Tag: Andrew Van Ginkel

Chris Grier’s third-round draft successes: LB Jerome Baker

Miami isn’t on the clock until pick No. 102.

On Thursday, the National Football League kicks off its annual NFL draft from Las Vegas, Nevada. While eight teams don’t have a first-round selection, the Miami Dolphins are included in a subgroup of three teams that will be dormant in the pick department until the third round. That’s, of course, if no moves are made because, at the moment, the Dolphins own picks No. 102 and No. 125 and then have a gap until the seventh round.

The third round has been pretty kind to Chris Grier in his tenure as Miami’s general manager. Since 2016, Grier has had a solid track record, and of the remaining current third-round picks still in Miami, linebacker Jerome Baker leads the way.

The Ohio State product was drafted by Miami in 2018 as the No. 72 overall pick. He and Xavien Howard are the two longest-tenured members of the Dolphins’ defense. Baker has been a very solid player for Miami, even earning a contract extension last year.

Baker is coming off of a 92-tackle, 5.5-sack season and had career-highs in tackles for loss with nine as well as quarterback hits with 15. Baker played admirably in pass coverage as well, compiling four passes defended including an interception. Opposing quarterbacks only completed 69.6% of their passes when throwing his way.

Baker, like most of the Dolphins’ defense in 2021, started slow, but in the season’s second half, he was a key reason why Miami rattled off seven straight wins. Baker had 4.5 of his sacks in December, as his blitz rate spiked from 4.1 rushes per game in the first six games, to 7.3 per contest in his final nine.

Baker, a team captain from the 2019 season, is a consummate leader both on the field and in the community. He heads into 2022 after being named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Month last December, as he looks to build off of that momentum from the end of the year.

The former Buckeye led a Miami linebacking crew that includes Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel and Elandon Roberts as the principals, with Duke Riley, Brennan Scarlett and Sam Eguavoen as the role players.

Miami could certainly use an inside linebacker in this year’s draft, and the third round is a perfect spot. Historically, the Dolphins have had success at the position in the third round besides Baker, with players like Olivier Vernon, Morlon Greenwood, Channing Crowder and Derek Rodgers among that grouping.

Since Baker, Grier has used his third-rounder wisely on guys like Michael Deiter in 2019, Brandon Jones in 2020 and Hunter Long last year.

While the jury is, of course, still out on the last three third-round picks, center Deiter and safety Jones have the potential for consistent starting roles for the Dolphins, while Long was used sparingly in his rookie year. Development will help with newly hired tight-end assistant coach Jon Embree.

Dolphins fans should have confidence in Grier with pick No. 102, which will come Friday, late in the third round. However, as he’s done in the past, moving up or down will always be in play.

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Chris Grier has more decisions to make this offseason

Extensions, signings and draft picks are on the horizon.

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Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins front office continue to grind it out and fill the 2022 roster for Mike McDaniel and staff. Veteran punter, Thomas Morstead was signed on Friday to a one-year deal that closes the book on two things – the Michael Palardy era and the fanbase’s hope of Miami drafting collegiate “Punt God,” Matt Araiza.

In addition to Morstead, the Dolphins may be addressing the linebacker need by working out Reuben Foster. While it’s unclear whether or not the Dolphins will sign the former Alabama star, this could be a no-risk, high-reward move.

At this point, after the DeVante Parker trade to the New England Patriots and the Xavien Howard contract restructure, Miami has roughly $20 million in space. This leaves a multitude of options for Grier and could help in all facets of the rest of the offseason.

Veterans can still be signed, and with a light draft class following the Tyreek Hill trade, the cap is set up nicely for future business within the roster.

What does that business look like?

Defensive linemen Christian Wilkins could not only have his rookie contract picked up for the fifth year but he could be signed long-term as well. Andrew Van Ginkel is in a contract year, and while the restricted free agent tender was placed on cornerback Nik Needham last month, his future in Miami is a multi-year deal away, which could very well be in the cards with the pot of chips Grier still has at his disposal.

Being a few weeks from the NFL Draft, it’s hard to believe Grier is finished on the transaction side of things. With the punter gap now filled by Morstead, there truly are a limited number of holes on this team.

Depth is always something any football team needs, and with the Dolphins having a bit of a wait until they’re scheduled to make a pick in the upcoming draft, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Grier dip into the stack of checks. He very well could move up should he see a blue-chip player he covets, while, in typical Grier fashion, not breaking the bank in the process.

At this point, he’s earned the trust.

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Andrew Van Ginkel’s underrated 2021 set up for important contract year

His four sacks don’t jump off the page, but his play was impactful.

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The Miami Dolphins started classes this week, as the 2022 offseason program officially opened under new head coach Mike McDaniel’s tenure. In what is a welcoming mix of new coaches, player additions and veteran Dolphins, there seems to be palpable energy that’s developing in Miami Gardens.

