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Dolphins could still target Raiders for trade without Jalen Ramsey

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 11:58 AM ET

The dream of Las Vegas Raiders fans to see Jalen Ramsey trot out in the silver and black has been erased.

On Monday, the Miami Dolphins announced that they were trading the three-time All-Pro cornerback, along with 2024 Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Dealing Ramsey was no surprise, as he had held out of mandatory minicamp and was clearly unhappy with his current situation. Meanwhile, it is the second time the Steelers got the drop on the Raiders for a potential trade target, after they acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in March.

Although Ramsey is now off the board, the Dolphins could still look to the Raiders to plug a hole in their lineup.

Trade rumors have once again kicked up on a young Raiders weapon.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins are now in the process of finding a new tight end after trading Smith in the deal with the Steelers.

The #Dolphins are now in conversations with multiple teams about acquiring a tight end after sending Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh, per sources.

A wild start to the holiday week could get wilder … pic.twitter.com/11EGxDsVMp

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 30, 2025

In response to Pelissero’s post, Dolphins beat writer Omar Kelly threw out the name of Raiders tight end Michael Mayer, claiming that the team has had eyes on him for a while.

Miami has had their eye on Raider TE Michael Mayer for a while. He’s had some on and off-field challenges with the Raiders. But he’s slated to make $1.6M in 2025 and $2M in 2026.

Dolphins also shopping for cornerback help. https://t.co/onpZiK9tWj

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) June 30, 2025

Mayer has earned plenty of praise from new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek throughout the offseason, but this would not be the first time he has seen his name on the rumor mill.

Mayer’s first two seasons, for reasons both in and out of his control, have been somewhat disappointing for the Notre Dame product. With the astronomical rise of Brock Bowers in front of him last year, Mayer now will find it much harder to reach his potential in Las Vegas. The team could elect to keep him with the lack of proven options in the passing game behind Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but a desperate Dolphins team presents a possible sell-high opportunity that a still-rebuilding Raiders squad would take.

The intrigue surrounding a trade between the Raiders and Dolphins has not dissipated, even if the main target is now off the table.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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