Dolphins Stock Report After Victory vs. Patriots
Andrew Van Ginkel was a man without an NFL team for the first three weeks of free agency this spring.
While the former Wisconsin standout took some visits, and flirted with a couple of teams, the Miami Dolphins’ 2019 fifth-round pick ultimately decided he wasn’t ready to leave South Florida, and signed a team-friendly deal that could be worth $2.6 million if he plays in every game this season.
Based on what we’ve seen in the first two games, that might be the best contract the Dolphins made this offseason because Van Ginkel has been a major contributor to Miami’s first two wins, and might be the best bang for your buck player on the team.
In my opinion, Van Ginkel was the top performer in the 24-17 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday night after being called on to replace an injured Jaelan Phillips.
Stock Up
Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel - A week after manning the nickel linebacker spot, Van Ginkel was a force as an edge rusher against the Patriots. He finished the game with six tackles, one sack, three quarterback hits, and one pass breakup. But more importantly, his game showed a tremendous amount of growth. The spin move he used to consistently beat Patriots right tackle Calvin Anderson was a new move he’s added to his arsenal. At this point it’s clear Van Ginkel will receive a larger role in Miami’s defense because he’s a player who has earned defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s trust.
Tailback Raheem Mostert - Mostert put on 15 pounds of muscle this offseason hoping to silence the critics who wonder how much thread the 31-year-old has left on his wheels. On Sunday night, Mostert could be spotted using that muscle to bowl over defenders on his way to his 121-yard, two-touchdown performance on 18 carries. Mostert’s 158 rushing yards in the past two games has him rank sixth in the NFL in rushing, and his 5.6 yards per carry average has him ranked 11th heading into the Monday night games.
Offensive tackle Kendall Lamm - Lamm has been so good, so reliable, so forceful, so consistent as the Dolphins' starting left tackle, the team has decided to not rush Terron Armstead’s return to the starting unit. Despite Armstead practicing all last week, the Dolphins held him out of the Patriots game and rode the Lamm wave again. The NFL journeyman locked down the left side of the offensive line, helping to keep Tagovailoa’s jersey mostly clean for the second straight week.
Stock Down
Kicker Jason Sanders - It would be irresponsible of me to knock Sanders for the field goal that got blocked because of how creative the Patriots were putting a man in motion before the snap. It was a classic Belichick-ean move that changed the momentum of the game. But that 55-yard field goal Sanders missed in the fourth quarter nearly cost the Dolphins the game. And this was the second straight week a miss (last week it was an extra-point miss) stirred up more end-of-the-game drama than was needed. If $2.5 million of Sanders’ $3.37 million contract wasn’t guaranteed we’d probably see Miami bringing in some kickers for a tryout in the coming days.
Cornerback Eli Apple - Apple’s veteran savvy reputation allowed him to earn the third cornerback role, but he certainly didn’t play like a grizzled veteran against the Patriots. Apple was flagged for three penalties against New England, and two of them contributed to the Patriots scoring drives that chipped away at Miami’s fourth-quarter lead. If Apple doesn’t clean up his game, the Dolphins will need to open back up the competition with Cam Smith, the rookie who is laboring to earn Fangio’s trust and respect.
