If you can say one thing about the Dallas Cowboys, it’s that they don’t mind trying to make a splash move.
Dallas has swung for the fences with trades in recent years, although often have come up short — mainly wide receivers such as Amari Cooper, Joey Galloway, and Roy Williams (some might put recent deals for Jonathan Mingo and quarterback Trey Lance in that list, although there wasn’t as much capital used to acquire them).
Maybe a switch to the opposite side of the ball could bring better luck. Say, cornerback?
Dallas was mentioned as a possible destination for Miami cornerback Jalen Ramsey by ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.
Why Might Dallas Trade for Jalen Ramsey?
It’s no secret that the Dolphins have been trying to rid themselves of Ramsey, who just last year signed a lucrative three-year deal worth $72 million including $24.235 million guaranteed.
It makes sense for Miami to trade Ramsey after June 1, to help split up the cap hit between two seasons. But, as Fowler mentioned, it might not make sense for a team to acquire Ramsey and have to pay him all his guaranteed money.
“The Dolphins haven’t shown a willingness to pay a lot of that money and neither have teams,” Fowler said.
Yesterday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN mentions the #Cowboys “could be one to watch” for a Jalen Ramsey trade.
Why? They still have a need at the position and have shown to be aggressive this offseason with trades.
Nothing imminent; just something to monitor.
(🎥: @SportsCenter) pic.twitter.com/moUrbpRWT5
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite)
Yet Miami is still calling around looking for a trade partner and Fowler says Dallas “needs cornerback help.”
The Cowboys have swung a few deals already this offseason, picking up most notably wide receiver George Pickens from Pittsburgh but also cornerback Kaiir Elam (Buffalo), quarterback Joe Milton III (New England), and linebacker Kenneth Murray (Tennessee).
Fowler said an official with the Cowboys told him “Look, it’s possible we might not be done. It’s slow right now, but we always could be looking to add.”
Which brings up the question: Why Ramsey?
Besides him being a big-name player, the Cowboys are unsure the status of cornerback Trevon Diggs, a two-time Pro Bowl player and First-Team All-Pro in 2022 who suffered a knee injury late last season. He also played in only two games in 2023 after tearing an ACL.
At the other cornerback spot, Dallas has DaRon Bland, who had no interceptions in seven games last season after collecting a league-high nine picks – five of which he returned for touchdowns – in 2023.
Dallas did draft East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. in the third round, but he’s coming off an ACL injury suffered last September. Elam is more of a backup player.
Of course, Ramsey isn’t the player he once was, either. Drafted in the first round (No. 5 overall) by Jacksonville in 2018, he made the Pro Bowl in each of his first six seasons and was named a First-Team All-Pro three times — in 2017 with the Jaguars and in 2020 and 2021 with the Rams.
However, for the first time in his career, Ramsey was not selected for the Pro Bowl last season. He did start all 17 games for the Dolphins, recording two interceptions as well as six tackles for loss and four QB hits, the latter two both career highs.
Ramsey also turns 31 in October. There’s only a handful of corners aged 31 or older with contracts for 2025, and of those, only two others are likely to start: Pittsburgh’s Darius Slay Jr., 34, and the Rams’ Darious Williams, 32.
But Ramsey’s name alone might be enough to swing the pendulum and have Jerry Jones bring aboard yet another marquee player.