Dolphins Re-Sign LB Andrew Van Ginkel
Andrew Van Ginkel is returning to Miami. The Dolphins have agreed to a new one-year deal with the linebacker, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Per Jackson, the linebacker tested free agency a bit. In addition to taking a visit with the Patriots, Van Ginkel also talked with the Raiders, Vikings, and Steelers. Naturally, the Dolphins also made a push, with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently calling the player and expressing interest in bringing the linebacker back to Miami for the 2023 campaign.
The former fifth-round pick has spent his entire career with the Dolphins, collecting 181 tackles in 56 games (31 starts). He started five of his 17 appearances in 2022, finishing with 47 stops. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 34th among 119 qualifying edge defenders.
Van Ginkel will be a part of a linebackers corps that features Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and recent acquisition Malik Reed. Van Ginkel will likely continue to see a situational role on defense and a full-time role on special teams.
WR Notes: Hopkins, Cardinals, Chiefs, Ridley, Browns, Slayton, Texans, Dolphins
The Brandin Cooks trade domino dropped Sunday morning, leaving DeAndre Hopkins as the only clear-cut impact receiver trade chip available. The Cardinals continue to shop the 11th-year veteran, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes talks are ramping up (Twitter link). Hopkins is amenable to adjusting his contract to facilitate a deal, and Rapoport adds an adjusted contract is likely. As is, Hopkins’ through-2024 contract calls for a $19.45MM base salary this season. That will likely be untenable to interested teams.
As far as interested parties go, the Chiefs are viewed as a team angling to acquire a veteran. Whether it is Hopkins or Odell Beckham Jr., veteran NFL reporter Mike Jurecki adds (on Twitter) Kansas City is on the market for an addition. With JuJu Smith-Schuster signing with the Patriots, it is unsurprising the defending champions are interested in upgrading. Mecole Hardman remains a free agent, and while the Chiefs were expected to move on from the speedster, his price range may have dropped considering his extended stay in free agency. Patrick Mahomes‘ restructure created $9.6MM in cap space for the Chiefs, though they sit at just more than $9MM as of Tuesday.
Staying on the Hopkins front, here is the latest from the receiver scene:
- The Browns are not believed to be interested in reuniting Hopkins with Deshaun Watson, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. Cleveland has a big contract at receiver (Amari Cooper‘s) already, though the team could benefit from a veteran presence alongside its No. 1 target. The Browns did host Marquise Goodwin on a visit that has spanned from Monday to today, Anderson adds (on Twitter). Goodwin spent last season with the Seahawks, catching 27 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns. The former Olympic long jumper is going into his age-33 season.
- Darius Slayton is back with the Giants, re-signing on a two-year deal worth $12MM. That contract includes $4.9MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. This can be treated more like a one-year deal; the Giants can save $6MM by cutting Slayton in 2024. That said, Slayton said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he received other offers in free agency. The Giants, despite burying him on their initial 2022 depth chart and cutting his pay, reached out early and will have the former fifth-round pick back in the fold. The team’s improvement last season helped convince Slayton to stay.
- A year after he signed for the exact terms Slayton reached (with the Jets), Braxton Berrios is now in Miami. The ex-Hurricanes receiver agreed to terms with the Dolphins on what KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes is a one-year, $3.5MM pact (Twitter link). Berrios will receive $3MM guaranteed, giving him a good chance of being part of the Dolphins’ 53-man roster. The Dolphins still have Cedrick Wilson and brought back River Cracraft and Freddie Swain last week.
- Noah Brown‘s one-year Texans deal is worth $2.6MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The longtime Cowboys wideout received $2.25MM guaranteed and can add an additional $500K through incentives.
- Addressing his season-long gambling suspension recently, Calvin Ridley said he deposited $1,500 into an unspecified betting app and, after making approximately $200 worth of NBA bets, he included the Falcons in a parlay. Denying he had inside information, Ridley said (via a piece on The Players’ Tribune) he had been away from the Falcons for a month, was not talking to anyone on the team and made the bet to root for his teammates. Regarding Ridley’s midseason Falcons exit in 2021, the former first-round pick said he was dealing with depression and anxiety. Ridley said he played most of the 2020 season (a career-high 1,374-yard slate) on a broken foot, but he was not informed of the break until June 2021. He underwent surgery, which was described as a minor procedure, but said he was not close to 100% by Week 1. This and Ridley’s house being robbed on that Week 1 Sunday intensified his anxiety. The NFL reinstated Ridley, now with the Jaguars, earlier this month.
