Enjoy Andrew Van Ginkel While You Can
Dec 3, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) passes the ball as Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) defends during the third quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
When Jaelan Phillips suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins were forced to rely on Andrew Van Ginkel to help fill the void. Phillips led the team in sacks at the time of his injury, so accounting for his absence was no small feat.
Before the game against the Washington Commanders, Phillips simply told Van Ginkel to be himself and ball out. Needless to say, Van Ginkel took that advice to heart. He stepped up in a big way against the Commanders, tallying five total tackles, one interception, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, and a pick six.
Van Ginkel’s ability to produce at a high level when called upon should come as no surprise to Dolphins fans. Ever since he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, he has been a highly energetic and versatile weapon at linebacker who can play in multiple different spots on defense.
This offseason, the Dolphins had Van Ginkel take snaps at both inside linebacker and outside linebacker. It’s a sign that Vic Fangio values him as a player and was trying to find ways to get him on the field even with the strong depth at linebacker at the time.
If Van Ginkel continues to play like he did against the Commanders, he may end up pricing himself out of Miami and into a starting role on a different team. The Dolphins are going to be in salary cap hell this offseason. The exact number is difficult to determine, but Over The Cap has the Dolphins at negative $23 million in 2024, while Spotrac has the Dolphins $37 million dollars over the salary cap in that same timeframe. Either way, the Dolphins will have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Christian Wilkins, Jevon Holland, and Phillips are all deserving of extensions, but there’s only so much money to go around.
Meanwhile, Van Ginkel is 28 years old and set to become a free agent after this season. Teams like the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders showed interest in him during free agency last year, but he opted to re-sign with the Dolphins on a one-year deal. I’m not sure if he’d be willing to stay in Miami when another team could give him a larger role and more money. Van Ginkel is only making $2.6 million in 2023, and the Dolphins may find it unjustifiable to give a rotational player a raise when so many high-end starters are in line to receive hefty extensions.
Being a full-time starter isn’t uncharted territory for Van Ginkel. Under Brian Flores, he started at outside linebacker for the Dolphins in 2020 and 2021. In his first season as a starter, he had six sacks, two forced fumbles, and an overall PFF grade of 79.3. The following year, he had six sacks and only one forced fumble. Even though Van Ginkel finished the 2021 season with pass-rushing and run-defense grades above 70, his overall PFF grade was only 61.8. The lower PFF grade can be attributed to his struggles in coverage in 2021, but teams are signing him for his pass-rushing and run-stopping abilities above all else.
Nevertheless, Van Ginkel is still a starting-caliber player, even if Miami is using him in a rotational role in 2023. The Dolphins had the luxury of having two high-end pass rushers in Bradley Chubb and Phillips before Phillips got hurt, which forced Van Ginkel into that rotational role. Yet throughout the highs and lows, Andrew has always stayed prepared, ready for his name to be called, and that was evident in Sunday’s win against Washington. In his post-game press conference, Van Ginkel said he saw the Commanders’ screen passes on film and was able to recognize the play quickly enough for him to intercept the pass.
Now that Van Ginkel is seeing increased snaps following Jaelan Phillips’ season ending injury, this may be his best chance to once again prove to the NFL that he is more than capable of being a starting outside linebacker. If Van Ginkel continues playing at a high level like he did against Washington on Sunday, then he’s gonna get paid this offseason. So enjoy him while you can Dolphins fans, because Miami won’t be able to afford Andrew Van Ginkel after this season.
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