Miami Dolphins minicamp heats up as Jalen Ramsey & Jonnu Smith are absent amid contract/trade talk. Get the latest on their status for the 2024 season.
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
The Miami Dolphins' mandatory minicamp is underway, but the biggest stories are about the players who aren't there. Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith were both absent on Thursday, fueling a firestorm of trade and contract speculation that has become the dominant narrative of the Dolphins' offseason.
Doing everything I can to stay available for the guys… It’s knowing when is the time to give up on a play.
While the team hit the practice field, two key veterans were conspicuously missing. Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed Jalen Ramsey's absence was excused, meaning he won't face fines. The situation with Jonnu Smith, however, is far murkier. Smith's absence is unexcused as he reportedly seeks a new contract heading into the final year of his deal. With both players' names swirling in trade rumors, their non-participation raises serious questions about their future in Miami and could signal potential roster shake-ups before training camp.
In stark contrast to the drama, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was front and center, addressing the most critical factor for the team's success: his health. Reflecting on past injuries, Tua emphasized a new mindset for 2025. 'Doing everything I can to stay available for the guys… It’s knowing when is the time to give up on a play,' he told reporters. For fans who have watched him risk it all, this commitment to self-preservation and longevity is perhaps the most welcome news of the offseason, signaling a maturity crucial for a deep playoff run.
While questions surround some veterans, the Dolphins are clearly building for the future. The team exercised the fifth-year options on cornerstone players Jaelan Phillips and Jaylen Waddle, locking them in through 2025. They also welcomed a promising 2025 draft class, headlined by massive Michigan DT Kenneth Grant in the first round and Arizona OL Jonah Savaiinaea in the second. The focus on the lines of scrimmage, along with late-round flyers like QB Quinn Ewers, shows a clear strategy to build a sustainable winner.
Once the roster is set, the path forward looks promising—at least on paper. The Dolphins' 2025 schedule is ranked as the least challenging in the entire NFL based on last year's records. With a projected win total set at 8.5, the expectation is for Miami to not just make the playoffs, but to compete. The team will face eight opponents who had winning records in 2024, providing plenty of tests, but the favorable schedule has expectations soaring in South Florida.
Between contract holdouts, trade rumors, and a franchise quarterback's pledge to play smarter, this has been anything but a quiet offseason. Key deadlines are approaching in June and July, but all eyes will soon turn to training camp. That's where the questions about who will be on this roster—and how they'll attack a favorable schedule—will finally begin to get answered.
