Dolphins get one of their draft picks back. And the rookie who’s ‘coming into his own’
The Miami Dolphins will be able to see their fifth-round rookie linebacker in a game this season after all. But Aqib Talib’s Dolphins career appears over before it starts.
That was the upshot of the news on Wednesday that linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has been designated as the second Dolphin to return from injured reserve.
Van Ginkel flashed during May and June practices and early in training camp before being sidelined with a foot injury before preseason. But he’s healthy now and returned to practice on Wednesday. His progress will determine how soon he plays.
Teams are permitted to designate two players to return off injured reserve, and Van Ginkel and offensive tackle Julien Davenport will be those players for Miami. Davenport is still working his way back from a leg injury but is practicing in pads.
The Dolphins chose for Van Ginkel to return instead of defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter, who played in the opener before an injury, and former Rams cornerback Aqib Talib, who said he’s healthy to play (after a knee injury) and would have been eligible to return for the final three games.
Cornerback Xavien Howard (knee soreness) could have returned off injured reserve for the final game, but that wasn’t a consideration. And guard Danny Isidora would not have been able to return physically because his September foot injury required surgery.
Van Ginkel had 12 sacks and two interceptions in two seasons at Wisconsin. Van Ginkel started 11 games as a senior and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors by producing 46 tackles, seven for loss, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and a blocked kick that year with the Badgers.
“I had to be patient; it was a long time coming,” he said. “I was unsure” if he would be brought back from IR.
“I feel like I can get after the [passer],” he said this past offseason. “I’ve been working on it ever since I got to college. I’ve always tried to develop my game and I’ve really anchored down on the ground to be able to stop the run.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ Flores said rookie first-round defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has made clear improvement in the past two weeks. He had his first career sack and five tackles against the Jets and four tackles against the Colts.
“Christian is starting to pick it up past few games,” Flores said. “He’s very talented, has got size, athleticism, plays with a real good motor and starting to come into his own to learn how we want him to play and use his athleticism to help the team win some games. I like Christian a lot.”
▪ Pro Football Focus ranks John Jenkins 14th among interior defensive linemen, and Flores raved about him on Wednesday, calling him “one of my favorite players.”
Jenkins said the Dolphins haven’t broached extending his contract beyond this season. But that’s a good possibility if he plays well the rest of the season.
“John has brought energy, enthusiasm, one of those unsung players nobody really knows about or talks about,” Flores said. “Our linebackers enjoy having him in front of seven because he takes up space, does a lot of the dirty work. He’s been a big part of our improvement defensively, been very productive.”
▪ The Dolphins have two longtime cornerbacks playing safety now — with Bobby McCain moved to the position in the offseason and Eric Rowe moved there, at least temporarily a month ago as Reshad Jones recovers from a chest injury. And that combination has worked out well.
“Those guys have played well,” Flores said. “Some of the upside there is just the communication with those guys and having an overall understanding of what the corner position entails and what guys can handle what communication.
“From a coverage standpoint, it’s good. Having some corner ability and playing out on the perimeter, especially when a lot of tight ends play on the perimeter, has been helpful.”
Rowe, while working at safety in the past five weeks, has allowed only 10 of 21 passes in his coverage area to be caught, for 90 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions, per Pro Football Focus. That’s a 59.6 passer rating in his coverage area, which is exceptional from a defensive standpoint.
McCain, for the season, has a 98.3 passer rating in his coverage area - nine completions in 12 attempts for 97 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Reshad Jones said he will play Sunday after missing four games with a cracked rib. But Rowe said he remained at safety on Wednesday.
▪ Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders was named AFC Special Teams player of the week after he made field goals of 47, 48 and 48 yards against the Colts. Per Dophins.com’s Alain Poupart, Sanders became the first Dolphins kicker with three field goals of 45 yards or longer in the same game since 1999 when Olindo Mare did it against the Patriots.
▪ Cornerback Ken Webster, who has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, was the only player who did not practice Wednesday.
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 12:05 PM.
