Dolphins Make It Official With Van Noy
The Miami Dolphins' Kyle Van Noy chapter officially ended Wednesday afternoon.
The team announced they had released the veteran linebacker, the media statement coming one week after reports surfaced the Dolphins were moving on one year after signing Van Noy to a four-year contract.
Multiple reports suggested the Dolphins were trying to trade Van Noy, though his contract and the team's desire to move on made that difficult.
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The linebacker, who won two Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots alongside Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, took to Twitter to express his appreciation to the Miami fans and his teammates.
Van Noy joined the Dolphins in March 2020 on a four-year, $51 million contract, but the move to release him will save $9.8 million against the salary cap, leaving the team with a little more than $33 million of wiggle room after the salary cap was set Wednesday.
The contract always made Van Noy susceptible to being released after one year, and the question always was going to be whether the team felt he provided enough to justify continuing to carry his big cap number.
Van Noy's contributions in 2020 were solid, though not overwhelming.
He finished the season with 69 tackles, six sacks, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. It needs to be pointed out that half of his sacks came in the 19-7 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals and their woeful offensive line in the December game at Hard Rock Stadium.
"I am surprised and disappointed in their decision," Van Noy said in a statement provided to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo after the initial reports surfaced. "As a captain, I gave my all to the team. I fought through a painful hip injury during the season, including spending a night in the hospital after a game. I was brought there to be a leader and I know my teammates looked up to and respected me. I am looking forward to making an impact on my next team, on and off the field."
Van Noy's departure may have been prompted by the rapid development of 2019 fifth-round pick Andrew Van Ginkel, who made play after play in much more limited action — along with the salary-cap implications.
Van Ginkel had 5.5 sacks last season in 479 snaps, compare to Van Noy's six in 811 snaps. Pro Football Focus gave Van Noy an overall grade of 61.6, compared to 79.3 for Van Ginkel.
Van Noy will become the second member of the Dolphins' 2020 free agent class to leave the team, following running back Jordan Howard, who was released last November.
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