Tag: Jalen Ramsey

Ethan Bonner: I’m prepared to start, excited for the opportunity

Ethan Bonner says he’s ready to go if the Dolphins decide he’s starting in Jalen Ramsey’s place Sunday.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey hasn’t been ruled out for Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it would be quite a surprise if he plays. After missing back-to-back practices, it appears that second-year cornerback Ethan Bonner is set to fill his shoes in starting lineup for the Week 1 opener.

“It’s exciting,” Bonner told reporters Thursday, via Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network. “Any opportunity I have to get out there, I’m going to try to take advantage of it. So yeah, I’m definitely excited about it.

“I’m gonna be prepared to do whatever I’m asked. If that’s to go out there and start, I’ll be ready to go out there and execute.”

Bonner, 24, spent the majority of his rookie year in 2023 on the Dolphins’ practice squad after signing as an undrafted free agent. The cornerback was elevated to the active roster in December and appeared in two games, but the majority of his time was spent on special teams.

“You wouldn’t be here, and we wouldn’t even think about putting you on defense if we didn’t think you could play,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Thursday. “So regardless of who steps out there – I don’t care who starts, I want to know who finishes. I’ve said that before and I think all those guys can finish.”

His ascension to potentially start Sunday comes at the end of a strong offseason for the second-year cornerback.

“Bonner probably has had like the craziest jump from I think any player from last year, in my opinion,” Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle told reporters in July. “He just seems like a totally different player out there.”

In preseason, Bonner was credited with allowing four receptions on eight targets for 70 yards.

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Jalen Ramsey is only Dolphins player to sit out Thursday practice

The Dolphins’ injury report looked much better Thursday, but the team was still without Jalen Ramsey at practice.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey sat out Thursday practice and the team is preparing contingencies for the star defensive back being unavailable Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

On Thursday, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Ethan Bonner and Storm Duck would get more reps in the event that Ramsey doesn’t play, although he wasn’t quite ready to say that will happen.

Ramsey was the only Dolphins player who didn’t practice Thursday. The team also had three players limited, including starting defensive tackle Benito Jones.

While listed as limited again due to a hand injury, Aaron Brewer told reporters in the locker room that he’ll play Sunday. That’s a boon for an offensive line that is lacking in depth.

The potential loss of Ramsey is costly, but the significant improvement in the report from Wednesday is a positive because the Jaguars are dealing with very little on the injury front. Backup safety and special teamer Daniel Thomas was the only player listed on the team’s injury report Wednesday and Thursday.

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Jalen Ramsey ‘doing everything he can’ to rehab hamstring

Jalen Ramsey missed practice Wednesday, raising serious doubts about his readiness to play Sunday against the Jaguars.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is dealing with a hamstring injury, the team’s first practice report of the 2024 season revealed Wednesday.

Ramsey, 29, has been dealing with an injury that was previously undisclosed since mid-August and didn’t play at all in preseason. His absence Wednesday raises serious doubts about his readiness to play in the Dolphins’ regular season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but head coach Mike McDaniel had nothing but positive things to say about the situation.

“I’ve never been prouder of a player not practicing, like honestly. No puffery,” McDaniel told reporters. “He’s just making me proud because he knows how important he is to this team and what he’s looking to accomplish with the team as a captain. … I know he’s doing everything he can today and there weren’t any setbacks today.”

Ramsey missed the first seven games of the 2023 season after undergoing offseason meniscus surgery. While he only played in 10 games, Ramsey still earned his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

Prior to his August setback, Ramsey was feeling exceedingly optimistic about his health heading into the 2024 season.

“This is my first offseason in, I think three years now, that I’ve been healthy,” Ramsey said in a vlog posted in April. “So y’all are going to see, really, what I envision an offseason looking like for me. What I envision an offseason looking like for me to be at the tip-top performance of where I want to be.”

If Ramsey is unavailable Sunday against the Jaguars, it will likely be nickel cornerback Kader Kohou who slides outside to make the start opposite Kendall Fuller. The Dolphins also have second-year cornerback Ethan Bonner, who was one of the team’s standouts in training camp and preseason.

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Sauce Gardner, Justin Simmons and more react to Pat Surtain’s mega deal

Sauce Gardner, Jalen Ramsey and Justin Simmons reacted to the Pat Surtain news on Twitter/X.

The Denver Broncos gave All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain a four-year, $96 million contract extension on Wednesday, making him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

Here’s a sampling of how fans, pundits and players reacted to the news on Twitter/X, headlined by reactions from safety Justin Simmons and fellow cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Jalen Ramsey.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1831324150268326295

https://twitter.com/jsimms1119/status/1831330133472412090

https://twitter.com/iamSauceGardner/status/1831322026516058486

https://twitter.com/jalenramsey/status/1831322690852172004

https://twitter.com/PjLocke4/status/1831387255044513845

https://twitter.com/ChrisHarrisJr/status/1831499228172239264

https://twitter.com/BrandonPerna/status/1831324572420919448

https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1831324003442790864

https://twitter.com/MileHighMims/status/1831322406700605876

https://twitter.com/Robby_NFL/status/1831326336775753862

https://twitter.com/MaseDenver/status/1831330475199140007

https://twitter.com/ZacStevensDNVR/status/1831329056127693188

The Broncos previously gave guard Quinn Meinerz a four-year, $80 million deal in July. Denver has now secured their top two players for the duration of rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s contract.

