Thursday's big injury news in the AFC East could have major early-season implications for the New England Patriots.
Jalen Ramsey, the Dolphins' big-ticket offseason acquisition, suffered a knee injury during Miami's second training camp practice that will require surgery to repair, according to multiple reports.
The superstar cornerback reportedly is expected to miss the start of the regular season, though the exact timetable for his return is unclear. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Ramsey could miss "a few months," while NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported a recovery period of at least six to eight weeks -- and possibly much longer.
"Sources say while no firm determination will be made until surgery, the likely outcome is a full meniscus repair, bringing Ramsey back in December if all goes well," Rapoport reported Thursday.
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Those projections mean Ramsey, one of the NFL's top defensive backs, likely will be unavailable for the Dolphins' Week 2 visit to New England on Sept. 17. He could even miss the team's Week 8 rematch (Oct. 29 in Miami) if a full repair is required.
Ramsey himself seemed to suggest he's in for a lengthy layoff, tweeting that he'll be back "in due time."
"That end of the season push gon be legendary!" he wrote.
Facing a Dolphins defense without Ramsey would be a break for the Patriots, who are looking to rebound from last year's ugly offensive campaign under new coordinator Bill O'Brien.
Ramsey, a versatile ball hawk who can play multiple spots in the secondary, was Pro Football Focus's third-highest-graded cornerback last season, trailing only Sauce Gardner and Pat Surtain II, and PFF's highest-graded corner in 2021. The Dolphins acquired the three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler from the Los Angeles Rams this offseason to bolster what they hope can be a Super Bowl-contending defense.
That defense always gave New England problems even before Howard's arrival, however. The Patriots haven't scored more than 24 points against the Dolphins since Week 2 of the 2019 season. In their two meetings last season, New England had as many turnovers (three) as offensive touchdowns and finished with fewer than 275 yards from scrimmage in both contests.
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So, even if Ramsey is forced to watch this year's AFC East showdowns from the sideline, Miami's defense still won't be easy for O'Brien, Mac Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster and company to solve.
As for how the Dolphins will replace Ramsey, his injury likely will create larger roles for undrafted second-year pro Kader Kahou and second-round rookie Cam Smith. It'll also put more pressure on former NFL interception leader Xavien Howard, who's coming off a less-than-stellar 2022 season as Miami's other starting corner.
Featured image via Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports Images
