National Football League

Why Jalen Ramsey is missing piece for Super Bowl-contending Dolphins

Updated Mar. 17, 2023 4:28 p.m. ET

The Miami Dolphins had a problem in 2022. It was abundantly clear that they didn't have enough cornerbacks. Xavien Howard, their star at the position, couldn't seem to recover from his many injuries because he was rushing back — in large part because the Dolphins had no one to competently play on the outside.

So Miami allowed the sixth-most yards per game at 234.8. The secondary was a mess and the pass rush could never get to the QB because receivers were always open.

Miami hoped Byron Jones might be back to play CB2. The Dolphins hoped Nik Needham would be healthy in the slot. Neither player contributed by the end of the season, when Howard was playing alongside Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen against the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs. It didn't help to lose safety Brandon Jones (ACL).

So now you can understand why it was so important for the Dolphins to add Jalen Ramsey, right? The cornerback joined the team in a trade this offseason amid a defensive transformation that has included the addition of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and edge Bradley Chubb (who joined the team at the 2022 trade deadline). Miami parted ways with Byron Jones, a former first-round pick who sadly may not be able to play again due to injuries. Now the Dolphins will pair Howard with Ramsey, an absolutely fearsome tandem.

"On paper, this is the best group that I've been a part of," Ramsey said of Miami's secondary during an introductory press conference on Thursday. "We're going to have to go out there and prove it, and that's what we're planning to do."

What is most impressive about the Ramsey deal? Well, it's probably the compensation involved. The Dolphins gave up just a third-round pick and a little-used tight end for a 28-year-old cornerback who is still one of the best players at his position. Essentially, Miami has moved Howard to CB2 by acquiring Ramsey. The team signed him to a three-year deal — but the contract is essentially a two-year deal with a third-year option. The $35.5 million in guaranteed money puts Ramsey in line with Howard in terms of earnings.

The only downside is that Ramsey might be past his prime. But he scoffed at that assessment.

"Did you see me play this past year?" he said Thursday.

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With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the end of his rookie deal, the Dolphins have the ability to spend in other places. And they're doing exactly that. Howard and Ramsey are among the highest-paid cornerbacks. Chubb is among the highest-paid edge players. Receiver Tyreek Hill and tackle Terron Armstead are atop the salary rankings at their positions, too.

But we knew the Dolphins had talent on offense. That never fell into question. Even when third-stringer Skylar Thompson took over at quarterback, the Dolphins somehow managed to put up a 31-point postseason performance against Buffalo, one of the league's best defenses.

Miami general manager Chris Grier was in charge of turning this defense into a competent partner to the offense in the pursuit of a Super Bowl in 2023. I'm not going to say the window is closing, but the Dolphins might hit an inflection point in 2024 when, if all goes well with Tua, he will be due a big contract. They won't be able to support him with as much talent in future years. This is the year that the offense and defense can look completely stacked.

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This is the year that the Dolphins can absolutely entrench Tua with talent. And they're doing that with hefty additions on the defensive side of the ball.

"It's going to be nice [playing alongside another elite CB in Howard]," Ramsey said. "A lot of things are going to be nice, though, not just that. We've got some young hungry pass rushers — Christian [Wilkins] is going to run everywhere around the field and make a ton of tackles. We're going to have fun. There's going to be a lot of stuff happening."

Miami hasn't just added Ramsey. The Dolphins also added linebacker David Long Jr. and safety DeShon Elliott while retaining linebacker Duke Riley. And I'm not counting out Chubb as a player who counts, in a way, like an offseason acquisition. It's extremely challenging for players to learn a scheme midseason. Chubb will actually be learning a new one with the team transitioning to Fangio's defense. The expectations for Chubb will be substantially higher in 2023 than they were in 2022.

The problem? The AFC East has only gotten more competitive. The Bills might have fallen off slightly, losing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency. But the Patriots appear to be on par with what they were in 2023 — an 8-9 team — given they've added Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator. And then the Jets have teeth. With Aaron Rodgers likely to join the Jets and their impressive defense, New York could be just as competitive as Miami and Buffalo for a Super Bowl. This division is going to be wild.

That's why it's so crucially important for the Dolphins defense to step up. Rodgers and Josh Allen are among the best QBs in the league. Miami needs a defense that can handle them.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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