Dolphins Interested In George Fant, Unlikely To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Austin Jackson, Noah Igbinoghene
Towards the end of February, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote that the Dolphins are unlikely to exercise the fifth-year option on right tackle Austin Jackson. In the ensuing weeks, there has been nothing to suggest that the ‘Fins are reconsidering that stance.
Indeed, as Barry Jackson tweeted on Friday, Miami has shown interest in free agent tackle George Fant, lending credence to previous reports that the club is expected to bring in competition for Austin Jackson. That also represents the first reported interest in Fant since free agency opened several days ago.
Austin Jackson, the No. 18 overall pick of the 2020 draft, has yet to live up to his first-round billing. Miami hoped that the USC product would become its long-term answer at left tackle, but in 13 games (12 starts) at the position in his rookie year, Jackson largely struggled. While he got some run at LT in his second professional season, most of his snaps came at left guard, with similarly mediocre results. He then opened the 2022 campaign as the Dolphins’ starting right tackle before suffering an ankle injury in Week 1 that essentially wiped out his season (he wound up playing in just two contests and 84 total snaps).
It comes as little surprise, then, that Miami would decline to exercise Jackson’s fifth-year option, which would lock in a fully-guaranteed $14.2MM salary for 2024. It is equally unsurprising that the team would seek to bring in competition for the RT job.
Fant, who is entering his age-31 season, signed a three-year contract with the Jets in 2020. He spent most of his first year in New York at right tackle, with generally uninspiring results. However, when he was moved to left tackle out of necessity in 2021, Fant blossomed, and his performance even led to extension talks with Gang Green last year. Unfortunately, he was limited to just eight games in 2022 due to knee trouble, and even when he was on the field, his work was not as strong as it was the season before.
The Dolphins used Greg Little and Brandon Shell as Jackson replacements last year, but both players are also out of contract. It seems Miami wants to see what else is out there, and Fant is someone who can at least provide depth at both tackle spots and who would stand a good chance of opening the season as the club’s starting right tackle.
In related news, it would be “unfathomable” if the Dolphins were to exercise cornerback Noah Igbinoghene‘s fifth-year option (worth $11.5MM) for 2024, per Barry Jackson. Igbinoghene, who was selected twelve picks after Austin Jackson in 2020, is clearly not well-regarded by head coach Mike McDaniel & Co., as he was a healthy scratch for eight games in 2022 even though the Dolphins were without their No. 2 and No. 3 corners (Byron Jones and Nik Needham).
Jones has been released and Needham re-signed over the last week, and the Dolphins of course made a big splash to acquire Jalen Ramsey from the Rams. As it stands, Ramsey and Xavien Howard will operate as Miami’s starting boundary corners, with Kader Kohou and Needham both above Igbinoghene on the depth chart.
Dolphins Sign OLB Malik Reed
The Dolphins have added some pass rushing depth today, agreeing to a one-year deal with Malik Reed, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Both parties have intentions of improving on a disappointing 2022 season. 
Reed started his career in Denver, signing with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Nevada in 2019. He quickly made an impact as a rookie, tallying his first sack by Week 4 and starting the next eight games for the Broncos. His strongest season came the following year when he led the team in sacks with eight, combining with Bradley Chubb for 15.5 sacks.
While still under his entry level deal, Reed was traded to the Steelers for 2022. No longer starting on his new team, Reed struggled to produce in Pittsburgh, following up 15.0 sacks in three years with the Broncos with a single sack on the Steelers. He’ll attempt to get back on track with the Dolphins.
Miami was middle of the pack with their pass rush last year, led by the second-year linebacker out of Miami (FL), Jaelan Phillips, who totaled seven sacks. The team is set to lose its second- and third-highest sack getters, Melvin Ingram (6.0) and Elandon Roberts (4.5), to free agency this offseason but still have Chubb, whom they acquired and extended last season.
