The Los Angeles Rams face an unclear fate. This is a change after the departure of cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins in March 2023. The Rams traded Ramsey to further salary cap space. In 2025, they have a massive cap hit of $16.67 million for him, which would be the sixth highest among all cornerbacks. That’s the same amount for the last year of his contract that has guaranteed money.
Ramsey had been traded to the Rams in 2019 and was an immediate cornerstone for that franchise as they made a championship push. Beyond his statement-making leadership, he played a hugely influential role in their triumph at Super Bowl LVI in 2021. During his last season with the Rams, he proved what he was capable of. When playing in coverage against opposing receivers, he permitted just three touchdowns, per NFL Next Gen Stats. After getting traded to Miami, Ramsey was still showcasing his talent day in and day out. He started and played all 17 games during the recently completed season, recording two interceptions and seven pass breakups.
Even with that outstanding performance to his credit, Ramsey’s stats show a confusing trend. Last year, among 59 qualifying CBs with 50-plus coverage snaps, he was 32nd in passer rating allowed at 89.8. When targeted as the closest defender, he ranked 43rd of 46 qualifiers, with a high completion percentage allowed of 65.7%. These numbers work to confirm that Ramsey is still very much elite. Still, in order to reach his ceiling, he has to tighten a few areas of his game up.
The Dolphins’ general manager, Chris Grier, expressed optimism about Ramsey’s impact on the team. He stated that acquiring Ramsey provides the Dolphins with “the best chance to help us win not only just this year, but in the future as well.” This optimistic view echoes the Dolphins’ approach of building up their roster with an eye on both immediate impact and future potential.
Things are bad for the Rams right now. As of this writing, they still have $17.7 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. This is the position the team really should have targeted in the 2025 NFL Draft. This decision risks leaving a void that will ultimately influence their future choices. William’s contract Darious Williams is in the second year of a three-year contract he signed in 2024. After this season, he has no money guaranteed.
Rams head coach Sean McVay has continued to stay in touch with Ramsey since his trade.
“He and I have really stayed in touch,” – Sean McVay
McVay didn’t deny that both he and assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant had a knowledge of what Ramsey can do.
“We know him very well. We know him intimately,” – Sean McVay
Even with the trade, there is still a small chance that Ramsey could return to the Rams after the 2025 NFL Draft. The team still sees potential in his skill set and leadership abilities, which could benefit them if they decide to bring him back.
McVay insisted that they’ve been very clear in their communication regarding Ramsey’s situation. Yet a number of critical factors remain to be ironed out before any sort of decision would be made.
“There’s a lot of familiarity, but we’re probably in the same position when we talked about it the other day just because there are some things that we still need to take care of to be able to truly get through the draft from the totality of it all,” – Sean McVay
Ramsey will turn 30 this October. His career arc is perhaps as interesting and exciting to fans and analysts alike as his actual on-field performance. The Rams’ handling of his cap situation and potential return could significantly impact their defensive strategy in the upcoming seasons.
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