The Atlanta Falcons did their best to overhaul their defense this offseason as they prioritized that side of the ball in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting defensive players with four of their five picks. The franchise was not content with that, though, and has been trying to find a way to make an even bigger splash since.
One of the top players available on the trade market had a direct connection to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, and the organization may have missed out on the opportunity to take advantage of that, per ESPN's Adam Schefter's latest reporting.
Falcons Dealt Bad News on Rumored Top Trade Target Jalen Ramsey
While Morris and Ramsey worked together during their time with the Los Angeles Rams, that connection alone wasn't enough to overcome other factors likely keeping Atlanta from swinging a trade with the Miami Dolphins for the All-Pro cornerback.
As you can see from the clip below, Schefter stated during Friday's appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that Ramsey will be traded before training camp, but a franchise on the West Coast would be the most likely landing spot.
"The Dolphins continue to have conversations about trading Jalen Ramsey..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 20, 2025
He will be traded and I would expect it to happen before Training Camp" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VfeAVGR7f6
“I think he would like to go to the West Coast, to Los Angeles — Rams, Chargers, somewhere like that,” Schefter said.
There were always going to be hurdles in front of Atlanta acquiring Ramsey, despite his history with Morris. From a financial and draft capital perspective alone, the Falcons had some difficult decisions to make regarding their pursuit of Ramsey and what it would mean for the organization moving forward.
While his cap hit for the 2025 season would be a fully guaranteed $24.2 million, he agreed to a three-year, $72.3 million extension with the Dolphins in September of 2024. That is a nice chunk of change for any team to commit to a single defensive player, especially when the franchise in question has as many needs as Atlanta.
With Schefter's latest report, however, the dreams of Ramsey suiting up for the Falcons are all but gone, and Atlanta must rely on its projected starters at cornerback, A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, and Dee Alford, once the 2025 regular season kicks off.