All of the Sudden, The Vikings Have a New Trade Target to Consider
The corner position for the Vikings possesses promise, but few would quibble with adding a top-tier option to further fortify the Brian Flores defense.
To that end, consider the word that arrived courtesy of The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport: “The #Dolphins and seven-time Pro Bowl CB Jalen Ramsey are mutually set to explore trade options and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he played elsewhere in 2025, per me and @TomPelissero. Miami and Ramsey, due $25.1M fully guaranteed this season, could be parting ways.”
The Vikings and Jalen Ramsey: A Legit Possibility?
Begin with a basic reality: the Vikings don’t have someone like Mr. Ramsey.
The top-tier corner offers excellent size at 6’1″ and 208 pounds. Jeff Okudah and Dwight McGlothern offer similar size, but neither has the résumé of the Dolphin. Since getting picked at No. 5 back in 2016, Ramsey has won a Super Bowl, been a first-team All Pro three times, a Pro Bowler seven times, and finished as the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Ramsey, in short, has lived up to his draft status, unquestionably one of the great corners of his generation.
About that Super Bowl win: it arrived with the 2021 Rams, the same team that had Kevin O’Connell as the offensive coordinator (and Wes Phillips on staff, too).
Consider, as well, that Ramsey has proven to be a versatile player over the course of his career. For the most part, the corner has played along the outside, soaking up 6,387 snaps in the spot. However, he has also moved into the slot with some regularity, picking up 1,235 snaps in that spot. The cherry on top is his 660 snaps in the box (again, he has good size), his 125 snaps as a free safety, and his 124 snaps along the d-line.
Keep in mind, as well, that he continues to earn healthy grades from PFF. Last season, the corner snagged a strong 76.9 grade. The year before was more modest — 66.4 — but the years in LA when he overlapped with O’Connell (2020 & 2021) involved putting up grades in the high 70s and in the mid 80s, which is excellent in the world of PFF assessments.
Adding Jalen Ramsey would mean that the corner room would be led by him at CB1, Byron Murphy Jr. as an excellent CB2, and then Isaiah Rodgers as an upside CB3. Tossing a young corner into the mix from the draft would further solidify the secondary, raising the ceiling even higher.
Worth considering, perhaps, that the Vikings haven’t been shy about adding older talent. Last offseason, elderly corners (in NFL terms, at least) were signed: Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau. More recently, Minnesota agreed to deals with free agent veterans at other positions such as Ryan Kelly, Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen, and Eric Wilson, all of whom are roughly within the same age-range as Ramsey. So, Ramsey being 31 in October shouldn’t be looked at as a deal breaker.
Question: how much would it cost to pry him away from the Dolphins? Answer: very likely, not too much. After all, Miami originally brought him to town for just a 3rd and a depth tight end, a pretty modest price to pay for a corner capable of offering very strong play.
In 2024, Jalen Ramsey put pen to paper on a three-year, $72,300,000 extension. The financial commitment is a major factor, something the Vikings would have to carefully consider as they consider the trade possibility. A key caveat is simply that a decent portion of the compensation — such as the signing bonus — would stay on Miami’s cap.
In a separate tweet, Rapoport offered a few details on the finances: “The #Dolphins paid $4M in a roster bonus already, so of the $25.1M fully guaranteed for 2025, a new team would only pick up $21.1M.”
Do note that the contract runs through to the 2028 season, conveniently lining up with the years left on J.J. McCarthy’s contract (assuming the 5th-year option gets picked up).
At present, the Vikings are fully leaning into the reality of having a promising passer operating on a rookie contract. Consider, as well, that the GM has a proclivity for trading and isn’t afraid to add older talent. There’s a connection to the team’s top coach and corner is arguably Minnesota’s top roster need.
Keep an eye on where this goes. Bringing Jalen Ramsey to Minnesota may not be that far fetched.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.