The Pros & Cons of the Jalen Ramsey Trade
No team has acquired Jalen Ramsey via trade as of early June, but according to Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, Ramsey’s employer, a deal will likely come together in the next couple of months.
These are the perks and burdens of a would-be Jalen Ramsey trade to the Minnesota Vikings.
For some reason, Ramsey is certifiably on the trade block. And because Ramsey won a Super Bowl with Kevin O’Connell in Los Angeles four years ago, the Minnesota Vikings as a landing spot for the seven-time Pro Bowler isn’t that outlandish.
These are the pros and cons of a would-be Vikings trade for Ramsey.
Pro: Ramsey Is Not a “Let’s See if This Guy Is Still Any Good” Situation
General managers should usually shy away from trading for a cornerback aged 30 or older. They probably won’t improve. Such players are typically past their primes.
But Ramsey isn’t like that. Not one bit.
He registered a 76.9 Pro Football Focus grade in 2024, and while it might be tempting to scan his biography on ESPN or Wikipedia and say, “Oh, that guy’s old; no thanks,” Ramsey doesn’t fit that category.
The eventual Hall of Famer is still an outstanding cornerback, and for Ramsey, “age ain’t nothing but a number” applies. Don’t lump Ramsey in that territory with older over-the-hill corners. That isn’t him. He logged a 51.1 passer rating against two seasons ago, for God’s sake.
Pro: Total CB Supremacy for Minnesota’s Roster
Most Vikings fans are semi-content with the current cornerback room, but not opposed to an upgrade. Next to Byron Murphy Jr. and without Ramsey, one of the following four players will be nominated for starting duty on the outside of Brian Flores’ defense: Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, or Dwight McGlothern.
Ramsey would make that competition moot or unsuspensful. He would headline the Vikings’ CB room, with Murphy Jr. as his copilot, leaving Rodgers, Blackmon, Okudah, and McGlothern left to fight for a lesser role.
Trading for Ramsey would push Minnesota’s CB unit in an interstellar sphere of Super Bowl contention if quarterback J.J. McCarthy doesn’t play buffoonishly this season.
Pro: Playoff, Super Bowl Experience
Ramsey has been there.
He’s the subject of Vikings articles like this and trade theories, in general, because he won a championship with O’Connell in 2021.
Because they’re “the Vikings,” the roster doesn’t have too many players with Super Bowl experience. If the team fulfills its NFC destiny, having Ramsey on the squad in February would be quite fantastic.
Pro: Vikings’ Roster Would Have Zero Weak Spots
If you ask a fan to name the weak spot on O’Connell’s roster, she might name cornerback, and then that’d be it.
Because of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s roster construction over the last few offseasons, the depth chart is in sweet shape — only needing one more cornerback to send championship aspirations to the moon.
One can say it with a straight face, pending McCarthy’s development: there are no roster atrocities entering the summer. An extra starting cornerback is the only position that could use a little love.
Pro: Sticking Around for J.J. McCarthy’s Rookie Deal
Ramsey will turn 31 this season, and if one counts up the years left on McCarthy’s rookie contract, well, his hypothetical NFL end date damn near aligns with McCarthy’s large payday in 2029 (if he’s the real deal).
Therefore, even though Ramsey is expensive, his career back nine and accompanying contract directly mesh with the start of McCarthy’s second contract.
Con: The Money
Ramsey brings home an average of $24 million per season. That’s extremely expensive for a Vikings team that is suddenly cash-strapped.
Optimists will maintain that Ramsey’s contract could be adjusted immediately after a Minnesota trade — a fair assumption — but that won’t reduce his average annual value. What would that do? Push money into the future, or bring to life the dreaded financial slogan prevalent on social media: “Kicking the can down the road.”
Indeed, the Vikings can adjust the Ramsey money after a trade, but he won’t play for cheap, and even now, Minnesota is scheduled to start next offseason over $50 million in the hole.
Con: The Age
Ramsey is still an elite corner, yet there’s always a chance he shows up to a regular season and an age-related decline arises. The process will likely be gradual for Ramsey — not unlike Harrison Smith — but he’s over 30 no matter how one dices it.
Ideally, splashy summer trades for elite performers would land men in their 20s. Ramsey is in his 30s
Fans would merely have to hope that his regression didn’t emerge any time soon.
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