Eagles Showed Interest In Andrew Van Ginkel During Free Agency

Vic Fangio did not endear himself to several Dolphins defenders last season. Select Dolphins have addressed what appeared to be a poor fit, and a perception also emerged the one-and-done Fins DC was interested in returning to Philadelphia while he was on the job in Miami.

That ended up happening, as Fangio became the Eagles’ DC shortly after he and the Dolphins agreed to mutually part ways. This brought a reunion between the Eagles and the veteran coordinator, who was a consultant for Philly’s 2022 team before appearing squarely on the radar to succeed Jonathan Gannon. The latter’s Cardinals defection complicated Fangio’s 2023 offseason, and the DC’s eventual destination looks to have impacted the Eagles’ free agency plan this year.

The Eagles showed interest in Andrew Van Ginkel during the hybrid linebacker’s brief free agency stay, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. The team ultimately viewed him as a bit too expensive. Van Ginkel had options to follow multiple former Dolphins coaches elsewhere, taking another one by signing with the Vikings. The former Brian Flores Miami charge has excelled in Minnesota.

Van Ginkel, 29, helped his free agency prospects in Fangio’s Dolphins defense by registering six sacks. The Wisconsin alum logged a career-high 321 pass-rushing snaps last season, helping secure a two-year, $20MM deal from the Vikings. While a foot injury sustained in Week 18 of last season kept Van Ginkel out of Miami’s wild-card loss in Kansas City, he enjoyed a nice market following a season in which he tallied 19 QB hits. The Rams also pursued Van Ginkel, who has been crucial to the Vikings’ 8-2 start.

The former fifth-round Dolphins draftee has notched a career-high eight sacks, registering two in Week 11. He has helped a Vikings team that said goodbye to Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum. Minnesota remade its edge group by adding Jonathan Greenard early in the tampering period and then drafting Dallas Turner, also bolstering its off-ball LB corps by signing Blake Cashman. Van Ginkel leads the NFL with 13 tackles for loss, having added two pick-sixes during a strong reunion season with Flores, who was Miami’s HC when the team drafted him.

Fangio has reignited the Eagles’ defense, which crumbled after the team started 10-1 start last season. Philly ranks first in total defense, though only one player (Josh Sweat) has more than 3.5 sacks; the contract-year EDGE has six. As Van Ginkel also has a past as a standup linebacker, the Eagles had also already allocated much of their free agent budget to Bryce Huff and Saquon Barkley. Now tied to the Vikings through the 2025 season, Van Ginkel keeping up this pace would stand to put him in line for a bigger payday in the not-too-distant future.