Speaking of energy, there’s a player on Miami’s roster entering his fourth season that seems to have an endless power source. Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel is heading into a contract year, and the former Wisconsin Badger will be looking to build off of a solid second half of last season.

While the first half of the Dolphins 2021 was a brutal stretch, Van Ginkel had just a half-sack in the team’s opening eight games. The production wasn’t for a lack of effort, as Van Ginkel’s motor never seems to turn off. In an age of such expensive energy costs, Van Ginkel seems to have an endless, natural supply.

The lack of sacks very well could’ve been something more to do with play-calling and defensive scheme rather than skill and effort. Through Week 8, Van Ginkel was sent on a blitz an average of 3.6 times per game during Miami’s 1-7 start.

It was mid-season when new play-calling duties and a defensive shift seemed to take place for the Dolphins that Van Ginkel’s role and assignments changed. During the Week 9 game against the Houston Texans, Van Ginkel was asked to blitz 12 times. He recorded a sack that game, which was his first full one of the year.

Just five days later, on Thursday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens, he was sent a whopping 21 times and recorded another half-sack. Miami shocked Baltimore on national television, and won 22-10, on way to a seven-game win streak. Remarkably, that streak following a seven-game losing streak is the only such occurrence in league history.

In sharp contrast to the first half of 2021, in Weeks 9-to-17, Van Ginkel averaged 9.5 blitzes per game. That’s a staggering difference. It’s no wonder why Van Ginkel finished the year eighth in the league in quarterback knockdowns. Of the seven who finished above him in 2021 in this stat, six were named to the Pro Bowl, and there was a pair of All-Pros in there as well.

The only NFL player who blitzed more than Van Ginkel last season was Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Devin White. Ironically, White was the fifth pick from the same 2019 draft class, the same draft when Van Ginkel was selected in the fifth round.

Van Ginkel and the Dolphins finished the 2021 campaign with a Week 17 victory over the New England Patriots. He recorded a sack, giving him four on the year. The total number doesn’t tell the full story of Van Ginkel’s impact or his overall value.

There were several occurrences where a Van Ginkel play helped others fill their stat-sheets. In fact, it was Van Ginkel’s tipped pass against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football that helped teammate Nik Needham corral the ball and waltz into the endzone for a “Nik-Six.”

The Dolphins won that game, 20-3. On a fun note, with a pair of half-sacks and three full, Van Ginkel recorded those stats in five games. In those games, Miami went 4-1.

Van Ginkel has a top-notch work ethic and is a student of the game, so expect progress from him in a year where he could very well be a candidate for an in-season contract extension. Don’t sleep on it.

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Grading the Miami Dolphins linebackers after their 2021 season

Most of the linebackers lived up to expectations.

The Miami Dolphins are nearing the end of their coaching search after firing Brian Flores on Black Monday, so this is as good of a time as any to review and evaluate the performances of the guys who were actually on the field this past season.

We’ll be going through different position groups over the next week or so and reviewing how they played in 2021. After starting with the rookies, quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen, we’ll continue the defense with the second level. These are the grades for the Dolphins linebackers during this campaign.

Peter Schrager’s bid for Dolphins ‘Madden 22’ cover falls short

Peter Schrager’s bid for Dolphins ‘Madden 22’ cover falls short

The latest cover athletes for EA Sports’ Madden 22 are a pair of familiar faces for any football fan. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will grace the cover of this year’s game — two “GOATs” (greatest of all-time) at the quarterback position. But before this week’s reveal of Brady and Mahomes, the gaming company teased the cover with an image of two literal goats, kicking off plenty of speculation as to who would actually be gracing the cover. And while Brady and Mahomes are a fine choice, we personally would have loved to see Peter Schrager’s suggestion come to be reality instead.

His choice.

Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

This, of course, is a continuation of the romance between NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ and Van Ginkel going back to this past season. After Van Ginkel’s bright flashes of play midway through the season, he was declared the show’s “MVP, hero and Good Morning Football legend.”

As fun as it would actually be for Van Ginkel, of all members of the Dolphins, to actually grace the cover of Madden, that suggestion would be the greatest upset of all-time. There has not been a single Dolphins player to be featured on the cover of the game, which first debuted in 1988. The best chance Miami would have had along the way? Dan Marino, of course. But his career ran parallel to when Madden himself was featured on the cover. 2001 was the first year that the former coach was not on the cover himself and that honor went to Titans running back Eddie George.

Perhaps Dolphins running back Ricky Williams would have been a good choice in the mid-2000s, but Williams retired in the middle of his physical prime before making a comeback and other league stars were chosen over him during his first two years with Miami.

Van Ginkel on the cover? That’d be cool. But at this point we’d simply settle for a Dolphin. Any Dolphin.

