Cote: Dolphins trading Ramsey & Smith for Fitzpatrick a net loss for Miami

Miami Herald

a day ago

The Dolphins and Steelers' midday Monday trade splashed across the front of the ESPN website with one of those red-banner 'breaking news' alerts. That was partly because Jalen Ramsey for Minkah Fitzpatrick marked the NFL's first swap in 21 years in which two players changing uniform had each been named an All-Pro at his position.
But what made it even bigger, what made it national news, is that the trade conveyed Pittsburgh's unmistakable win-now intentions in continuing to surround new-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers with what he needs to succeed in likely his one and only season in the black-and-gold.
Miami's intentions for this season and path to achieve them are somewhat less clear less than one month from the start of training camp -- and thrown into even more question by this trade.
The Dolphins get another go-round with the safety Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.
Pittsburgh gets the cornerback Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith, and a '27 seventh-round pick.
Fast result: Steelers win, Dolphins lose. Here's why:
By the simplest math Miami gives up two starters and gets one, a lopsidedness that the Fins' slight edge in the picks swap does not make up for.
The 2-for-1 part favors the Steelers by my reckoning.
Ramsey and Fitzpatrick both are quality players and the latter is two years younger at 28 -- but Ramsey is the better overall of the two.
Pro Football Focus rated Ramsey a top-10 NFL corner last season, albeit 10th. He led all CBs with 12 QB pressures and with four passes batted at the line.
PFF ranked Fitzpatrick the league's No. 16 safety last season, but with an overall grade of 65.2 that was his lowest since 2021 and ranked 44th. The player who was the Dolphins' first-round pick in 2018 has had only one interception and six pass breakups over the past two seasons.
The positive to the deal for Miami is that reacquiring Fitzpatrick instead of trading Ramsey just for draft picks demonstrates the Fins are not diving head-first into rebuild mode. Ramsey had wanted out and Miami had agreed to trade him; at least they smartly targeted the secondary for his replacement.
It was including Jonnu Smith in the deal is that swivels the trade more strongly in Pittsburgh's favor.
Mike Tomlin wanted Smith as a quick-outlet security blanket for the 41-year-old Rodgers. Smart idea.
Trouble is, what he'll be for Rodgers is exactly what Fins QB Tua Tagovailoa will be losing, and missing.
Smith, out of FIU, is coming off his best NFL season, and the first in which he made the Pro Bowl. He had a career high 88 receptions on 111 targets, a high catch-rate of nearly 80 percent, for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. You could have made an argument he was the Dolphins' MVP in that 8-9 season. No wonder he wanted a raise. Maybe Miami should have given it.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel may consider offense-minded tight ends as interchangeable; then again, McDaniel's offensive-genius card has tarnished a bit since 2023 and is up for renewal.
Also a bit troubling the Miami's offseason thus far: Ramsey is now the fourth Dolphins team captain from last season now gone, following retired Terron Armstead, departed Calais Campbell and released David Long Jr. Smith also is a veteran, a lockerroom presence.
That's a curious trend for a team actively trying to change its overall culture in a positive way.
Former Fins running back Raheem Mostert (now with the Raiders) took an unsubtle swipe at Miami when the trade news broke, writing on X: 'Hot take: Be a Pro-bowler on the Dolphins, get treated like s---.'
I have written and said the Dolphins in 2025 must make the postseason and likely win their first playoff game since 2000 (an NFL-long drought) or major changes are in store -- including owner Stephen Ross quite probably moving on from McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier.
Just this week, Mike Florio, host of NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk Live show, had McDaniel No. 1 on his coaching 'hot seat' list entering this coming season.
'It feels like the window has closed for a Dolphins team that could end up flying straight into the glass in 2025,' he wrote.
That's a tad pessimistic for me, but it's true the pressure is on, and it's squarely on McDaniel and Grier.
Monday's major trade, if only by the math of a negative 2-for-1 swap of key starters, did nothing to ease that pressure, that heat, as the calendar turns to July.