MLILY Mattresses in Miami, FL

During the next 10 days, we will be offering thoughts, metrics and nuggets on all the Dolphins players, and exploring outside options heading into free agency and the draft.

Sizing up the offensive line, with general manager Chris Grier suggesting on Wednesday that Miami is inclined to leave Robert Hunt at guard, not move him to tackle.

? The contract: Has four years remaining on a five-year, $75 million deal. He will make $9 million in base salary next season and another $8 million in roster bonus money. Miami likely will restructure his deal to clear out needed cap space — something that can be achieved by converting much of his $9 million 2023 base salary into bonus money.

? The metrics: Pro Football Focus rated him 14th among 81 tackles last season. He was exceptional in pass blocking, allowing just one sack and 15 pressures in 435 pass blocking snaps. …PFF rated him 29th as a run blocker, which was also well above average.

? The future: Armstead has never played a full season in 10 years in the NFL; he dealt with four injuries last season and ended up missing four of Miami’s 17 regular season games. The odds of that changing, as he moves into his 30s, seem slim.

But when he’s healthy, Armstead continues to give the Dolphins very good play. At 31, there’s no sign of any decline. And his leadership is invaluable on a young line; Armstead gathered teammates every Tuesday to work on technique. The Dolphins’ biggest priority at left tackle is finding a reliable backup.

? The contract: Has one year remaining on a two-year, $14 million deal. Will make $6.5 million in base next season.

? The metrics: PFF ranked him fourth of 40 NFL centers, including third as a run blocker. He allowed three sacks but just 15 pressures in 676 pass blocking snaps. And after committing 17 penalties at guard for the Cowboys in 2021, he committed only four at center for Miami.

? The future: Though he had a handful of high snaps, the Dolphins made the right move by shifting Williams from guard to center. He gave the Dolphins their best play at the position since Mike Pouncey, and he appears to be a long-term solution at that spot.

? The contract: Has a year left on his rookie deal; will make $1.7 million next season. The Dolphins assuredly will try to keep him beyond that.

? The metrics: PFF ranked him ninth among 78 guards, including seventh as a run blocker. He allowed three sacks and 21 pressures in 675 pass blocking snaps. He was called for three penalties.

? The future: The Dolphins believe he has Pro Bowl potential at guard, and he moved a step closer to that this past season with a very solid year. Grier said even though the Dolphins know he can play tackle (as he did in one late season game), they believe he can be a special player at guard.

? The contract: Under contract for two more seasons; will earn $1.4 million and $1.7 million the next two seasons.

? The metrics: Pro Football Focus rated him 75th among 78 guards last season. He allowed two sacks but 27 pressures in 409 pass blocking snaps.

? The future: Eichenberg’s chance to prove that he was the long-term solution at left guard was foiled by two injuries: an Oct. 30 knee injury that sidelined him seven games and a Jan. 8 hand injury that kept him out of the playoff game.

He will likely need to compete with Robert Jones and perhaps a veteran player for a starting guard job next season.

Grier suggested after the season that Eichenberg will again have an opportunity to compete for a starting job, and coaches said he was playing the best football of his career before the Oct. 30 knee injury.

I would be surprised if the Dolphins spend considerable money on left guard; they seem inclined to give Eichenberg another chance.

? The contract: A year left on his rookie deal; will make $2.5 million next season. The Dolphins likely will decline his $14.2 million option for 2024, a decision due by May 2.

? The metrics: He allowed no sacks, but six pressures, in 58 snaps of pass protection. Two major ankle injuries (one in the opener, one in his first game back in December) limited him to two games and 84 snaps for the season, and the Dolphins still can’t be sure whether they were correct in their conviction that he can be a good NFL right tackle.

? The future: He’ll likely get another year to compete for a starting job. Even though the Dolphins almost assuredly will decline the option, they could keep him in 2024 if he can stay healthy — and plays well — in 2023.

? The contract: Under contract through 2023. Will make $940,000 next season.

? The metrics: Pro Football Focus ranked him 41st among 78 guards, including 37th a run blocker. He allowed three sacks and 11 pressures in 280 pass blocking snaps.

? The future: Jones has earned an opportunity to compete for a starting job, with left guard the obvious spot. The only question is whether Miami adds a cheap veteran to battle Eichenberg and Jones at left guard.

