Rookie To IR Stresses LB Group… A Tad

‘Zeke Vandenburgh’s loss put a little stress on camp depth and competition

The Miami Dolphins 2023 defense is stacked in both talent and depth, but the two areas where there is some lack of depth are a nose tackle and linebacker. This is why the loss of UDFA LB Zeke Vandenburgh does sting a bit. The Phins do still have UDFA Aubrey Miller II to bring some youthful camp competition and maybe a long-shot roll of the dice to find a gem as we did in Kohou last season.

Still, the need for Channing Tindall to step up in Year 2 and Andrew Van Ginkel to learn a new job at inside linebacker is needed, in case of injuries to big free agent acquisition David Long and long-time starter Jerome Baker. In the NFL roster depth might be even more valuable than peak talent.

So, given the injury, let’s examine the Dolphins 2023 linebacking group.

Linebackers bind a defense together

The Dolphins are clearly set on the edge/linebacker: Chubb, Phillips, Reed, and Van Ginkel offer talent and depth on the edge. It’s the inside LB spot that is the topic of discussion a possible little thinness at the position. Vic Fangio wants his inside linebackers to cover and go sideline-to-sideline and the prototype is around 225lbs, which Baker, Long, and Tindall fit.

Because of these desired traits, I think Van Ginkel isn’t in line for a starting spot tryout. Van Ginkel is excellent in pass rush, hustle, intelligence, physicality, and run defense. His struggles have been in poor coverage, missed tackles in space, and limited long-range speed. So, this is why I see his role as spot duty on possible run-downs… unless he blows the coaches away with the test run.

You can make a sure bet with the best payperhead that David Long will produce like a stud… when healthy. But, Long’s former HC Mike Vrabel questioned his focus on taking care of his body, and getting dinged in OTAs didn’t help the narrative. So, we’ll need to see how consistent Long is this season to form our own opinion. But, when Long is on the field, he stops the run like Elandon Roberts, while being able to cover solidly and dog down runners across the field. This is great news for Phins fans, especially in the year that Zach Thomas officially enters the HOF.

Then there is Duke Riley. I like Duke and think he’s a bit underrated by Dolphins fans a utility guy who you can depend on for short spurts. So, I love having him on the roster, just not for long or medium-term starting.

Tindall’s time is NOW!

So the big question is will the Dolphins 2021 3rd Round pick, Channing Tindall, step up this camp?

Tindall struggled hard last season and after a short stint to start disappeared to the back end of the roster. The sophomore season is where the biggest growth happens for the vast majority of players, so we should hear ‘Tindall did this’ and ‘Tindall did that’ for Phins fans to have confidence that he’s arrived.

Tindall has all the physical tools Fangio wants, but will he put it all together this season? And if not now, when will he? Because of the uncertainty of who will step up to fill in for Long or Baker should they go down, Tindall’s growth will be a key storyline through the 2023 Training Camp. Go Phins!!!