Reed will be reunited with Chubb in Miami, backing him and Phillips up as a depth pass rusher. The Dolphins passing rushing depth is extremely thin right now, making Reed an immediate asset no matter what the result. If Reed can return to the production he had in Denver, Miami is looking at a strong top group of pass rushers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/23
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Tae Davis
Buffalo Bills
- Signed free agent tender: CB Dane Jackson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: C Justin McCray
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: S Rudy Ford
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LS Jacob Bobenmoyer
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: P JK Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR River Cracraft
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: DT Daniel Ekuale
- Signed: LB Chris Board
New York Jets
- Re-signed: FB Nick Bawden
- Signed: C Trystan Colon-Castillo
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Abdullah Anderson
Board is a strong special teamer, signing a two-year, $5MM deal with New England, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The contract reportedly includes incentives that can push the deal to a maximum value of $6.7MM.
Colon-Castillo reportedly visited the Falcons today, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Despite the visit, he decided to sign with the Jets.
Dolphins, P Jake Bailey Agree To Deal
AFC East punter relocation drama is upon us. Minutes after Thomas Morstead tweeted he was moving from the Dolphins to the Jets, his previous team will add the Patriots’ previous punter.
Jake Bailey is heading to Miami, according to the Dolphins. The Jets, Dolphins and Patriots could all have new punters in 2022 (the Patriots and Dolphins definitely will; Morstead looks to be entering a competition). Saving the punter continuity for this division, the Bills re-signed Sam Martin earlier this week.
Bailey leaves New England as an All-Pro. The former fifth-round pick collected such honors in 2020, when he averaged 48.7 yards per punt and placed 56.4% of his boots inside opponents’ 20-yard lines. Last season did not go as well for Bailey, who battled a back injury and was limited to nine games. Bailey averaged a career-low 42.1 yards per punt in 2022.
This Dolphins agreement comes shortly after the Patriots waived Bailey, who had signed a New England extension last summer. The Pats moved that four-year, $13.5MM deal off their books before the extension years began. The Dolphins will bet on Bailey, who will enjoy some better punting conditions with his new team, bouncing back after a down 2022. The Pats do not presently have a punter on their roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/23
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: LS Nick Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: CB C.J. Goodwin
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: S P.J. Locke
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LS Joe Cardona
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, DT T.Y. McGill
There’s some long snapper news to pass along! Cardona will be returning to New England for his ninth season with the organization, making him the Patriots’ second-longest tenured player (behind Matthew Slater). Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Cardona got a four-year deal with a $1MM signing bonus, with that latter value being “an important marker” for the veteran to clear.
Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Moore will be getting a two-year, $2.5MM deal. The long snapper was non-tendered by Baltimore yesterday but ultimately re-upped with the team on a multiyear deal. Per Zrebiec, Moore received interest from other teams but wanted to stick around Baltimore. The 30-year-old has been with the Ravens since 2020 and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022.
Dolphins, OL Dan Feeney Agree To Deal
After two seasons with the Jets, Dan Feeney has agreed to a deal that will keep him in the AFC East. Rather than reach a third agreement with the Jets, Feeney is signing with the Dolphins.
Miami will bring in the veteran offensive lineman on a one-year deal, Peter Schrager of Fox Sports tweets. The former third-round pick has 64 starts on his resume and stands to give the Dolphins some options along their interior O-line.
This agreement will give Feeney an opportunity to play a seventh NFL season. The former Chargers starting center and guard did not earn the same opportunity with the Jets, starting seven games in two seasons. His Bolts tenure also did not overlap with Dolphins OC Frank Smith, who spent the 2021 season with the team. But Feeney has proven durable and will supply depth, at the very least, for Mike McDaniel’s team.
Feeney, 28, went three straight seasons as a Chargers starter — at either guard or center — and did not miss a game in that span, finishing out Philip Rivers‘ tenure and snapping to Justin Herbert in 2020. Pro Football Focus has never been especially fond of the Indiana alum’s work, save for a positive review as a Jets swingman in 2021, but the Dolphins probably are not planning for this agreement to lead to a surefire first-string gig.
The Dolphins have Connor Williams in place as their starting center, along with Robert Hunt and Liam Eichenberg at guard. Those positions did not plague Miami as much as its tackle spots did in 2022. But Eichenberg, who has moved between guard and tackle, did miss seven games last season. Former third-round pick Michael Deiter, a starter-turned-backup in Miami, played out his rookie contract last season.
