Dolphins position review: ‘Great potential’ with Chubb, Phillips at outside linebacker
The Dolphins have their outside linebacker tandem of the future with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips but might need to fill out the rest of the rotation in the offseason.
In the eighth of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald examines the team’s outside linebacker situation. Next up is cornerbacks.
2022 IN REVIEW
The Dolphins went into the 2022 season with high hopes for Phillips in his second year, plus contributions from returning players such as Andrew Van Ginkel and veteran addition Melvin Ingram. But with the pass rush struggling, Miami made a midseason trade with the Denver Broncos for Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb and subsequently gave him a five-year extension worth $110 million. The Dolphins’ pass rush improved with Chubb and Phillips as bookend edge rushers, but both said there’s another new level for the duo to reach in 2023.
Depth chart
Bradley Chubb
▪ Skinny: In eight games after the Dolphins traded for him, Chubb had 2.5 sacks and dealt with a hand injury toward the end of the season. Although Chubb admitted his production could be higher, he finished the season with one of the NFL’s highest pass rush win rates, defined as how often a defender beats his block within 2.5 seconds.
▪ Contract: Chubb, who turns 27 in June, is entering the first year of a five-year extension he signed in 2022. He has a cap hit of $22,197,488, the second largest on the team.
Jaelan Phillips
▪ Skinny: With seven sacks in his second season, Phillips didn’t top his rookie year total but was one of the Dolphins’ most-improved players, making strides as a run defender and increasing his total pressures.
▪ Contract: Phillips, who turns 24 in May, is entering the third year of a five-year rookie contract, with a team option for the fifth season. He has a cap hit of $3,823,147.
Melvin Ingram
▪ Skinny: Ingram started the season strong, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for September. His playing time declined after the Chubb trade, but he still finished with six sacks and provided a respected veteran presence to a young locker room.
▪ Contract: Ingram, who turns 34 in April, is headed for unrestricted free agency.
Andrew Van Ginkel
▪ Skinny: While he remained a core special teams player, an appendectomy limited Van Ginkel’s defensive workload in the first month of the season. And with Chubb taking up a starting role on the edge, Van Ginkel played a career-low 32 percent of the defensive snaps and posted his lowest tackle (47) and sack (0.5) totals since his rookie year.
▪ Contract: Van Ginkel, who turns 28 in July, is headed for unrestricted free agency.
Trey Flowers
▪ Skinny: Flowers appeared in four games and recorded four tackles. He sustained a foot injury in Week 6 that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
▪ Contract: Flowers, who turns 30 in August, is headed for unrestricted free agency.
Offseason additions
1. Can Chubb reach his Pro Bowl level again under Fangio?
In his introductory news conference, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he was eager to reunite with Chubb, whom he coached for three seasons in Denver. Under Fangio, Chubb recorded 7.5 sacks in 2020 and was named to the Pro Bowl but missed several games in 2019 and 2021 because of a torn ACL and ankle injury. When he was head coach of the Broncos, Fangio spoke about the versatility Chubb has as a pass rusher, and he should have plenty of ideas to maximize his talent.
2. Does Fangio turn Phillips into an elite pass rusher?
The sack numbers weren’t always there for Phillips, but he was a disruptive force by the end of the season, finishing fourth in pass rush win rate. Fangio, a one-time outside linebackers coach, has brought the best out of pass rushers in his career, including Chubb, Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith. Phillips could be the next to blossom with Fangio, who said the Chubb-Phillips duo has “great potential.”
3. Who fills out the remainder of the rotation?
The Dolphins have their outside linebacker tandem of the future with Chubb and Phillips. But with their remaining edge players set to hit free agency, the front office will have to fill out the rest of the rotation to keep their two cornerstones fresh. This could be as simple as re-signing Ingram and Van Ginkel, who played well in their reserve roles. It will be particularly interesting to see what type of market Van Ginkel commands. In the three seasons preceding 2022, he showed consistent improvement and recorded 10.5 sacks.
Offseason additions
Any signing at this position will likely be a depth move, which could range from re-signing their current linebackers to bringing in an outside free agent for the rotation — maybe a reunion with Kyle Van Noy, who has played in a similar defensive scheme with the Los Angeles Chargers and Brandon Staley?
In the draft, Auburn’s Derick Hall is an athletic, albeit unrefined, edge defender who offers upside not only as a pass rusher but a run defender.
DOLPHINS POSITION REVIEWS
ILB: Trio of inside linebackers set to hit free agency
DL: Christian Wilkins set to lead defensive line again – with a new deal?
TE: Miami’s tight end room likely headed for shakeup
OL: Does Miami need to target another starting offensive lineman?
WR: The Hill-Waddle pairing was an explosive tandem in 2022
RB: Will Miami be in search of another upgrade at running back?
QB: Will Miami invest significant resources into Tagovailoa’s backup?
