Dolphins' Mike McDaniel gives blunt response to Jalen Ramsey trade status, mandatory minicamp absence

Ramsey held out of minicamp amid the Dolphins' efforts to find a trade partner

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is not at mandatory minicamp this week as he and the franchise continue to work towards a trade. His absence is significant as the Dolphins defense moves forward without an All-Pro veteran in its backfield, but coach Mike McDaniel brushed it off as an off-the-field 'distraction' and instead kept the focus on those who are in attendance for the first day of practice.

When asked if he was surprised Ramsey and the Dolphins had yet to find a resolution, McDaniel offered a blunt response and doubled down on his intention to pour energy into the players who are at camp rather than the ones who are not.

"I don't personally ... give a shit about what I feel," McDaniel said. "I don't even really go down that road of 'How do I feel about it?' My job is to react and control my controllables and make sure that people are moving in one direction appropriately. Business is business. The opportunity that business does provide in the offseason is a rep to the team about handling noise."

Ramsey played each of the last two seasons with the Dolphins and participated in 17 games last year after he missed time in his first campaign with a torn meniscus. He is under contract with the franchise through 2028, but the mutual decision to seek a trade came just one season after the parties agreed to a three-year extension. The $72.3 million deal Ramsey signed last September made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

"What do I define noise as?" McDaniel said. "Things that don't have to do with what actually you're there to do, what you should be focused on doing, because you'll be held accountable to do [them] ... It's about not really caring about all the things other than what we're here to do today, which is mandatory minicamp practice one."

Ramsey's production slipped as he hit 30, and he missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie campaign in 2016. His two interceptions last season were his fewest since 2020, although he made up for the downturn in takeaways with upticks in tackles (60) and tackles for loss (6). The former Florida State product totaled 11 passes defended.

After his selection in the 2016 NFL Draft as the No. 5 overall pick, Ramsey excelled with the Jacksonville Jaguars and thrived over four and a half years with the Los Angeles Rams. He joined the Dolphins in 2023 via trade.