Latest NFL news could make Packers' attempt to trade Jaire Alexander even more challenging

The Green Bay Packers don't sound willing to give up on cornerback Jaire Alexander for nothing. Yes, the team is open to moving on from the former All-Pro defensive player, but it wants some type of compensation to make it happen.

"We invested a lot in Jaire and want to make sure, if he's not gonna be on our football team helping us win games, that we get something back for that investment," general manager Brian Gutekunst said. "So we'll see where it goes."

However, the plan just got slightly more complicated on Tuesday. According to Ian Rapoport from NFL Network, the Miami Dolphins will explore trade scenarios for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, taking basically any type of leverage the Packers had to make a move with Alexander.

Competition in the cornerback market

Gutekunst said that it would be good to trade Jaire before the draft, because that would allow the Packers to use the extra capital right now, but it wasn't a necessity by any means. If Green Bay had to keep the player for more time to get compensation, it will do it.

Now, things got harder because Ramsey is certainly more valuable than Alexander. First, because of ability—while Alexander is a top player when healthy, Ramsey is one of the best cornerbacks of his generation.

Second is exactly health. While Alexander missed 34 of the last 68 games because of multiple injuries, including 10 games last season, Ramsey has played the entire schedule in 2024. Outside of 2019, when he got traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Los Angeles Rams, and 2023, when he missed seven games due to injury, Ramsey has played at least 15 games in every other season in his NFL career.

There are some financial differences, but it's not that big either. Jaire is slated to make $17.5 million, while any acquiring team would pay Ramsey $21.1 million. Alexander could certainly take some type of paycut to make a trade more palatable, but it doesn't sound like he will accept that—he would probably rather be cut and choose his next destination freely if nobody is willing to pay his full salary.

The only advantage the Packers have is age. Jalen Ramsey is 30 already, a dangerous timeline for a physical and demanding position like cornerback is. Jaire Alexander is 28, and entered the NFL two years after Ramsey did.

The veteran cornerback Market has just become more challenging for the Packers. Brian Gutekunst has a track record of being a good negotiator, and maybe he decides that keeping Alexander might be better than just releasing him if that's the case—and that perception alone could generate some type of leverage for Green Bay in trade talks.