The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins pulled off a blockbuster trade earlier this week with CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith heading to Pittsburgh in exchange for FS Minkah Fitzpatrick. According to NFL Media insider Tom Pelissero, the trade was weeks in the making.
“In the end then, how that ends with Jalen Ramsey going to the Steelers. There were on-and-off talks for weeks prior to this,” Pelissero said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
Pelissero said there were questions league-wide whether Ramsey would accept a trade to Pittsburgh since he’s never played in cold weather before, beginning his career in Jacksonville before playing for the Rams and the Dolphins. As for the Rams, Pelissero added that Los Angeles felt like the most likely destination, but the Rams didn’t have the “cash and cap” to acquire Ramsey and the Chargers were never a serious suitor.
There had been some talk about Ramsey to the Steelers prior to the trade, but it was mostly shut down by league insiders, including Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both said Ramsey going to Pittsburgh was unlikely, but the Steelers stepped up with a strong offer and had the money to make Ramsey’s deal work.
We knew talks were at least going on in some capacity with Schefter’s report that the Steelers had checked in on Ramsey, but the trade was a surprise especially given the previous reporting. While it may have taken awhile to come to the final terms on the deal, Omar Khan and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier kept at it and came to a deal that worked for both teams.
While losing Fitzpatrick leaves a hole at safety for the Steelers, the team felt comfortable trading him due to his lack of splash plays over the past two seasons. They were clearly determined to acquire Ramsey with the talks ongoing for a while, and he adds a versatile presence to the secondary and gives the Steelers one of the most talented cornerback trios in the league with him alongside Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr.
Smith is a nice addition for Pittsburgh as well as someone who can help the team in their multi-tight end sets and provide another weapon for Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers had reportedly inquired about Smith in early June, and the Steelers were able to get both players in a single deal.
It may have taken some time, but the Steelers added two pieces they feel will make their team better.
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