The Miami Dolphins have their guy, again. General manager Chris Grier and the organization, for the second time, took a big move to make CB Jalen Ramsey a part of their near future.
The team reportedly reached a contract extension with Ramsey on a new 3-year, $72.3 million extension, which will make him - for the second time in his career - the highest paid cornerback in the NFL at $24.1 million per year.
Now, on the surface, making a cornerback who turns 30 during the season the highest paid player at his position seems like a risky choice. Doing it with a player who suffered a significant knee injury and missed 7 games in 2023 is something else. Doing it with a player who enters this season dealing with another injury (hamstring) is also quite the decision.
However, there are some sensible reasons for the Dolphins to have done what they did.
First of all, Ramsey - when on the field - still played at a very high level last year. His absence was glaringly obvious early in the season when the Dolphins were boat raced by the Buffalo Bills 48-20. In his first game back, he had a 49-yard interception return Miami's 31-17 win over the Patriots on October 29.
Now, he'll have the chance to play in Anthony Weaver's system that will give him more freedom to move across the field it sounds like, rather than his prior role in Vic Fangio's defense, which could be a better fit for him.
Regardless, Miami clearly believes in his ability and fit in the system to commit major money.
But perhaps even more sensible was the timing of the move. The Dolphins were able to lock up their star and make him the highest paid cornerback in the league before that price went up considerably.
The Denver Broncos and Patrick Surtain II just agreed to an extension this week for 4 years and $96 million. That could be just the first domino to fall. Sauce Gardner is going to get an extension in the not-too-distant future, one has to think, and it will come with a massive price tag north of Surtain's deal. That could really begin to push the market in a major way in a direction that front offices don't want it to go.
Instead, the Dolphins are in and done with their star cornerback for years to come. Now, they just need to find a way to keep him - and unfortunately far, far too many of his teammates - out of the training room and on the practice field.
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