Van Ginkel moving to inside LB

According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the former Wisconsin standout’s fit might be at inside linebacker, which makes some sense for a couple of reasons.

First, the Dolphins’ depth at inside linebacker is relatively thin.

Jerome Baker and David Long Jr., a free agent addition, are the projected starters, and Duke Riley and Channing Tindall are the primary backups. Behind them are two undrafted rookies — Jackson State standout Aubrey Miller and Illinois State’s Kyle Vandenburgh — who haven’t played a snap in the NFL.

Second, Van Ginkel, who finished the 2022 season with 47 tackles, one interception and half a sack, doesn’t exactly have the frame to set the edge on running downs in the NFL, which explains why Miami has used him in spot duty and scheme-specific roles throughout the years.

Finally, the Dolphins would benefit from cross training a linebacker to play both inside and outside, similar to how they used Sam Eguavoen at multiple spots and in various roles the past four years. That helps with position flexibility, which is needed for game-day roster decisions.

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Potentially moving Van Ginkel to inside linebacker also opens the door for Miami to sign one of the many aged but talented veteran pass rushers/edge players still available in free agency.

Yannick Ngakoue, Leonard Floyd, Robert Quinn, Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Trey Flowers are all still free agents.

JMP wrote:I didn't know Leonard Floyd was still available...I'd definitely like to add him.

As for that snap count for Van Ginkel, in his career, it’s a statistically proven fact that when he plays often and is utilized right, Miami simply wins. When Van Ginkel blitzes eight or more times in a game the Dolphins are remarkably 10-1. He did this twice in 2022, and Miami was 1-1 with the loss coming against the Green Bay Packers game in Week 16.

When he blitzes nine or more times, Miami is 7-0 in his career. He was credited with a quarterback hit in six of those games, including 3.5 sacks. Furthermore, of those 10 wins, just one of them came last year when he was criminally under-utilized at under 30% of the defensive snaps on the season.

When Van Ginkel plays more than 70% of the snaps in a professional game, the Dolphins are 13-5. In those 18 games with that usage, his basic full season plus one game would read 74 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and a whopping 23 quarterback hits.

DolFan 316 wrote:Methinks this means Fangio already has figured out what a bust Tindall is. I am hearing good things about this Aubrey Miller guy though.

JMP wrote:I didn't know Leonard Floyd was still available...I'd definitely like to add him.

I wouldn't mind Ingram coming back. Obviously he overestimated his value but I never begrudge a man his ambitions. Just say NO to Trey Flowers though.

finskev wrote:I Agree anything that can get Him on the Field more is Fine with Me, They have My Permission to do this.

Barry Jackson
@flasportsbuzz

To expand on @CameronWolfe's good nugget about Andrew Van Ginkel playing some ILB: Am told the thinking is to get him on field more. He's still playing OLB in base while getting up to speed on playing ILB in some situations, including nickel.Fangio likes him.He's very productive

Methinks this means Fangio already has figured out what a bust Tindall is.

white1 wrote:

Methinks this means Fangio already has figured out what a bust Tindall is.

I can all but guarantee Boyer wanted an upgrade at LB, and personally scouted and lobbied for Tindall.  It only sounds like I'm joking.  We know Grier will work to get what his coaches want, and McDaniel handed the keys to the defense to Boyer.  It's not a stretch at all to think this is exactly what happened.

JMP wrote:I'll take it once step further and say that Georgia defensive players are incredibly overrated.  Everyone is drooling over the Eagles drafting 5 Georgia defenders the past two years, but I've seen absolutely nothing from Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean at the NFL level, and I am not expecting much from Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith or Kelee Ringo either.  Add Tindall to that list, and it seems like a bunch of good college players that simply aren't NFL material. Maybe I'll turn out to be wrong, but at this point I am unimpressed.

DolFan 316 wrote:

This team CANNOT afford to have two consecutive drafts be complete wastes. Last year's already seems to be a lost cause, this year's HAS to produce SOMEBODY worthwhile.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:I'll take it once step further and say that Georgia defensive players are incredibly overrated.  Everyone is drooling over the Eagles drafting 5 Georgia defenders the past two years, but I've seen absolutely nothing from Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean at the NFL level, and I am not expecting much from Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith or Kelee Ringo either.  Add Tindall to that list, and it seems like a bunch of good college players that simply aren't NFL material. Maybe I'll turn out to be wrong, but at this point I am unimpressed.

I LOVE that someone else has figured this out I've known it for a while. At least some of the Saban Era Bama players because solid to good NFL players (although a lot more of them have busted out than people want to admit).

This team CANNOT afford to have two consecutive drafts be complete wastes. Last year's already seems to be a lost cause, this year's HAS to produce SOMEBODY worthwhile.

JMP wrote:With only 4 picks total each year, it's hard to have a great draft.  Last year especially, with no pick till the end of round 3.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:With only 4 picks total each year, it's hard to have a great draft.  Last year especially, with no pick till the end of round 3.

I hate to hijack the thread, but NFL history has shown repeatedly that bad drafting teams will draft badly no matter how many picks they rack up. During the four year JJ Era (Error) the Fins had more draft capital than any other team, yet he couldn't draft offense to save his life, and half the defensive picks were duds as well. Zach, JT, Madison and Surtain made a lot of people forget how bad the rest of those drafts actually were.

The Rams got a boatload of picks over multiple years starting in '88 by trading Eric Dickerson. They used those picks so well that they...became one of the worst teams of the '90s if not the worst. Remember when the Browns hired an analytics guy as their GM and he hoarded more picks over a two-tear period than any NFL team ever had before? That resulted in...1-31 over two seasons. Grier had three first rounders and squandered two of them. When it comes to the draft it's always quality over quantity. This team could've had a much better draft last year if they'd taken the guys I (and we) wanted, with the exact same number of picks.  

JMP wrote:That was certainly the case this year, and the draft picks the team made are going to be key role players rather than immediate starters.

DolFan 316 wrote:

JMP wrote:That was certainly the case this year, and the draft picks the team made are going to be key role players rather than immediate starters.

I get that. My point is, key role players are better than someone who literally contributes next to nothing, like Tindall and Ezukanma last year. If it hadn't been for overzealous NFL spotters under orders to punish the Fins, Skylar might've spent the whole season rotting on the bench too.

One former Miami Dolphin, current New England Patriots linebacker Raekwon McMillan, has already been placed on season-ending injured reserve after suffering a partially torn Achilles