Jalen Ramsey’s new Dolphins contract may have been a major miscalculation

In an NFL market that has prime cornerbacks comparatively underpaid in relation to their significance, Jalen Ramsey continues to interrupt the financial institution. The three-year, $72.3 million extension Ramsey signed with the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 6 offers Ramsey an Common Annual Worth (at the very least contract-wise) of $24.1 million per yr, edging him simply over Patrick Surtain II of the Denver Broncos, whose four-year, $86 million extension signed just a few days earlier had him at $24 million per yr even.

It’s the second time in Ramsey’s 10-year profession that the fifth total pick of Florida State (by the Jacksonville Jaguars) in 2016 turned the sport’s richest cornerback, bookending the five-year, $100 million contract the Los Angeles Rams gave him in 2020.

“I wouldn’t say that I reset it once more; I’d say that ‘P2’ [Surtain] did his factor in resetting it the opposite day,” Ramsey stated the day the deal was struck, when requested the way it felt to reset the market as soon as once more. “After which I bought to the mark the place I suppose they had been working to get to so I might grow to be the best paid defensive again once more. So it’s all a blessing, however I’m blessed regardless. Day by day I get up and bought my stunning children and my household and all of the help and all of the love from my teammates and every part, I’m blessed regardless. I believe it’s cool. It’s a cool accomplishment not just for me, but in addition for my help system. All of the individuals who work with me, my agent in fact, David Mulugheta and every part he’s been in a position to accomplish in simply this yr. It’s only a cool second for everyone concerned, I believe.”

It was a cool second on the time, however by way of the primary two video games of Ramsey’s 2024 season, the play on the sphere has been problematic. Earlier than we get into the specifics, we should say that the hamstring harm Ramsey handled all through the preseason could also be a difficulty. However the metrics and tape ought to be trigger for concern.

By way of two video games within the 2024 season, Ramsey has allowed two catches on two targets for 40 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and an opponent passer ranking of 118.8. As we are going to see, these numbers might simply be a lot worse. He’s missed 4 tackles, and he has simply two solo tackles. And the tape reveals every kind of examples displaying Ramsey out of part with the protection placed on the sphere by new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

Maybe probably the most notable deep completion Ramsey has allowed this season got here in final Thursday night time’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Payments. With 7:11 left within the first half, the Payments had third-and-12 on the Miami 34-yard line, and working again Ty Johnson working a deep rail route up the fitting boundary. Ramsey was enjoying on his toes greater than he was closing to the goal, maybe to keep away from giving up the massive play downfield, however that’s precisely what occurred – a 33-yard achieve that allowed the Payments up go up 17-7 on a 1-yard James Cook dinner run one play later.

And in Week 1 towards the Jaguars, Ramsey gave up a 40-yard go from Trevor Lawrence to rookie receiver Brian Thomas, Jr. Ramsey bought busted for go interference on the play, which can have saved Thomas from moving into the top zone and brought the play off Ramsey’s stat sheet, however the tape reveals that he was struggling a bit to remain in part with a pace receiver. And Lawrence making Thomas decelerate for the throw may need saved the Dolphins right here.

Probably the most wonderful factor about each of those deep passes was that they each landed at Miami’s 1-yard line, which implies that Ramsey was 2 complete yards away from main the league in touchdowns conceded on throws of 20 or extra air yards. The penalty didn’t depend as a completion allowed, however given the construction of the play, that’s what it was. Ramsey was betting on the penalty being a greater possibility than the landing allowed.

The Dolphins clearly hope that each one this has to do with the hamstring harm, and that each one shall be nicely over time. However once I went to Ramsey’s 2023 tape, there have been too many examples of Ramsey permitting tight-window completions towards good-to-great receivers, together with Brandin Cooks of the Dallas Cowboys on this Week 16 8-yard landing during which Ramsey couldn’t fairly shut.

And towards Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11, Ramsey was very lucky that the opposing quarterback did regardless of the heck he did on this throw, as a result of Adams had Ramsey dead-to-rights on this nasty stutter-go.

So… possibly it isn’t the hamstring.

Ramsey’s finest performs typically come when he’s in a position to make use of his soccer acumen and quarterback-reading potential to take the ball away. This occurred twice towards the identical Raiders that had him in hell with that Davante Adams transfer, with two interceptions within the recreation. It’s the stuff above the neck that makes Ramsey a menace at this level in his profession.

“All people is aware of – when everybody is aware of the identify of somebody that’s becoming a member of the group and that identify is predicated upon a status of expertise and ability, everybody is worked up,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel stated of Ramsey the day the contract was signed. “You don’t know what you’re completely – you assume , however you’re at all times excited to see how that individual goes to slot in throughout the total complexion of issues. Since he’s been right here, it’s virtually felt mutually purposeful in that Jalen noticed a distinct degree of participant and chief this group may gain advantage from, and so he seized that.”

There’s no denying any of that, nor ought to there be. This isn’t about Jalen Ramsey’s worth to the Dolphins, per se – particularly if we’re speaking about intangibles. These within the constructing would know way more about that. That is about whether or not the contract given is the fitting transfer, for now and into the longer term.

It’s clear that underneath the fitting circumstances, Jalen Ramsey can nonetheless be a high-quality NFL defender. His talents in press protection and as an overhang defender make him helpful. However helpful sufficient to set the marketplace for his place for the second time in his profession? Is he one of many two or three finest cornerbacks within the NFL?

That’s a more durable promote, particularly as Ramsey turns 30 on Oct. 24. That’s an age the place plenty of cornerbacks both see their performances begin to decline at their unique positions, or the argument is settled to some extent as they see themselves in additional overhang and security roles. Not all people will be Darrell Inexperienced, Willie Brown, or Ken Riley.

If what we noticed within the first two weeks of the 2024 season and over a number of stretches in 2023 are the truest indicators, the Dolphins may need priced themselves proper out of actuality.