Surtain, 24, is entering his fourth season in the NFL and looking to build on his seven career interceptions. PS2 was already considered the best cornerback in the league — now he’s paid like it.

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Dolphins announce 8 players as 2024 team captains

The Dolphins have four returning captains on offense, but a group of four defensive players who are Miami captains for the first time.

The Miami Dolphins announced Monday that eight players will be team captains in 2024.

Wearing the “C” on their jerseys again will be the same offensive quartet from last year: quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, fullback Alec Ingold, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and offensive lineman Terron Armstead. On defense, it’s a group of newly minted Miami captains: defensive back Jalen Ramsey, linebacker David Long Jr., defensive tackle Zach Sieler, and defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who will don the coveted captain badge along with his Walter Payton Man of the Year patch.

Miami parted with a pair of its captains from 2023, allowing Christian Wilkins to leave in free agency, and cutting Xavien Howard in the offseason. Jevon Holland was the third defensive captain last year.

The Dolphins have the oldest roster in the league, so there’s no lack of leadership and experience on the team. Campbell is entering his 17th NFL season, Armstead will begin his 12th, and Hill his ninth. 

Sieler, who is Miami’s longest tenured defensive player on the current 53 man roster, is a captain for the first time. Last season he set the franchise sack record for an interior lineman with 10.

Long will also wear his first captain’s badge in Miami after an outstanding season in 2023 in the middle of the defense’s second level. His run-defense grade last season (92.6) was the best in the NFL among starting linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus. Long signed with Miami last season as a free agent and he’s in a contract year in 2023, so having him as a captain could indicate his tenure in Miami will go beyond this year. 

Ingold doesn’t stuff a stat sheet, but he does the dirty work to help others gain their yards and score touchdowns. The tremendous blocker earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023.

Ramsey, who missed the first seven games of last season with a knee injury, was a two-time captain during his time with the Los Angeles Rams.

The recently extended Tagovailoa has now been a captain in each of Mike McDaniel’s three seasons with the Dolphins after not earning the distinction at all during Brian Flores’ tenure.

The Dolphins open their 2024 season on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Panthers coach draws very lofty comparison for CB Jaycee Horn

Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley compared Jaycee Horn to one of the NFL’s very best cornerbacks.

Carolina Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley knows a special cornerback when he sees one—and it’s safe to say that he sees one in Jaycee Horn.

Cooley spoke with reporters following Thursday’s practice, and was asked about the difference between having and not having Horn on the field.

“I think with Jaycee, you get the luxury of somebody they don’t wanna throw the ball at,” Cooley said. “And we’ve had a certain circumstance like that in L.A. with Jalen [Ramsey]. And then when they do throw the ball, he’s probably gonna make them pay.”

Before joining the Panthers in 2023, Cooley spent three years with the Los Angeles Rams—where he served as their defensive quality control coach, assistant secondary coach and defensive backs coach. He’d cross paths with Ramsey, who was a two-time First-team All-Pro member and two-time Pro Bowl selection while Cooley was on staff.

Obviously, there’s quite a ways to go for Horn to reach that kind of status. The 2021 eighth overall pick certainly has the talent, but he hasn’t had the availability—as he’s missed 29 of a possible 51 games in the NFL due to injury.

And that’s something Cooley and the Panthers hope to see a lot less of.

“Without him, it’s just a bunch of guys that get an opportunity to take advantage of their opps,” he added. “We’ve experienced that last year. And it’s just like, the guy that can make the most plays on the ball will play. But we definitely prefer to have him.”

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Veteran Chiefs wide receiver recalls his ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment

Kansas City #Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman recalls his ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment | @EdEastonJr

The start of the regular season is quickly approaching, with the Kansas City Chiefs preparing for their opening night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Several rookies will get their first regular season game experience and potential ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment.

Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman spoke with reporters on Tuesday after practice about his memories from his rookie season. The humbling first matchup against multiple-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey

“(Jalen Ramsey)probably doesn’t remember this, but I think I had like a go route or something, and he was just on me,” said Hardman. “He was like, ‘Man, you ain’t getting nothing today, bro.”

Hardman was targeted once and left without a catch in his NFL regular season debut. The All-Pro cornerback didn’t take it lightly on the rookie from Georgia attempting to build any momentum in the game.

“That whole game, the whole game, he was just talking,” said Hardman. “I was like, I can’t do nothing, bro. I think he jammed me one time. I’m like, yeah, he’s different.”

Hardman proudly bounced back the following week against the Raiders with six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. He would make the Pro Bowl for his work on special teams that season.

