Miami Dolphins star cornerback Jalen Ramsey is reportedly being shopped around as a trade asset ahead of the NFL Draft. The team is aiming to finalize a deal before D-Day, as Ramsey’s three-year contract extension is set to kick in this upcoming season. However, before that happens, former defensive back Asante Samuel offered some bold—or perhaps odd—advice regarding a potential position change for the three-time All-Pro.
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Ramsey signed a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension with the Dolphins in September of 2024. But now the team is looking to free up cap space, and Ramsey is the odd man out. This is mostly because his new extension money isn’t set to kick in until June 1st. So, if Miami trades him before then, the financial responsibility shifts to his next team, making it a cleaner move for the Dolphins.
That’s where Asante Samuel‘s suggestion comes in. The two-time Super Bowl champ believes Ramsey could extend his career and boost his value by switching positions. Instead of sticking at cornerback, Samuel thinks a move to safety could unlock a new level of productivity for the veteran.
“He may not agree with me, but I bet he would be more productive at safety at this point in his career. His numbers will be crazy. Thank me later,” Samuel tweeted.
Samuel played defensive back in the NFL for 11 seasons and never switched from cornerback. So, why is he recommending a position change for Ramsey? Well, let’s dive into some stats to see if there’s some merit to what he said.
Last season was a down year by Ramsey’s standards. He played in all 17 games but only registered two interceptions — his lowest since 2020. Ramsey had more interceptions in his injury-shortened 2023 season than he did in ‘24. But when you dive into the advanced numbers, he can still hold his own at the position.
According to PFF, Ramsey was the 16th-best cornerback in the league among 222 qualifiers last season. While he may not have caught interceptions, he was still lockdown in coverage. Plus, Ramsey still had 11 pass deflections, 60 total tackles, and a career-high four QB hits.
Nevertheless, moving to safety later in his career is something Ramsey has talked about in the past. Which was something fans in the comments were quick to point out to Samuel.
“He’s already spoke about this years ago,” one wrote. “Jalen Said he was gonna make a move to safety later in his career a few years ago on the pivot podcast,” another chimed in.
“Lots of elite corners slid to safety late in their careers,” someone else pointed out.
Some of the most notable cornerbacks to transfer to safety late in their careers include Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson, and Ronnie Lott. It’s something we used to see a lot, but not as much anymore.
Lastly, one user, playfully catfishing as the Browns’ GM, commented: “If that’s the case. Welcome to Cleveland. We need a safety.”
If that’s the case. Welcome to Cleveland. We need a safety
— Andrew Berry’s Burner (@ChipGawd11) April 15, 2025
All in all, it’s good advice that Samuel bestowed upon Ramsey. However, he’s still more than capable of playing high-level cornerback. It would be hard to move him off the line and have him patrol rather than stifle opposing receivers from the snap.
But maybe in two or three more years we can revisit this. After all, Ramsey did say it’s something he will eventually do. And it’ll probably help him get a few more seasons out of his career.
