Miami Dolphins will now look to Andrew Van Ginkel to step up

Last year, Andrew Van Ginkel played well in a limited role for the Miami Dolphins. Statistically, he played close to Kyle Van Noy. Now, he is going to get a big bump in playing time to prove he can be the Dolphins Swiss Army knife at linebacker.

Van Ginkel posted 5 sacks to Van Noy’s 6.5 but did so in half the snaps. After missing most of his rookie season, Van Ginkel looked on the verge of breaking out. Now the Dolphins need him to take a huge step.

With Van Noy released today, the job is wide open for Van Ginkel to step in. Miami may be looking at the draft or a possible free agent to replace Van Noy but for now, today, it’s Van Ginkel who stands to benefit the most.

In the Brian Flores defensive system, versatility is key. It is what the Dolphins wanted in Van Noy and got even if for only one season. Miami signed Van Noy to a three-year $51 million free-agent contract last season. He would have counted $13.9 million against the cap this year. Van Ginkel will count just under $1 million.

With the move earlier today, the Dolphins now sit around $31 million in space. Many in the media wonder if this extra $9.5 will go towards Van Noy’s replacement but it doesn’t seem as though Miami will target a top free agent this year but perhaps draft a player.

Van Ginkel is more than capable of putting up similar numbers if not better than Van Noy and last year he proved that he could handle the NFL.