Dolphins Re-sign Veteran Pass Rusher Melvin Ingram
The Miami Dolphins are going to a familiar well to enhance the team's pass rushing, reportedly signing Melvin Ingram to the practice squad after hosting the 11-year veteran for a workout Monday.
The news, which has been reported by NFL Network, comes two weeks after Miami lost Jaelan Phillips to a season-ending Achilles injury, and one day after the Dolphins produced one sack in a 28-27 fourth-quarter loss against the Tennessee Titans.
Ingram, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was a member of the Dolphins' 2022 team, contributing 22 tackles, six sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in the 512 defensive snaps he played that season. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for September after scoring a touchdown on a fumble return in the opener against New England and recovering a Buffalo to set up a score in the Week 3 home victory against Buffalo.
Could Van Ginkel be on the move?
The Dolphins have been using an edge rusher rotation that features Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah for the past two games, but the trio came up empty against the Titans on Monday night. Miami signed Jason Pierre-Paul, another aged veteran, to the 53-man roster two weeks ago, and he's played sparingly.
But injuries to starting inside linebacker Jerome Baker (knee) and Alexander Johnson, a practice squad inside linebacker, might force Van Ginkel to play more snaps as an inside linebacker in Vic Fangio's scheme.
Before Phillips suffered his season-ending injury in Miami's 34-13 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 24, the Dolphins had been using Van Ginkel as an inside linebacker in the nickel package, and it's possible that they'd like to get back to that approach, especially since depth is an issue.
Miami signed Calvin Munson off the Patriots practice squad last weekend to address the team's troublesome inside linebacker depth, but adding a player like Ingram, who was a popular locker room presence last season, gives them added position flexibility.
However, Ingram been out of football all season, so the odds of the 34-year-old South Florida native being in football shape are slim. But Miami could benefit from Ingram using the pass-rushing moves he's polished throughout his career, where he's produced 57 sacks, to get the first-team offensive line ready to the final four regular season contests.
