In front of packed room of media members Thursday, new Miami Dolphins defensive back Jalen Ramsey was honest in his assessment of the team - one that seemed slightly odd after being a part of a Super Bowl team in the 2021 season.
“On paper, this is the best group I’ve been a part of, and I feel like I’ve been a part of some good groups," Ramsey said. "Obviously with me and X (fellow cornerback Xavien Howard) on the outside and then you’ve got the young guys.”
Miami will be Ramsey's third stop in the NFL after spending time with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams. For the former Florida State star, it was a chance to return home he couldn't pass up.
“Being back in Florida, that’s a great thing for me," he said. "It’s a good young team on the up and up and I feel like I can bring something and be another piece to that puzzle.”
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The three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler was traded from the Rams for a third round pick in this April's NFL Draft and tight end Hunter Long. For Ramsey, he didn't think this chance would come.
“I didn’t’ necessarily think I’d be traded, but once it kind of started to be a reality me and my team sat down and wrote pros and cons of different situations going on," Ramsey said. "I remember writing Miami down and it stayed at the top of my list from the jump.”
The former Seminoles star will play in the same stadium where he helped beat the Miami Hurricanes with an interception on UM's final drive in the 2014 season.
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“A lot of people been showing crazy love and I was real shocked at first because when I was at Florida State we did our thing against the Hurricanes," he said. I’m like I don’t know how they’re going to feel about me right now, but they showed nothing but love.”
Now, Ramsey and the Fins must turn their attention toward something that hasn't taken place since the 1984 season: making the Super Bowl.
“We’ve got to put the work in," he said. "I mean, we can speak it as much as we want to but we’re going to have to go out there and prove it.”
