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Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN
MIAMI — The Dolphins and defensive end Melvin Ingram have agreed to a contract, a league source confirmed to ESPN, adding quality depth to a pass rush that ranked as one of the NFL’s most aggressive last season.
The three-time Pro Bowler visited the Dolphins before the draft in April. He joins Miami pass-rushers Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips and Andrew Van Ginkel on a rotation that blitzed on 38% of opponents’ dropbacks in 2021 — the second-highest rate in the league. The Dolphins’ sack rate of 7.3% was ranked seventh in the league last season.
While the majority of the Dolphins’ major additions this offseason have come on the offensive side of the ball, Ingram represents their biggest defensive addition to date. Miami re-signed most of its defensive free agents, including Ogbah and linebackers Elandon Roberts, Brennan Scarlett and Duke Riley. It spent fourth- and seventh-round picks on linebackers Channing Tindall and Cameron Goode, respectively.
NFL journalist Jordan Schultz was first to report Ingram’s agreement with the Dolphins.
Earlier this month, the Kansas City Chiefs had placed the unrestricted free agent tender on Ingram, meaning his signing with the Dolphins will count against the NFL’s compensatory-pick formula. If Ingram had gone unsigned by July 22, the Chiefs would have retained exclusive negotiating rights to him at 110% of his 2021 salary, which would have been $4.4 million.
Ingram, 33, joined the Chiefs last season after being dealt by the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly before the trade deadline. After posting one sack in six games with the Steelers, Ingram added three more in 12 games with the Chiefs.
In one of the biggest defensive plays of the season for the Chiefs, Ingram forced Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon to fumble, which was returned by linebacker Nick Bolton for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 28-24 win in the regular-season finale.
Ingram was drafted by the Chargers in 2012, and in his nine seasons there, he had 49 sacks, including a career-high 10.5 in 2015 and 2017.
He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl following the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher contributed to this report.