The Dolphins aren’t done adding linemen. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that Miami is re-signing Geron Christian. The offensive lineman will be inking a new one-year pact, per Jackson. Christian started 16 games for Washington and Houston between 2019 and 2021. He appeared in 10 games for the Chiefs last season before getting waived. He was scooped up by the Dolphins and was on their roster for the season finale and Miami’s lone playoff game.
Dolphins To Add WR Braxton Berrios
Hours after offensive lineman Dan Feeney left the Jets to join the Dolphins, Miami will add another recent Jet to its equation. Braxton Berrios is signing with the Fins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
A slot receiver and All-Pro return man in New York, Berrios played his college ball in Miami. The Hurricanes alum will join a Dolphins team rostering Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson at receiver. Berrios’ latest AFC East contract is a one-year agreement.
The Dolphins have now added Berrios and claimed Freddie Swain off waivers from the Broncos this week. Complementary target Trent Sherfield is a free agent. Berrios will now step in as a tertiary option in this star-studded receiving corps. The 5-foot-9 pass catcher/returner has now joined his third AFC East team. The Patriots drafted Berrios in the 2018 sixth round, but he never played in a game with the team.
Released ahead of the Jets’ Allen Lazard signing, Berrios had re-signed with the team on a two-year deal worth $12MM. He commanded that kind of cash after earning first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner in 2021 while also aiding Gang Green in the slot. Berrios established new career-high marks in receptions (46) and receiving yards (431) for the 2021 Jets, adding a 102-yard kick-return TD that helped the team to a win over the Jaguars.
Berrios, 27, did not fare as well last season. Although he played all 17 Jets games, he only totaled 18 catches for 145 yards. The Jets featured a dismal passing attack for much of last season, leading to this all-fronts Aaron Rodgers pursuit, but Berrios did not make the kind of impact the team sought when it re-signed him. He will attempt to do so in Miami.
Wilson served as the Dolphins’ primary punt returner last season, while the team sent out Raheem Mostert as its primary kick returner — despite his extensive running back duties. Berrios has returned kicks and punts extensively as a pro, and his two seasons in Mike LaFleur‘s Jets offense would make for a natural fit into Mike McDaniel‘s scheme. The two were each Kyle Shanahan lieutenants for years.
Dolphins Re-Signing CB Nik Needham
Cornerback Nik Needham will be continuing his career with Miami after reportedly signing a new one-year, $2MM deal to remain with the Dolphins, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Needham rejoins a group that is sure to look very different in 2023. 
Needham has been in Miami since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of UTEP in 2019. Needham failed to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie but was promoted to the active roster in October of that year and proceeded to start in 11 of his 12 appearances for the rest of the year. Needham recorded two interceptions and 11 passes defensed as a rookie.
For the next two years, Needham was a spot starter and rotated in plenty for Miami’s defense. He nabbed two picks in each of the following two years and tallied 12 passes defensed over that span. He also recorded a sack in each of his first three seasons.
In 2022, Needham was forced back into a starting role after starting cornerback Byron Jones sat out the year with an Achilles injury. Unfortunately, Needham suffered an Achilles tear of his own and only was able to appear in six games before spending the rest of the season on injured reserve.
After playing out his initial entry level deal, Needham was given an exclusive-rights free agent tender for 2021 and a restricted free agent tender in 2022. The Dolphins had expressed interest in bringing the 26-year-old back earlier this year and have officially gotten the deal done.
Most of the main staff of defensive backs should be returning next season alongside Needham, but the supporting staff should look fairly different. The Dolphins acquired Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Rams and brought in former Ravens and Lions safety DeShon Elliott to compete with Brandon Jones for starting time next to Jevon Holland. With Byron Jones and Eric Rowe hitting the free agent market, those two are expected to have a part in filling those roles.
Needham will likely return to his backup rotation role behind Xavien Howard and Ramsey. He and Kader Kohou will be the top options off the bench when the team needs an extra corner on the field. It’s a best-case scenario for both sides of the deal as Needham isn’t forced to face a discounted free agent market after his injury and the Dolphins are able to return a reliable backup with starting ability.