Baker to the Buccaneers? Details on the Jalen Ramsey Trade, and Other NFL Bullets

March 12, 2023, by Patrick K. Flowers NFL

While the legal tampering period doesn’t open until tomorrow, teams continue to be active today. The story of the day has been the Jalen Ramsey trade to the Dolphins, but there’s also been some chatter on the QB front with the Buccaneers potentially interested in Baker Mayfield.

But first, let’s has out some details on the Rams trading Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins this afternoon.

According to multiple reports (including Ian Rapoport and Josina Anderson), the Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins. In exchange, the Rams will receive a third-round draft pick and tight end, Hunter Long.

Rapoport also reports that Ramsey and the Dolphins have agreed to a modified contract. Ramsey had three years left on his current deal and was set to come with a $25.2 million cap hit in 2023, $26.7 million in 2024, and $22.7 million in 2025. Instead, Ramsey will make $36.9 million fully guaranteed over the next two seasons with the Dolphins and become a free agent after the 2024 season.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1634983300904407042?s=20

Los Angeles was $9.3 million over the cap when we previewed the Rams’ offseason resources on February 24. However, via Over the Cap’s cap calculator, a trade of Ramsey and the release of Wagner, and the other moves that the Rams have made to date puts them roughly $1.5 million under the cap.

For Miami, they’re getting a 28-year-old cornerback who can help bolster their defense. Defense was one of Miami’s soft spots heading into the offseason. Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel fired former defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and his staff after the season. McDaniel replace Boyer with defensive guru Vic Fangio.

Alright, let’s stay in Florida and move to the news regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this morning. Ian Rapoport believes that the Buccaneers will show interest in adding quarterback Baker Mayfield to the fold when free agency opens tomorrow.

Baker Mayfield could be a low-cost veteran option to pair and compete with former second-rounder Kyle Trask. Mayfield split time with the Panthers and Rams last season after being traded to Carolina last offseason.

When free agency begins, the #Bucs are expected to target ex-#Rams QB Baker Mayfield as a potential starting QB option, per me and @MikeGarafolo. This could be competition for Kyle Trask, their former 2nd-round pick, who the team likes a lot. As TB plots life without Tom Brady… pic.twitter.com/9PmbTG0tYW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2023

I had Baker Mayfield pegged to sign with the Falcons in my latest QB carousel reset on Friday, but Tampa Bay makes a bunch of sense too. We shall see.

So, sticking with the QB theme, there is a slight update on the Aaron Rodgers situation. Rodgers spoke with former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall on Saturday. In the interview with Marshall, Rodgers said: “Well, I think it won’t be long. There’s a time limit for all of this,” regarding his decision as to whether or not he wants to play for the Jets.

This tracks with my belief that both sides want a resolution before free agency opens. The Packers have to prepare for life after Rodgers. The Jets have to possibly prepare for life without Rodgers if this doesn’t go their way. So, I would expect a decision to come soon despite Rodgers historically dragging his feet on these matters.

Odell Beckham Jr. worked out for teams on Friday in Arizona. According to Mike Florio of PFT, OBJ is still searching for a contract that will pay him upwards of $20 million per season. Alright. Sure.

I’m just not seeing it. There were only a handful of teams in attendance on Friday. Plus, OBJ is coming off a lengthy recovery from a torn ACL in the Super Bowl last February. But hey, maybe some team will get desperate and pony up.