The cornerback position is a hot topic for the Green Bay Packers this offseason (again), both due to potential incomings and the ever-increasing list of departures.
Jaire Alexander could soon follow Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochell out the door, with the Packers still holding out hope for a trade. They may need to give up that dream, as releasing the All-Pro cornerback is a far more realistic outcome.
The Packers' revolving door to the cornerback room bears a resemblance to the safety makeover from a year ago. Green Bay kicked off the rebuild by signing Nate Hobbs, but the team will likely need to double or even triple down at the position in the draft if Alexander departs.
Well, we need to say thank you to the Miami Dolphins — thank you for absolutely nothing.
Miami has reportedly agreed to allow All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to seek a trade, and the knock-on effect could hurt the Packers in multiple ways.
Jalen Ramsey seeking a trade from Dolphins could cost the Packers twice
Unless the Packers can pull off a rare player-for-player trade with the Dolphins, there's little to celebrate with Ramsey becoming available.
The initial impact is how Ramsey affects Alexander's trade market, if there even is one. Cornerback-needy teams now have another All-Pro alternative to consider, and Ramsey comes with far less risk. While he's older than Jaire, Ramsey is still playing at a high level and has only missed eight games in the past four seasons, which compares to a concerning 34 for Alexander.
Any glimmer of hope that Green Bay could find a trade partner has likely gone up in smoke.
But that's far from the only problem. The Packers now have more competition for the premier cornerbacks in this year's class. Miami likely would've shifted to safety or an offensive lineman at No. 13 overall, but losing Ramsey (having already released Kendall Fuller) puts cornerback at the top of its must-have list.
Dreams of Michigan's Will Johnson or Texas' Jahdae Barron falling to No. 23 (or at least into a reasonable trade-up range) will decrease if the Dolphins trade Ramsey, especially if he lands on a playoff team picking after the Packers.
The Packers have enjoyed many great battles against Ramsey over the years, especially when Davante Adams played in Green Bay, but the All-Pro corner's imminent departure could give him the last laugh.