Jets just became big winners of Dolphins' hilarious Jalen Ramsey trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins just pulled off one of the most stunning trades of the NFL offseason, but it might be the New York Jets who walk away as the true winners of the shocking swap.

In a blockbuster deal that still doesn't feel real, Miami sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, along with a swap of 2027 Day 3 draft picks.

That’s two former All-Pros and one Pro Bowl tight end changing teams in a single transaction. There are even whispers that the Steelers might move Ramsey to safety to replace Fitzpatrick.

On the surface, it’s a win-now move for both teams. But the Dolphins’ side of the deal is a bit baffling, and from a Jets perspective, borderline hilarious. Miami just gutted its roster at two positions of need, and somehow walked away with a soon-to-be 29-year-old declining safety as the centerpiece of the return.

With a cornerback room that’s already in shambles and a tight end group that is likely the worst in football, the Dolphins look like a team trying to contend without the firepower to do it. And that’s fantastic news for the Jets.

The Jets are the true winners of the Jalen Ramsey trade

To be fair, Ramsey isn't the player he used to be. The seven-time Pro Bowler hasn't been named to an All-Pro team since 2021, and his best days may be behind him. But even a diminished version of Ramsey was by far the Dolphins’ best cornerback. With him gone, Miami’s CB room is a disaster.

Their current projected outside starters include 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith, who logged just six games last year and earned a woeful 33.6 PFF grade, and 2024 UDFA Storm Duck, whose name is better than his tape.

Nickel corner Kader Kohou is a solid NFL cornerback, but he’s hardly a game-changer. Behind them are the likes of Ethan Bonner, Artie Burns, and fifth-round rookie Jason Marshall Jr. This is arguably the worst cornerback group in the NFL, likely worse than the infamous 2021 Jets CB room.

It somehow gets even uglier at tight end. In addition to Ramsey, the Dolphins also dealt away Jonnu Smith. With Smith gone, the Dolphins are left with:

• Pharaoh Brown, a veteran TE2/TE3 now on his fifth team in four years
• Julian Hill, a former UDFA and a poor man’s Jeremy Ruckert (yes, really)
• Tanner Conner, another former UDFA with three career catches in three years
• Jalin Conyers, a rookie UDFA who started three games for Texas Tech last season

This is a tight end room with close-to-zero upside and even less proven talent. The 2015 Jets — you know, the Kellen Davis TE1 season — might be the last time a group looked this bleak.

And yet, despite clearly downgrading their roster in both areas, the Dolphins made it clear that they're still trying to win now after acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick. After all, Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel are trying to save their jobs.

Jets fans know this feeling all too well — a front office that refuses to accept its own reality and doubles down to save jobs. That’s what this smells like in Miami. Grier and McDaniel are feeling the pressure, and this trade proves it.

Meanwhile, the Jets quietly benefit. Garrett Wilson will have an opportunity to face a cornerback group that looks like a UFL group. Their secondary won't have to worry about defending Miami's tight end unit.

The Jets know what kind of team they are entering the 2025 season. The Dolphins seem to have missed their memo.

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