What Jaire Alexander's release does and doesn't mean for the Dolphins' bid to trade Jalen Ramsey this summer

On one hand? Any time a new name is introduced to the market, it can dilute the value of a trade asset. In that regard, Miami is likely unhappy to see another player teams can negotiate with on the open market. Alexander, when healthy, is a great talent and he's younger than Ramsey, which should work against the Dolphins in theory. 

But Ramsey's durability and play-time overwhelms Alexander despite the age discrepancy. Alexander has played in 2,827 snaps in the last five seasons, whereas Ramsey has played in 4,679 defensive snaps over the same period of time. That number, of course, includes Ramsey's freak injury in training camp with the Dolphins in 2023 that cost him the first two months of his first season with the team. 

The discrepancy here is jarring and it paints the picture of two totally different players from a risk perspective. Ramsey is playing at a higher level than Alexander, but it's the availability of both players that sets them apart as potential additions to a new team. 

The weight of a trade and sending an asset back to Miami for Ramsey also could work against the Dolphins. If Miami refuses to pay a portion of Ramsey's salary to facilitate a trade, it will for certain. The Packers, ironically enough, can speak to this directly. It's been reported this offseason that the Packers appeared to have a trade sorted out for Alexander but that a dispute about Alexander's salary axed progress on a deal. 

The bloated salary, especially for an injury-prone player like Alexander, was too much to take. The good news for Miami is that all signs seem to point to the Dolphins being open to eating some salary to facilitate a deal. Such a move by Miami would be equivalent to the trade conducted last week by the Eagles and 49ers for EDGE Bryce Huff. The Eagles ate approximately 60% of the salary and collected a conditional fifth-round draft choice back from San Francisco. 

That trade was done despite names like Jadeveon Clowney, Von Miller, Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Matthew Judon still on the market — all who would have been attractive adds in free agency without the cost of a pick via trade.

Given that Alexander wasn't willing to budge on his salary, it seems unlikely he'll play for pennies on the dollar. And, if that is indeed the case, his presence in an already crowded veteran free agent pool may not create too many waves in Miami's negotiations. 

The Dolphins' fate is still ultimately in their own hands. Ramsey is a better player with a significantly better injury history. Miami can directly control the cost of acquiring Ramsey to interested teams via their own willingness to pay off salary — and there are multiple suitors. Between the Alexander cut and the Huff trade, it should serve as a sobering reality to what the Dolphins should expect to get back in a trade, however. 

Not much. That should be assumed, however, when considering that the Dolphins didn't give much to acquire Ramsey two years ago, either.  So long as Miami's expectations are rooted in reality, Alexander's addition to the free agent pool shouldn't change things too much for the Dolphins in their negotiations, if at all.