Dolphins LB Melvin Ingram lends helping hand in mandatory minicamp, eyes return to field
Months from now, the Dolphins are hoping that Melvin Ingram III’s biggest contributions are registering a timely sack or tackle in a big moment.
But for now, at the beginning of June and still weeks from training camp, the Dolphins are more than content to see how the veteran linebacker helped Wednesday.
Decked in Dolphins-themed sweats, Ingram, who hasn’t been officially issued a number, wasn’t participating in the first day of mandatory minicamp but assisting his fellow teammates during positional drills.
“It’s just getting out there and getting a feel with the guys,” Ingram said after practice, “getting into their routine of what they’re doing in individual [drills] and how they like to do this. It’s dope to be out there with them.”
Ingram gave his first comments to local reporters Wednesday since signing a one-year deal worth $4 million.
The 33-year-old said “everything” about the Dolphins appealed to him, “from the training staff to the coaches to the people up top, the players ... It’s a first-class organization. It’s just something that I wanted to be a part of. It’s been a blessing to be here.”
Ingram’s arrival in Miami comes after there was interest from both sides last offseason, but it never culminated in a contract. Ingram spent half of the 2021 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he remained a reliable situational pass rusher.
The Dolphins brought Ingram in for a visit in April, and it didn’t instantly result in a deal. The Chiefs in early May applied the seldom-used unrestricted free agent tender, which would have given Kansas City exclusive negotiating rights with Ingram if he wasn’t signed by the start of training camp, and that might have sped up the timeline. Two weeks later, the Dolphins and Ingram agreed to a deal, adding an accomplished veteran to a defense kept intact.
Ingram said he’s “200 percent healthy” and “ready to rock and roll,” but coach Mike McDaniel said he wanted players to be in the “prerequisite shape” before practicing. Ingram said he plans to be ready to practice at the start of training camp.
“Right now, that’s the limit with which we’re comfortable doing with him,” McDaniel said. “That’s exactly why all things equal, he’s added value to the Dolphins. There is an element of professional success and hunger. He’s trying to prove himself as well, just like this team has, and we’re doing that one day at a time.”
And so, Ingram joined other veterans such as cornerback Xavien Howard and Byron Jones who haven’t been participants in the previous voluntary sessions and watched from the sidelines during team drills. Even without the standouts, the defense had its way with the offense, only adding more intrigue to the unit’s potential once the veterans rejoin them in full capacity.
“[The defense is] really dangerous,” said offensive tackle Terron Armstead, who remains sidelined as he rehabs from a January knee procedure. “The looks, the speed — there’s a ton of speed throughout the defense. And the presnap looks create a lot of challenges — will create a lot of challenges throughout the season. Regardless of who we’re playing, it’s tough. It’s hard to pick up and then just adding players like Melvin, the things that he can do, that’s another piece of versatility. I’m excited.”
As much as Wednesday was the beginning of what the Dolphins and Ingram hope will be a fruitful pairing in 2022, it was also a sentimental moment for Ingram, whose late father, George Melvin Ingram Jr., was a big Dolphins fan when Melvin was growing up in North Carolina.
“I thought about him a lot,” he said. “If he was here to see this, it would be crazy. I know he’s smiling down and he’s happy. I know that. ... It’s definitely been a dream and through the grace of God, it happened.”
This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 5:04 PM.