Peter Schrager’s bid for Dolphins ‘Madden 22’ cover falls short

Peter Schrager’s bid for Dolphins ‘Madden 22’ cover falls short

The latest cover athletes for EA Sports’ Madden 22 are a pair of familiar faces for any football fan. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will grace the cover of this year’s game — two “GOATs” (greatest of all-time) at the quarterback position. But before this week’s reveal of Brady and Mahomes, the gaming company teased the cover with an image of two literal goats, kicking off plenty of speculation as to who would actually be gracing the cover. And while Brady and Mahomes are a fine choice, we personally would have loved to see Peter Schrager’s suggestion come to be reality instead.

His choice.

Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.

This, of course, is a continuation of the romance between NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ and Van Ginkel going back to this past season. After Van Ginkel’s bright flashes of play midway through the season, he was declared the show’s “MVP, hero and Good Morning Football legend.”

As fun as it would actually be for Van Ginkel, of all members of the Dolphins, to actually grace the cover of Madden, that suggestion would be the greatest upset of all-time. There has not been a single Dolphins player to be featured on the cover of the game, which first debuted in 1988. The best chance Miami would have had along the way? Dan Marino, of course. But his career ran parallel to when Madden himself was featured on the cover. 2001 was the first year that the former coach was not on the cover himself and that honor went to Titans running back Eddie George.

Perhaps Dolphins running back Ricky Williams would have been a good choice in the mid-2000s, but Williams retired in the middle of his physical prime before making a comeback and other league stars were chosen over him during his first two years with Miami.

Van Ginkel on the cover? That’d be cool. But at this point we’d simply settle for a Dolphin. Any Dolphin.

Dolphins’ Andrew Van Ginkel credits trio of coaches for his 2020 leap

Dolphins’ Andrew Van Ginkel credits trio of coaches for his 2020 leap

Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel was one of the team’s most pleasant surprises of the 2020 season. Van Ginkel, a former 5th-round draft selection whose impact on the team was marginal after an early-season injury derailed his rookie campaign, became a firecracker on both defense and special teams on his way to eventually becoming a valued member of the defensive rotation.

When the dust settled, Van Ginkel’s play was good enough for the team to not feel overly pressed to replace the snaps they lost when cutting veteran LB Kyle Van Noy — with Van Ginkel as the presumed beneficiary this upcoming season. Yes, the team brought back Vince Biegel, who missed 2020 with an Achilles injury, but Van Ginkel took 46% of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps last season and appears ready for more.

How was he able to make the jump?

Van Ginkel credits the constant messaging from three positional coaches: Anthony Campanile, Austin Clark and Robbie Leonard.

“I’d say they all do such a great job in their position groups and on this defense, you’ve got to be versatile because you can play any different role, so just being able to learn different outputs from each coach really helps improve your game and just getting their understanding of the game as well, ultimately is going to make you into a better player – hearing it from three instead of just the same thing from one coach over and over again,” said Van Ginkel.

“So I think just having all of them there has really honestly helped benefit my game and hopefully this year, I can take it to another level.”

The Dolphins are also hoping that a new level awaits Van Ginkel’s game in 2021 — as the team will be banking on someone to fill the void left behind by Kyle Van Noy’s departure. Van Ginkel gets the first crack in addition to whatever opportunities may await him in a stack linebacker role, which is a role he took just a handful of snaps at in 2020.

WATCH: Dolphins LB Andrew Van Ginkel rips the ball away from a former Badger RB

A Badger on Badger crime takes place in Denver

Not one, but two Badgers were involved in the making of a tremendous defensive play for the Dolphins in the fourth quarter of their battle with the Denver Broncos.

Miami Dolphins LB Andrew Van Ginkel saved any chance of a road comeback with Broncos RB Melvin Gordon trying to put the game away at the goal line.

Despite both coming out of Madison, Wisconsin, there was some friendly fire in Denver:

Gordon’s Broncos lead the Dolphins late in the fourth as Miami looks to tie the game. It’s already been a monster day for the Badger RB as he has 15 carries for 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Watch: Dolphins’ Andrew Van Ginkel blocks Chargers’ punt

Andrew Van Ginkel took advantage of special-teams issues by the Chargers to block a punt

The Miami Dolphins have been getting help from all three phases of the game. It didn’t take long for the special teamers to pitch in Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Watch as punter Ty Long botches the snap and Andrew Van Ginkel swallows the punt attempt.

The Dolphins cashed in with a one-yard TD run to take an early advantage. The TD was scored by Salvon Ahmed.

 

WATCH: A former Badger takes a fumble to the house for the Miami Dolphins

Former Badgers are making this happen in week 8

With Badgers in action all around the NFL, the biggest play of the first half from a former Wisconsin star came in Miami.

Miami Dolphins LB Andrew Van Ginkel scooped up a second quarter Jared Goff fumble for the second-longest fumble return TD in Dolphins franchise history. The 79-yard TD gave Miami a 14-7 lead, in a game that Van Ginkel’s Dolphins now lead 28-7 at the half.