? The contract: Unrestricted free agent.

? The metrics Pro Football Focus rated him 52nd of 81 tackles. But PFF rated him 14th as a run blocker. And while he allowed a sizable number of pressures (40), he permitted only two sacks in 472 pass blocking chances.

? The future: Shell, sidelined for the playoff game by ankle and knee injuries, likely will be invited back, from what we hear. The Dolphins remain eager to see Jackson at right tackle, but Shell could provide depth. Another cheap veteran also could added.

? The contract: Unrestricted free agent

? The metrics: PFF rated him 81st and last among NFL tackles. He permitted four sacks and 35 pressures (too many) in 352 pass rushing snaps.

? The future: Little played well at times (including the season finale against New York) but struggled in the first Jets game (allowing three sacks), and the Dolphins could opt for Kendall Lamm and Shell — or outside options — as their top backup tackles next season. It would be somewhat surprising if Little returns.

? The contract: Unrestricted free agent

? The metrics: He didn’t play at all on offense.

? The future: Deiter was the only player on the 53-man roster who didn’t play a snap on offense or defense; he logged 76 snaps on special teams. He’s worth keeping around as a backup guard and center unless Miami finds somebody better.

Lester Cotton (a guard signed to a futures contract) and Kendall Lamm and Eric Fisher, who are both are free agents.

Cotton started Week 2 for the Raiders, then made his Dolphins debut as a playoff starter at left guard against the Bills. He could factor into the guard competition; Chris Grier mentioned him Wednesday.

Lamm played well at left tackle in the first half of the Jan. 1 Patriots game before injuring his ankle; he allowed no pressures or sacks in 15 pass-blocking snaps. That performance alone allows him to make the best case to be the Dolphins’ backup left tackle next season.

Fisher, added Dec. 5, sustained a calf injury without ever appearing in a game. The Dolphins recently voided his contract, though that doesn’t rule out a return. He ended up making $3.8 million as a Dolphin.

Grier sounds as though the Dolphins want to see the process through with Eichenberg and Jackson and not close the path for them to be starters. If that’s the case, it’s unlikely Miami would pay for a pricey right tackle such as the 49ers’ Mike McGlinchey or pricey guard such as the Eagles’ Isaac Seumalo.

Beyond Seumalo, the other top free agent guards include Baltimore’s Ben Powers, Denver’s Dalton Risner, Tennessee’s Nate Davis and Arizona’s Will Hernandez. Risner, PFF’s No. 22 pass blocking guard last season, played for new Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry in Denver.

McGlinchey is the best right tackle available in a group of free agent tackles that also includes, among others, pricey Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown, Jacksonville’s Jawaan Taylor, Atlanta’s Caleb McGary, New England’s Isaiah Wynn, Arizona’s Kelvin Beachum, Denver’s Cameron Fleming and the Jets’ George Fant.

Incidentally, 49ers general manager John Lynch said at the Scouting Combine this week that it would be a “tough deal for us” to keep McGlinchey because of cap challenges. “I don’t see that happening,” Lynch said of McGlinchey getting less than he expects in free agency. “I see him being a coveted player.”

McGlinchey, who has started all 75 of his NFL appearances, has a history with Mike McDaniel and would be an obvious upgrade. But the view here is that it’s not prudent to allocate a lot of Miami’s limited cap space on the offensive line, because cornerback and inside linebacker are more pressing needs.

“Obviously like with Austin (Jackson), he just needs to stay healthy so we can get a full evaluation of him, but with Connor (Williams), Liam (Eichenberg), Rob (Hunt) and obviously Terron (Armstead), we feel we have a good core of guys right there to start with,” Grier said Wednesday. “And Rob Jones and Lester Cotton coming in a playoff game, a young player. So excited about some of the development and potential of some of the players.”

Offensive linemen who could be available at No. 51 in the draft include Anton Harrison (a tackle from Oklahoma), Cody Mauch (a North Dakota State guard/tackle), Matthew Bergeron (a tackle/guard from Syracuse), Jaelyn Duncan (a guard/tackle from Maryland) and Dawand Jones (a tackle from Ohio State).

But the Dolphins have spent enough high-draft-pick resources on offensive linemen, with subpar results over the past decade (aside from Laremy Tunsil and Hunt).

