Did the Miami Dolphins just secure their Super Bowl appearance for next season?
Well, perhaps. At least according to a recent NFL trend that cornerback Jalen Ramsey fell into Sunday when the Dolphins acquired the Pro Bowler via trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
Ramsey was dealt in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick (77th overall selection) and tight end Hunter Long, which is expected to be fully processed Wednesday when the official start of the new year opens for the league. The trade comes following Ramsey's sixth-consecutive Pro Bowl selection after the 28-year-old racked up a career-best 64 tackles with four interceptions.
Here's the breakdown of the full trend, courtesy of ESPN:
Ramsey became just the fourth defensive back, named to three NFL All-Pro first teams and play for at least three teams, before turning 30 years of age. The others -- Deion Sanders, Tyann Mathieu and Darelle Revis -- went on to win the Super Bowl in their debut season with their third team.
This of course won't come easy, nor would it mark Ramsey's first Super Bowl, which came in 2022 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Nevertheless, while booking the Dolphins for the Super Bowl in March is a premature stretch, pairing Ramsey alongside fellow All-Pro corner Xavien Howard should pay dividends. Last season the Dolphins went 9-8 and finished third in the AFC East, falling flat in the wild card round with the Buffalo Bills.
