All-Pro Ramsey headed from Rams to Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are acquiring All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The Rams will get Miami's third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and tight end Hunter Long, according to the people, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither team had announced the deal.
Shortly after news of the trade broke, Ramsey indicated on social media that Miami was his preferred destination.
“I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it's happening! @MiamiDolphins LETSGO!” Ramsey tweeted Sunday.
The Rams went 5-12 last season and missed the playoffs just one year after winning the Super Bowl, and they've have been making changes to their roster this offseason. Los Angeles parted ways with veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner last month after one season.
The Rams traded for Ramsey in the middle of the 2019 season after he spent the first four years of his career in Jacksonville. Ramsey, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, had 77 tackles and four interceptions during the Rams' Super Bowl-winning 2021 season. Last season, he had a career-high 88 tackles and four interceptions.
Adding Ramsey is another step for Miami in rebuilding a defense that had a down year in 2022, by its standards.
After Miami finished last year ranked 18th in total defense, 24th in scoring defense and 27th against the pass, the Dolphins parted ways with defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and brought in former Denver head coach Vic Fangio to lead the defense.
Miami needed to bolster a secondary that was decimated by injury last year and was without cornerback Byron Jones, who the team is expected to release on Wednesday, when the NFL's new year begins, in a cost-cutting move. Jones missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Achilles surgery last March.
Ramsey is expected to play alongside Miami's Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard. COMMANDERS, PAYNE AGREE ON BIG CONTRACT >> The Washington Commanders are keeping Daron Payne around, thanks to the second-biggest contract for a defensive tackle behind only seven-time AllPro Aaron Donald.
The Commanders agreed to terms with Payne on a four-year contract worth $90 million, with $60 million guaranteed, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
Donald signed a contract last year with the Rams that paid him $95 million, with $65 million guaranteed.
Payne led Washington with a career-high 111/2 sacks last season. The Commanders put the franchise tag worth $18.9 million on him last month in the hopes of working out a long-term agreement.
Payne and fellow Alabama product Jonathan Allen are now each locked up on multiyear deals with Washington, which next must decide whether to exercise the fifth-year option on pass rusher Chase Young. The 2020 No. 2 pick missed a vast majority of last season recovering from a torn ACL. JETS' WILLIAMS HAS NEW DEAL >> The New York Jets and linebacker Quincy Williams agreed on a threeyear deal, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press.
The deal is for $18 million, and includes $9 million in guarantees, according to the person.
Williams has been a starter the last two years for the Jets since being claimed off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 2021 season. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
Williams has been a speedy presence as a sideline-to-sideline tackler in the defense of coach Robert Saleh and coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
The 26-year-old Williams was a third-round pick of Jacksonville out of Murray State in 2019. After two seasons as mostly a backup and special teamer with the Jaguars, Williams came to the Jets and became a key contributor on defense.
He had more than 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons while starting 28 games with New York, along with five sacks.