Jaire Alexander Injury Update Packers Injury News Jaire Alexander Surgery
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Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.
News broke yesterday that the two time All Pro cornerback, Jaire Alexander, would be released by the Green Bay Packers.
Initial reactions for Miami Dolphins’ fans were headlined by excitement. Many wanted Alexander to be the incumbent for the All Pro corner who currently wants out, Jalen Ramsey. However, later that day Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio posted an article highlighting why Alexander hitting free agency might actually be bad for the Phins.
“The Dolphins keep trying to trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey,” Florio wrote. “The availability of a younger and arguably better player as a free agent could make that task harder to accomplish.”
Florio’s reasoning is incredibly cut and dry. Better, younger, cheaper.
“If someone were willing to take on Alexander’s salary — which at $16.15 million was lower than the $20 million-plus still owed to Ramsey — a trade would have been accomplished,” Florio continued. “So if no one is willing to pay Alexander more than $16 million, who will pay Ramsey more than $20 million?”
Well when you put it that way Mike… Even if a team doesn’t necessarily want Alexander, this is now bad for business. Why would I buy the All Pro corner from you if the store down the street has it 25% off?
“However it plays out, having Alexander on the market gives teams that have expressed interest in Ramsey increased leverage, and another viable option,” Florio concludes. “If Alexander signs quickly, it will take a potential Ramsey suitor out of the mix. Depending on the number of true Ramsey suitors, that could put the Dolphins in a very tough spot.”
Alexander Can’t Stay Healthy
It’s not all bad for the Dolphins. Jaire Alexander has some serious questions on whether or not he is reliable enough to dictate a bag that big. Alexander made the NFL All Pro team in both 2020 and 2022, however, since 2021 he has only played in 34 of a possible 68 games.
“The reality is for the last four years for Jaire, it’s about half of the games he’s been able to play,” Packers president Mark Murphy told WBAY-TV after he was released. “So we kind of have been used to it.”
The drama coming out of Green Bay this offseason was revolving around the Packers wanting to deliver a pay cut, and Alexander refusing to accept one. The final straw came last week, when the Packers presented their final offer and Alexander declined.
Would He Be Right For The Phins?
Obviously the cornerback room in Miami is a real question mark. With Ramsey on the way out, the room is inexperienced to say the least. But replacing a big contract on the outside with a different big contract feels mildly counter productive.
“Can the Dolphins justify giving Alexander a big contract and not taking care of (Zach) Sieler and (Jonnu) Smith?,” asked SI’s Alain Poupart. “The Dolphins stand out as a logical destination, and it’s why you’ll see them mentioned by national outlets. But digging deeper into the idea, it’s really not quite the slam dunk it appears.”
Alexander makes the Dolphins better, end of story. But, with rumblings already taking place inside Miami’s building, is handing out a giant paycheck to someone outside the franchise sending the right message?