This is Part 1 of a series on various Dolphins’ positions heading into free agency and the draft.

This story was originally published March 1, 2023, 3:55 PM.

The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round pick (No. 77 overall) and tight end Hunter Long, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday.

The trade will be processed Wednesday, when the 2023 league year officially begins.

Ramsey tweeted his excitement for the trade Sunday, writing: "I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it's happening! @MiamiDolphins LETSGO!"

Ramsey has three years remaining on that contract. As part of the trade, the Dolphins agreed to guarantee the next two seasons on Ramsey's deal, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network.

Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, is largely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and joins another former All-Pro in Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard.

Miami has aggressively built its roster over the past year, also trading for All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb.

The Dolphins had a need at cornerback after informing Byron Jones he would be released when the new league year begins and made multiple salary cap-clearing moves over the past week, restructuring the contracts of Hill, Chubb and Terron Armstead.

After this trade, the Dolphins hold four picks in the 2023 draft: one each in the second, third, sixth and seventh rounds.

The Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade for Ramsey in 2019, sending first-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021 and a fourth-rounder in 2021 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Los Angeles signed Ramsey to a five-year, $105 million contract extension less than a year later, which was the largest ever at his position at the time of the deal.

Ramsey was the only player of that core Super Bowl-winning Rams group not to sign a contract extension or reworked deal last offseason. Ramsey ranks third at the position in AAV ($20 million), behind Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander ($21 million) and Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward ($20.1 million).

By trading Ramsey before June 1, the Rams will take on $19.6 million of dead money on their 2023 salary cap with $5.6 million of cap savings.

Ramsey becomes the third notable defensive player jettisoned by the Rams as they work to get under the salary cap. The Rams previously had mutually parted ways with linebacker Bobby Wagner and released pass-rusher Leonard Floyd.

Ramsey was the third-highest-ranked cornerback in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the season with 4 interceptions, 18 passes defended, 12 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles and 2 sacks. His four interceptions tied his career high.

In seven seasons, Ramsey has 19 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles and 2 sacks. He was named first-team All-Pro in the 2017, 2020 and 2021 seasons.

The Miami Dolphins needed to find a replacement after releasing cornerback Byron Jones, and they found an All-Pro to fill the gap.

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been traded to the Dolphins for a 2023 third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long, per ESPN.

Ramsey is also getting a new contract as part of the trade, according to NFL Network. He will be on the Dolphins' books for a fully guaranteed $36.9 million over the next two seasons. He did have three years left on his deal, though an opt-out was there for 2024.

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The Rams have been making moves this offseason to create salary cap space before the new league year begins on March 15, and Ramsey is the latest move as they seem to enter a rebuild of sorts despite winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Los Angeles was about $9 million over the threshold, according to OverTheCap.com, and Ramsey was set to be a $25.2 million cap hit.

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Ramsey reportedly had the Dolphins as his preferred destination, and he appeared pretty happy with the trade, tweeting "MOOD" with a video of a hyped crowd at a Lil Yachty concert.

The Dolphins, on the other hand, needed a replacement on their defense after the team let Jones know he would be released last week despite signing a five-year, $82 million deal with Miami in 2020. He played in all but three games between 2020 and 2021, but missed the entire 2022 season with an Achilles injury.

Miami was a playoff team last season, making one of the wild card spots in the AFC, and their championship window continues to stay open with Tua Tagoailoa getting his fifth-year option picked up and having key pieces like Tyreek Hill, Jeff Wilson Jr. and many more on both sides of the ball.

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Ramsey had a down year by his standards in 2022 with the Rams, as quarterbacks owned an 84.5 passer rating against him, the highest mark he has had in a full season with the Rams. However, he still picked off four passes and caused two forced fumbles among 88 combined tackles.

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Ramsey, 28, is a six-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro corner that continues to play at an elite level. Paired with another Pro Bowler in Xavien Howard, head coach Mike McDaniel should this tandem next season.

The Miami Dolphins have continued their acquisition of talent by trading for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to multiple sources.

The Dolphins sent a third-round pick in this year’s draft and tight end Hunter Long to the Los Angeles Rams to seal the trade.

Ramsey appeared to confirm the trade on Sunday afternoon, tweeting: “I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it’s happening! @MiamiDolphins LETSGO!”

