Expect Dolphins to Stick With Familiarity Replacing Jaelan Phillips
The last time Jaelan Phillips was sidelined by an injury, Andrew Van Ginkel became one of the stars of the Miami Dolphins' defense.
Van Ginkel's performance during that month-long stretch was so good that Steve Ross, the owner of the franchise, was seeking him out after games.
Van Ginkel even remained part of the pass-rushing rotation after Phillips returned from the back and oblique injuries that forced him to sit out three games.
That’s why Dolphins fans should expect Van Ginkel, who has contributed 42 tackles, four sacks and forced a fumble in the 446 defensive snaps he's played this season, to provide a seamless replacement for Phillips, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Miami’s 34-13 win over the New York Jets in the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game.
"You don’t necessarily replace Jaelan Phillips," coach Mike McDaniel said Friday. "But you can have guys that are fully capable to step up and kind of get his production through different ways. We are fortunate enough to have some depth."
Emmanuel Ogbah, who has started 26 games with the Dolphins since joining the team in 2020, likely will have his role elevated as well and enter the pass-rushing rotation.
Ogbah, who has been more of a traditional 3-4 or 4-3 end, isn’t an ideal fit for Vic Fangio’s scheme because of his limitations dropping back into coverage, but he’s still managed to contribute four sacks and an interception in the 153 snaps he’s played on defense in 2023.
Ogbah averaged 20 snaps on defense a game during the three-game stretch when Phillips was sidelined.
David Long Jr. likely becomes every-down linebacker
Expect inside linebacker David Long Jr., whose 70 tackles has him tied with safety Jevon Holland for the team lead, to play more snaps in the nickel package, taking back a role that Van Ginkel has held most of the season, with the exception of when he was filling in for Phillips on the edge.
Phillips’ season-ending injury might also open the door for Cameron Goode, a 2022 seventh-round pick who has become a core special teams contributor, and Channing Tindall, a 2022 third-round pick who is sparingly used on defense, to play more snaps because they’re the remaining linebackers on the 53-man defense chart.
Putting Phillips, who contributed 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and pulled down an interception in the eight games he played in 2023, on injured reserve creates a vacancy on Miami’s 53-man roster that potentially could be used on rookie tailback Chris Brooks, who is on injured reserve because of a knee injury but can be designated for a return this week.
But the Dolphins might also kick the tires on a couple of linebackers who were recently waived by NFL teams.
Dolphins could explore free agent linebackers
The Philadelphia Eagles waived former first-round pick Derek Barnett this weekend, and Fangio has some familiarity with the outside linebacker who has contributed 21.5 sacks and 37 tackles for loss in his seven seasons, because of his work as a consultant with the Eagles last season.
Barnett, who is 15 months removed from a season-ending knee injury, happens to be represented by South Florida based agent Drew Rosenhaus, who does a ton of business with the Dolphins.
Barnett’s contract contains less than $500K in remaining base salary, which would not be much of an impediment toward a waiver claim. If not claimed Monday, Miami could land Barnett as a free agent if the seven-year veteran, who has played just 99 defensive snaps for the Eagles this season, is looking to latch onto a playoff contender.
The same can be said about Shaquille Leonard, who was waived by the Indianapolis Colts last week. While Leonard, who has contributed 65 tackles in the nine games he’s played this season, is more of a traditional inside linebacker, he’s contributed 15 sacks and 12 interceptions in his six-year career, and it’s not like the Dolphins couldn’t use some help at inside linebacker.
Miami also could go the veteran free agent route and place calls on aged and out-of-work veterans like Melvin Ingram to determine what type of shape and mental state he’s in at this point in the season.
Ingram, a veteran outside linebacker who has contributed 57 sacks in his 11 seasons, has spent most of his career playing in 3-4 schemes like the one Fangio utilizes. Last season the 34-year-old contributed 22 tackles, six sacks, forced one fumble and recovered two more in the 512 snaps he played on defense for the Dolphins.
