On Sunday, the Rams and Dolphins pulled off a major trade that sent Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey back into the AFC right before free agency.
This was some move just a day or so before free agency 2023 begins. The Dolphins are clearly in a win-now mode. They have been attacking their needs so far this offseason as they brought in Vic Fangio to be the defensive coordinator and just pulled off a major trade for a cornerback who might end up in the Hall of Fame one day.
Trade is now agreed to, per sources:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2023
🏈Dolphins get Pro Bowl CB Jalen Ramsey.
🏈Rams get 2023 third-round pick (No. 77) and TE Hunter Long.
Trade will be processed Wednesday, when league year begins. pic.twitter.com/0KJIeoS6fj
The Dolphins had a need at this position especially when they decided to move on from Byron Jones.
Now with Ramsey on one side and Xavien Howard on the other, the Fins’ secondary seems solid.
The Rams are clearly in a rebuilding mode, in my opinion. Not only did they just trade Ramsey, but they also released Bobby Wager and have given permission Allen Robinson to seek a trade. Furthermore, there were rumors that LA was calling other teams to see if they’d want Matthew Stafford.
I’d be interested to see if teams call them about Cooper Kupp or Aaron Donald as I don’t see a scenario where they are more than an 8-9 win team in 2023 at the most.
This trade continues the trend of teams parting ways with their draft picks in order to get immediate impact players on the roster.
The “screw them picks” mentality has definitely taken over the NFL over the last few offseasons, and Miami and LA might be the biggest examples.
In the last year, the Dolphins have traded for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and Jalen Ramsey.
Teams are beginning to race to the top and have taken quicker approaches to try and get into contention.
We’ll see how the Rams operate going forward, but them acquiring more draft picks is a polar opposite of what they’ve done in the recent past.