Miami have aggressively pursued big-name stars in the last year. Last season, they brought in All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb. They were also fined and docked a first-round draft pick last year for tampering when they attempted to acquire Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

The 28-year-old Ramsey is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and is a three-time All Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. Pro Football Focus ranked him the third-best cornerback in the league last season, and he won Super Bowl LVI with the Rams in February 2022. In Miami he will team up with another All-Pro cornerback, Xavien Howard.

The Rams went 5-12 last season and missed the playoffs just one year after winning the Super Bowl, and they’ve have been making changes to their roster this offseason. Los Angeles parted ways with veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner last month after one season.

Adding Ramsey is another step for Miami in rebuilding a defense that had a down year in 2022, by their standards.

After Miami finished last year ranked 18th in total defense, 24th in scoring defense and 27th against the pass, the Dolphins parted ways with defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and brought in former Denver head coach Vic Fangio to lead the defense.

Miami needed to bolster a secondary that was hit by injury last year and were without cornerback Byron Jones, who is expected to be released on Wednesday, when the NFL’s new year begins, in a cost-cutting move. Jones missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing achilles surgery last March.

Sunday’s trade means the Dolphins hold only four picks in this year’s draft: in the second, third, sixth and seventh rounds.

The Rams have agreed to trade CB Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson first reported that the two sides were deep in talks and that a deal seemed likely.

Miami is acquiring Ramsey in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 77, specifically) in this year’s draft, along with tight end Hunter Long. The ‘Fins will now be on the hook for the remainder of Ramsey’s contract, which runs through 2025.

The 28-year-old was scheduled to carry cap hits ranging from $22.7MM to $26.7MM over the next three years, figures which would represent a significant burden to any acquiring team. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that his contract has been re-worked upon the deal being finalized. As a result, Ramsey has been given an additional $25MM in guaranteed compensation on top of what he was already owed in salary and bonuses, though his impact on Miami’s cap sheet may likely be lessened as well.

The Rams’ acquisition of the former top-five pick in 2019 was one of several blockbuster deals the team made as part of their aggressive approach to trades and free agency in recent years. It helped them earn a Super Bowl title, but has now put them in a financial situation where notable departures are set to continue dominating their offseason. Edge rusher Leonard Floyd has already been released, and the same will be true of linebacker Bobby Wagner once the new league year begins.

Once the news came out that Wagner’s Los Angeles tenure would end after only one season, it was reported that a trade sending Ramsey out of town was expected to take place. The light return the Rams are receiving compared to the price they paid to acquire him from the Jaguars (a pair of first-round picks, along with a fourth-rounder), along with what they were reportedly seeking in a deal, speaks to how urgently they wanted to offload his contract before the start of free agency.

The Florida State alum remained productive in what amounted to a disastrous 2022 season for the Rams. He recorded four interceptions and 18 pass breakups while being one of few key players able to stay healthy for the entire campaign. While his coverage stats were the worst of his three full seasons in Los Angeles, Ramsey will still return to Florida carrying significant expectations.

The Dolphins took a step forward on offense last season, the first with head coach Mike McDaniel in place. Their defense struggled, however, particularly against the pass. Miami ranked 27th in passing yards allowed per game, and 29th in interceptions, pointing to a need to add to their secondary. That became especially true when it was learned that cornerback Byron Jones – who missed the entire 2022 campaign due to injury – was unlikely to play again in the NFL. He will be released once the new league year begins on Wednesday.

Ramsey will provide an upgrade to a CB room which already features Xavien Howard. Those two, along with versatile safety Jevon Holland, will anchor the Dolphins’ secondary as their defense enters a new era under DC Vic Fangio. The veteran staffer came back to the coaching ranks this offseason on a deal which makes him the highest-paid coordinator in the league. His presence should allow for a rebound defensively for the Dolphins, who still qualified for the postseason in 2022 despite their underwhelming performance on that side of the ball and quarterback injuries.

Long, a third-round pick in 2021, has made just one catch across 16 games spent with the Dolphins. He will provide depth at the TE position for the Rams, while creating a further roster hole at that spot for Miami. Mike Gesicki is widely expected to depart in free agency after his usage took a step back within McDaniel’s new scheme. While the Dolphins will likely be active replacing him and Long, they have landed a major addition to their defense for the intermediate future.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.