The Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey mutually agreed to seek a trade for the veteran cornerback a couple of weeks ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ramsey remains on Miami’s roster nearly two months later, but it appears the two parties are still planning to split before the 2025 season.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Ramsey is not planning to attend the Dolphins’ mandatory minicamp this week as the two parties ‘continue to work towards a trade.’
Miami’s minicamp will run from June 10-12. If Ramsey does not attend, he will be subject to a fine for each day he misses. According to Spotrac, a player fine will be a maximum of $17,462 for the first day absent, $34,925 for the second day and $52,381 for missing a third day.
The NFL’s new CBA only allows fines to be forgiven on rookie deals, so it doesn’t appear Miami will be able to waive any fines assessed to Ramsey.
Ramsey has four years remaining on his contract with the Dolphins, as the three-year, $72.3 million extension he signed with the team on eve of the 2024 NFL season still hasn’t kicked in yet. He is set to have a cap hit of just under $16.7 million this season while taking home $25.1 million in cash, per Spotrac.com.
The Dolphins will be able to split any dead-cap hit – guaranteed money already paid to a player no longer on the team – associated with trading or releasing Ramsey over two seasons because the NFL’s June 1 deadline has passed. Making it palatable for Miami to trade Ramsey, as it would take manageable dead-cap hits of roughly $10.75 million in 2025 and $18.5 million in 2026 while creating $5.9 million in space for the upcoming season.
Releasing Ramsey would be more penal. The Dolphins would take on just under a $31 million dead-cap hit this season – which would cost them $14.3 million in present-day cap space – while still absorbing a dead-cap blow of $18.5 million next season.
It isn’t clear whether the Dolphins are willing to release Ramsey if they can’t find a willing trade partner.