After months of speculation, Jalen Ramsey has finally been traded from the Miami Dolphins. Ramsey is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers following a complex, multi-player deal.
The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the top teams rumored to be in on Ramsey after reports came out suggesting that he “preferred” a West Coast team. But the Chargers, never known for being big spenders, were likely never considering acquiring Ramsey too seriously.
Here were the full details of Monday’s trade:
Dolphins receive: S Minhah Fitzpatrick, 2027 5th-round pick
Steelers receive: CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, 2027 7th-round pick
The Steelers had to move Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of the best safeties in the league, in the deal. But the biggest part of this deal is what’s not disclosed in those details, and that is the Steelers assuming his salary, which they bailed the Dolphins out of having to pay. That contract is good through 2028, and the Steelers will eat a good chunk of dead cap money if they move on from him before then.
Ramsey will turn 31 years old in October, yet there are likely plenty of Chargers fans out there who would have liked to see the team add him to an already strong defense. If there is a weakness on Jim Harbaugh’s defense in year two, it could be at cornerback where the team is set to apparently give much more responsibility to second-year corners Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still. A proven veteran like Ramsey would have made a lot of sense.
If Ramsey’s desire to play on the West Coast was true, he likely would have welcomed a trade to the Chargers as well. But at the end of the day, it’s one that general manager Joe Hortiz and team owner Dean Spanos would have always seen as too rich.
If the Steelers had to give up Fitzpatrick in the deal, the Chargers would have had to give up a key player as well. Derwin James would almost certainly be off the table, but the Dolphins could have asked for Elijah Molden and a higher pick than the fifth-round choice they got from Pittsburgh.
If the Chargers could have included a player like Trey Pipkins or Quentin Johnston in the deal, two players who would make sense for Pittsburgh, that could have been the route to take. However, it will remain a “what if” for the Chargers as Ramsey will play this season in the Steel City.
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