The Miami Dolphins have continued to have conversations about trading Jalen Ramsey and the LA Chargers have now emerged as one of the favorites to land the superstar cornerback. That is, if the Dolphins give Ramsey what he wants.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, NFL insider Adam Schefter provided an update on Ramsey that ties him directly to the Chargers. Schefter expects Ramsey to be traded before the start of training camp and explicitly mentioned the Chargers as a potential landing spot.
"We'll see how it shakes out, where he goes," Schefter said. "I think he would like to go to the West Coast. Rams, Chargers, somewhere like that."
Jalen Ramsey "would like" to be traded to the Chargers
The Chargers aren't the only team on the West Coast, they aren't even the only team in their stadium. But the fact that Schefter specifically mentioned the Chargers means a lot. Ramsey's camp is obviously trying to angle to get him where he wants to go.
The real question is whether or not the Chargers are actually interested. From a trade-value perspective, the Chargers could swing a trade for Ramsey only sending a day-three pick in the draft. Miami is trying to get out of Ramsey's contract, and when that happens, the trade return is minimal.
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That same contract the Dolphins are trying to get out of is the big risk for the Chargers. Los Angeles can certainly afford to bring Ramsey in as the books are relatively clean. The question is whether or not it is worth it.
Ramsey has a $16.6 million cap hit in 2025, per Over The Cap. Certainly manageable. However, that cap hit rises to $25 million in 2026, $26.8 million in 2027 and $36.1 million in 2028. Ramsey is entering his age-31 season. Cornerbacks don't usually get better in their 30s and whatever team trades for Ramsey may be paying a premium for past performance.
Sure, the Chargers could get out of Ramsey's contract after the 2025 season if needed but is that really a trade target worth pursuing? Is it worth trading draft capital for someone you expect to cut in a year or two because the cap hit is so large?
Ramsey would make the Chargers better right away, so it's at least worth having a conversation. However, based on how this Chargers' regime operates, it would be surprising to see the team commit that much future money into someone who is clearly past his prime.
Ramsey was still solid last season for Miami but he certainly isn't the prime version of himself. It would be a no-brainer if this were 27-year-old Ramsey. But at this stage in his career, it's worth questioning.