Teams That Must Make Summer Push for Jalen Ramsey amid Latest Trade Rumors

With the NFL draft over and mandatory minicamps set to begin next month, it's easy to forget that teams are not done adding talent for the 2025 season. However, holes still exist, injuries will occur, and players will be signed and traded well into the summer.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey will likely be among the list of players on the move in the coming months.

Ramsey has been the subject of trade chatter for much of the offseason, though he hasn't been dealt—yet. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported on Thursday that while there's "nothing imminent," June 1 is a date to watch.

This is because, after June 1, the dead money remaining on Ramsey's contract can be spread over the 2025 and 2026 seasons instead of being absorbed in this season alone. That means trading Ramsey before June 1 would cost the Dolphins $12.6 million in additional 2025 cap space, while trading him after would save $5.9 million.

With that pivotal date only a week away, now's the perfect time to examine teams that should make a post-draft run at Ramsey, and why.

Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Falcons coach Raheem Morris

It's worth noting that the Dolphins aren't looking to move Ramsey because he's no longer an effective player. The seven-time Pro Bowler didn't earn all-star honors last season, but he did start all 17 games and allow an opposing passer rating of just 83.2 in coverage.

According to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, the looming split is about the player-team relationship.

"He played very good ball for us, but relationships are hard. Both sides have mutually chosen to go the other way," Weaver said, per C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald.

Money probably also plays a factor. Ramsey has a base salary of just $1.3 million this season, but that number jumps to $10 million in 2026 and 2027 before ballooning to $21.1 million in 2028.

While Miami is ready to part ways with the 30-year-old, this doesn't mean he can't help a team that believes its contention window is open for the next year or two.

The Atlanta Falcons could be just such a team. Atlanta is hoping to ride second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to the playoffs in 2025 and has already invested two first-round picks in defenders—linebacker Jalon Walker and pass-rusher James Pearce Jr. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine recently named cornerback as the Falcons' top post-draft need.

It's also worth noting that Falcons head coach Raheem Morris coached Ramsey for two years as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator.

Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr

The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2024 season ranked 31st in passing yards allowed, though that stat is just a tad misleading. Baltimore's defense had some early struggles under first-year coordinator Zach Orr but tightened up toward the end of the season.

The Ravens also added Chidobe Awuzie in free agency this offseason before using sixth-round picks on cornerbacks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam.

Yet, taking a flier on Ramsey would make sense and would certainly fit Baltimore's MO. Baltimore has been trying to catch the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl race for several seasons now and couldn't possibly head into the playoffs with too much cornerback depth.

General manager Eric DeCosta also has a track record of adding older vets if he believes they can help the team. In recent years, that has meant adding players like Odell Beckham Jr., Derrick Henry and DeAndre Hopkins.

There's a coaching connection to consider too. Weaver spent three seasons in Baltimore before becoming Miami's defensive coordinator last season. Assuming the schemes of Weaver and Orr—who was the Ravens inside linebackers coach in 2022 and 2023—share similarities, Ramsey could potentially find an easy adjustment with the Ravens.

Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Bengals QB Joe Burrow

The Cincinnati Bengals should have a lot of interest in acquiring Ramsey, and not just because it would prevent him from joining the rival Ravens.

Cincinnati's Super Bowl window should last as long as Joe Burrow is healthy and behind center, but it has only made the postseason twice since Burrow entered the NFL in 2020.

Injuries ended two of Burrow's campaigns prematurely, but the Bengals have made two appearances in the AFC title game—with one trip to the Super Bowl—when he's been healthy. Cincinnati is hoping that last season is the anomaly. Burrow started all 17 games, but the Bengals missed the playoffs because of a bad defense.

The Bengals finished the year ranked 25th in both yards and points allowed. After the season, they fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and replaced him with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden.

While a fresh schematic approach may help the Bengals defense, Cincinnati did virtually nothing this offseason to improve its cornerback room. After ranking 21st in passing yards allowed and 19th in net yards per pass attempt allowed, the Bengals didn't sign or draft a single corner.

If the Bengals hope to see a true defensive turnaround in 2025, they should make a strong push for Ramsey before training camp.

Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Wally Skalij

Rams coach Sean McVay

While the Bengals are hoping to stop wasting the early prime years of Burrow's career, the Rams are looking to get the most out of Matthew Stafford's remaining playing days.

Stafford, who turned 37 in February, agreed to a revised contract this offseason after initially being given permission to speak with other teams. He's under contract for two more seasons, but there's no guarantee he'll play beyond this year—and L.A. would like to make the most of it.

General manager Les Snead has gotten away from his strategy of trading for older stars—a plan that yielded a Lombardi Trophy in 2021—and focused on the draft in recent years. However, the Rams have not ruled out the idea of bringing back Ramsey, who was traded to Miami two years ago.

"He and I have kept in great touch even since we ended up trading him to Miami," head coach Sean McVay told SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this month (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio). "...Those conversations are ongoing, as I’m sure they are with multiple teams."

Reacquiring Ramsey would fill a need for the Rams, who ranked 26th in net yards per pass attempt allowed last season. L.A. refrained from signing or drafting a corner, and, unsurprisingly, Ballentine listed the position as the Rams' biggest post-draft need.

Seeing a Rams return for Ramsey this summer would be anything but shocking.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not seem like the most obvious suitor for Ramsey. Tampa did sign Kindle Vildor before using second- and third-round draft picks on cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish, respectively.

However, the Bucs also ranked just 29th in passing yards allowed last season and are looking to make a deeper run in the postseason. While Tampa has won the NFC South in four consecutive seasons, it hasn't advanced beyond the divisional round since the 2020 Super Bowl run with Tom Brady.

In a conference that features quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff and Stafford, the Bucs could benefit from having an experienced defensive back like Ramsey.

Tampa could also benefit from having a bit more safety depth. While that's not the position that Ramsey currently plays, it's a position he could try out before his career is over.

"At some point in my career, if it takes me there to safety, I would want to do that as well. I want to have a mix of all," Ramsey told the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast back in 2021 (h/t Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire).

Tampa has done a great job of adding talent through the draft in recent years, and it stumbled into a Pro Bowl quarterback when it signed Baker Mayfield two offseasons ago. However, the Bucs are rarely mentioned along with the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders and Rams as legitimate title contenders.

Adding Ramsey might help change that.

Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

Like the Buccaneers, the Commanders added cornerback help in free agency (Jonathan Jones) and relatively early in the draft (second-round pick Trey Amos). They also added Marshon Lattimore at last year's trade deadline and only got to see him in five games (including playoffs) because of injury.

Also like the Bucs, however, Washington could afford to add a seasoned vet like Ramsey.

Washington was unquestionably the league's biggest surprise in 2024. Thanks to the culture change sparked by new head coach Dan Quinn, the leadership of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and a massive offseason roster overhaul, the Commanders went from very bad to very good, very quickly.

Roughly a year after wrapping a four-win campaign, the Commanders were playing in the NFC Championship Game against the rival Eagles.

Another deep postseason run is anything but guaranteed, though. Washington won eight of its 12 games by a touchdown or less while playing a fourth-place schedule. This year Washington will face both high expectations and the league's eighth-toughest schedule in terms of 2024 winning percentage (.550).

If the Commanders hope to exceed expectations in 2025, they could use all the help they can get. And after recording a mere seven interceptions a year ago, Ramsey (24 career picks) would be a terrific defender to target.

*Contract information via Spotrac.