Dolphins pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - The Miami Dolphins are pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, general manager Chris Grier confirmed on Tuesday.

Ramsey did not ask for a trade, and he didn’t ask for more money, Grier clarified, but after weeks of conversations with Ramsey’s representation, both sides agreed it would be best to potentially move on.

"These decisions aren’t done quickly,” Grier said at his pre-NFL draft news conference. “And they’re not taken lightly because we’ve spent a lot of time this offseason working through this, talking through things.”

Miami has been in talks with a few teams about a potential trade. Grier declined to go into detail about the contents of those discussions and did not give a clear reason for potentially parting ways with Ramsey, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and given a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension ahead of the 2024 season; $24.2 million of Ramsey's salary is guaranteed this season.

"We feel good about where it is. It's never easy to replace a player like Jalen,” Grier said. “He was a good player for us. He's a good player. He'll probably be a Hall of Famer. But for the Miami Dolphins going forward, we feel like this is the best chance to help us win not only just this year but in the future as well."

There’s a chance Ramsey will not be traded. Grier said if that happens, "We’ll deal with it.”

Ramsey was traded from the Rams in March 2023, but a knee injury early in his first Dolphins training camp sidelined him the first half of the season. He returned to have three interceptions, five pass breakups and 22 tackles in 10 games.

He played all 17 games in 2024 and finished with 60 tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes deflected and a sack.

Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver described Ramsey as the "ultimate chess piece" during the season that the team can move around the field to maximize his impact, which has been felt since he entered the NFL as the Jacksonville Jaguars' fifth overall pick in 2016.

Grier did not say whether the seven-time Pro Bowler was unhappy with his role.