Jalen Ramsey’s message to Dolphins teammates: It’s time to be bullies

The Dolphins are on a mission to be a more physical team in 2024.

After a Miami Dolphins training camp practice Tuesday, the team was observed huddling around Jalen Ramsey for a lengthy speech. The seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback had a message for his teammates: no more getting pushed around.

“Jalen Ramsey just talked about it for about ten minutes after practice,” Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks told reporters. “I think there’s just a mentality. You have to have that mentality on defense, because we are reacting to what the offense wants to do which really makes it harder in my opinion, to play defense because they know exactly what they want to run already.

“If we can be the initiators, we can be the bullies, I think that makes you a dominant defense to where you’re proactive rather than reactive. … That was one of the biggest things: just being a bully on defense.”

The Dolphins finished the 2023 season No. 22 in points allowed despite finishing top 10 in yards allowed. Late in the year, Miami’s defense had some of its worst performances, allowing 964 yards in the last two regular season games and another 409 in the postseason.

While injuries played a significant role in that collapse, newly acquired safety Jordan Poyer admitted earlier this month that the Dolphins had a reputation as a team that would fold under pressure.

The defense wasn’t the only unit to take Ramsey’s words to heart Tuesday.

“We’re going to be a physical team,” Dolphins offensive lineman Robert Jones said. “Just like guys say, this year we’re going to be the bullies, and that’s what we’ve got to keep focusing on and that’s exactly what it did.

“We just want to be dogs. Go out there, play hard, we don’t care about the outside noise. We just want to go out there and be the most physical team on the field.”

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Jalen Ramsey says Anthony Weaver’s defense is ‘different’ in a good way

Jalen Ramsey is feeling confident that new Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver is going to use him correctly.

Nine-year veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey has seen his fair share of defensive schemes since he was drafted in 2016.

Last year, his first with the Miami Dolphins, he played for former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and was less than pleased. As Anthony Weaver takes the reins, Ramsey thinks his approach is different from Fangio and his other past defensive coordinators.

“It’s been cool,” Ramsey said Wednesday. “It’s different than the defenses I’ve played in the past years which is a good thing, can be a really good thing.”

Weaver has spent two decades in the NFL, seven as a player and 12 as a coach. He spent the past three seasons in Baltimore, with the last two as assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the Ravens.

Fangio and the Dolphins decided to mutually part ways this offseason after spending just one year together, and Miami is now moving on to its third defensive coordinator in as many years. The team has more than a month until the season starts, and the defense has more work to do, but Ramsey believes Weaver will put him in the best position.

“The scheme is different, the way he wants to call plays is going to be very different,” Ramsey said. “I’ve heard that [I’m the ultimate chess piece] a few times in my career, though, and that’s only really happened a couple times. I’ll let everything unfold, and whatever is best for the defense at the end of the day, I’m sure — I hope is what position I’ll be in.”

And if Ramsey is used appropriately, he believes his team will reap the benefits.

“It allows me to showcase all of my skill set, all of my abilities,” Ramsey said. “It allows teams to not always be able to dictate where I am. It allows me to be more involved in the game and the gameplan and not get bored out there on the field. I think it opens up a lot of opportunities and plays for other people, as well, when I get to be versatile and do different things.”

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Jalen Ramsey: Anthony Weaver is moving me ‘back to what I do’

Jalen Ramsey says he’s excited for the chance to show his “full skill set once again” under new Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver.

The Miami Dolphins’ outspoken cornerback Jalen Ramsey is rarely unwilling to speak his mind, and has hardly made it a secret that he didn’t love playing for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in 2023. When the team released Xavien Howard in March, Ramsey took a not-so-subtle jab at Fangio on social media, writing that he’d “never forgive dude” for using the duo incorrectly.

While Ramsey was unwilling to directly compare Fangio with new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver when he was asked by reporters earlier this week, he also made it clear that he’s feeling a lot more comfortable with his role heading into 2024.

“Last year was the only time I didn’t follow and only stayed on one side of the field,” Ramsey said Wednesday. “So last year was kind of a different year for me rather than this being different. This is like back to what I do, back to where I thrive and made impact and have a lot of fun playing the game.”

According to PFF, Ramsey was lined up wide at cornerback on the right side for 516 snaps in 2023 and he was on the left side for 85 snaps. His other 58 defensive snaps last season were split up among various other spots in the Dolphins defense.

By contrast, Ramsey spent 347 snaps lined up in the box, in the slot, or on the defensive line in his final season with the Los Angeles Rams.

“There are not many comps to Jalen Ramsey,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Thursday. “So in that, thinking outside the box, finding different ways for him to thrive helps others thrive. … One offseason you’re finding new ways to get someone the ball. It’s the same thing as putting him in different places to be at the point of attack and utilize all of his God-given gifts. It’s a good marriage.”

It’s safe to say that Ramsey thinks so too.

“It’s been fun so far,” Ramsey said. “A lot of communication between [me and Weaver]. I think he’ll let me show my full skill set once again this year, so it should be fun.”

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