsey’s trade does not constitute a reconstruction for his part.
“That word has not been presented at all,” he said. “We still have many really good football players on this list, in some places that impact the games. Therefore, that voice has not been used at all and our goal is to win this year and continue winning for a sustained success in the future.”
The owner of the Dolphins, Stephen Ross, issued a public statement shortly after the defeat of the team’s season against the New York Jets in January, confirming that both Grier and coach Mike McDaniel would return in 2025.
However, in that statement, he said he was not satisfied with the “status quo” and insisted that the team would continue an improvement of his 8-9 record in 2024. Grier said that Ross did not issue any ultimatum for him or McDaniel that would be fired if they did not reach a certain level of success.
“No, there has been, but listening: Mike and I want to win more than you here just to get them out of our backs,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it is the NFL. The madness is when you listen to some of the really good chief coaches in this league who have won all the time, and people ask them to say goodbye after a season, it is only the nature of the beast … At the end of the day, you just have to work and try to drown the noise.”
The Dolphins have already paid Ramsey a bonus of the $ 4 million list at the beginning of the year of the League; Any team that exchanges for him would be responsible for the remaining $ 21 million owed to him in 2025.
The Dolphins sent a selection of third round and wing Hunter Long to Los Angeles Rams in March 2023 in exchange for Ramsey, and signed a three -year restructured extension and $ 55 million upon arrival. He was appointed for the Pro Bowl that season despite losing seven games, and signed an extension of three years and $ 72.3 million shortly before the start of the 2024 season. He was attributed 11 pass ruptures in 2024, but recorded only two interceptions, its lowest total since 2020.
