Post by rainman on Apr 26, 2009 10:51:16 GMT -5
Team Completes First Day Of Draft With Davis, White And Smith
April 25, 2009
By Andy Kent
MiamiDolphins.com
Now that the Buffalo Bills have added Terrell Owens at wide receiver, the prospect of facing three high-caliber wide receivers (New England's Randy Moss and Buffalo's Lee Evans) twice this year in the AFC East made the decision to take Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis in the first round with the 25th overall pick a logical one for the Dolphins on Saturday.
Adding Utah cornerback Sean Smith in the second round with the 61st overall pick also sends a message to the Bills, Patriots and New York Jets that Miami is serious is about upgrading its pass defense, while the selection of West Virginia quarterback Pat White with the 44th overall pick in the second round adds speed, versatility and athleticism to the offense.
"I feel real good about the players we selected," said Ireland, who is in the midst of his second draft as a general manager. "Last year we kind of built the offensive and defensive lines, this year we got an unusual set of skills at quarterback and hopefully two corners that can really help us for a long period of time. We felt like that was good value to have two corners. They're hard to find to begin with and they're very difficult to get in free agency and sometimes they're very difficult to keep as we found this last year (with Andre Goodman departing via free agency)."
Davis was surrounded by over 100 friends and family at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C. when he got the call from Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland and he still sounded excited when he spoke with the South Florida media for the first time on a conference call as he talked about what his best attributes are and what he thinks he can bring to the Dolphins.
"I consider myself a complete corner and being physical when I come up to make the tackle as well as being physical in run support," said Davis, who started 34 of the 36 games he played in for the Fighting Illini and is the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. "I just need to be more consistent. My expectations are to be the defensive player of the year in the National Football League."
During his private workout with the Dolphins the 5-foot-11, 203-pound cornerback was given the indication by Executive Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells that his physical style of play fit Miami's defense. He also considers himself a gym rat, which is important in Miami because the offseason conditioning program is not easy and Parcells, Ireland and Head Coach Tony Sparano place a big emphasis on being strong and in shape.
Among the questions surrounding Davis before the draft were concerns over his character in light of some disciplinary issues in college and the fact that his older brother had a much publicized confrontation with Niners head coach Mike Singletary. But he doesn't feel that's an issue anymore.
"This is what people keep talking about, but everybody who knows Vontae knows that I am a great person, a great player," Davis said. "And Bill Parcells speaks louder than words and for him to draft me; he knows what type of person I am."
Ireland did his homework on Davis and talked to a lot of people who knew Davis, specifically Illinois head coach Ron Zook because the two worked together with the Kansas City Chiefs (Ireland was in Kansas City from 1997-2000). Zook spoke highly of Davis and vouched for him.
"Some of the things that he got maybe in trouble with early in his career were not things that really bother me, and he was younger, "Ireland said. "He's a competitive kid. He's a gym rat. He's a good kid and I don't think we have to worry about any integrity problems there. So I feel very comfortable with him talking to the coaches there and talking to the kid himself. I worked him out, had a nice visit with him, I feel like I know him pretty well so I don't have any problem with the kid's character."
Davis played against Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. in college when Ginn was at Ohio State and he is looking forward to competing for a starting job in the secondary. He believes he will make the other cornerbacks better, and that's the type of attitude the Dolphins' regime likes.
Last year as a junior at Illinois, Davis finished second on the team in tackles with 78 (53 solo) and tied for second in the Big Ten with three forced fumbles. He also had two interceptions, recovered a fumble and broke up eight passes and came up big in the red zone on running downs. He is eager to face Owens, Moss and Evans.
"I am going to do my best and put my best abilities forward to become a great player in the National Football League," Davis said.
Less than an hour later, the Dolphins selected White with the 12th pick in the second round, hinting a firmer commitment to the "Wildcat" package they sprung on the league last year.
The Daphne, Alabama native first met with Sparano, Parcells and Ireland at the Senior Bowl, which was played just over the bridge from his hometown, and they talked to him in depth about the "Wildcat" and what type of role he could play.
"I definitely heard a little bit about the ‘Wildcat' and I'm excited and happy to be a part of it," White said during his conference call with the local media. "I was just hoping that somebody would give me a chance and now that the Dolphins have I'm definitely grateful and ready to get to work. They're talking about using me at multiple positions and we'll see where I end up."
White was one of the most exciting athletes to come through the college football ranks and ended his career as the NCAA's all-time leader in rushing yardage by a quarterback with 4,480 yards. He was the first Big East starting quarterback ever to win four bowl games and the first in conference history to compile over 10,000 yards of total offense (10,529).
White had been on Miami's radar long before the Senior Bowl and the Combine, as Ireland personally attended one of West Virginia's practices the week leading up to the Mountaineers' bowl game against North Carolina and the same week as the Dolphins' season finale at the New York Jets. He gained a positive impression right off the bat and the follow-up interviews and observations in Mobile and Indianapolis helped affirm Ireland's gut feeling.
"I got to see him throw the ball a lot more than I had seen in the past," Ireland said. "Obviously, you knew his ability as a runner but that was primarily why I was going to see him was to see him throw. I know quite a few of the coaches there and our scouts obviously know a lot about him. Our coaches have a great vision for the player. Obviously the Senior Bowl and the Combine and the practices and the scouts reports helped and I felt really good about him."
At 6-feet and 190 pounds, White displayed toughness that offset his physical stature, playing through concussions and foot injuries while emerging as the unquestioned leader of the Mountaineers. The versatile athlete also was taken by the Anaheim Angels in the fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft but passed up a six-figure signing bonus to pursue a football career, and he did well enough at the Senior Bowl and the Combine to open some eyes as to his future as a quarterback.
"I have to get better at all aspects of my game, dropping back, completing the ball, reading defenses. I feel I can better myself every day and that's what I'm going to try to do," White said. "I definitely watched the Dolphins on television and it kind of reminded me of West Virginia a little bit, get the defense going one way and shoot somebody out the other way. It just keeps the defense on their toes."
White was surrounded by family when he got the call and spoke to six or seven different people. He did not work out privately for the team but accomplished what he wanted to accomplish during his interviews at the Senior Bowl and the Combine and his Pro Day workout in Morgantown, West Virginia. He holds 19 school, Big East and NCAA records.
Ireland described Miami's view of White as an outstanding athlete and a player with an incredible array of skills that can be used creatively in the offense. Last year's second-round pick at quarterback, Chad Henne, is still held in high regard, but Ireland reiterated that, "I don't think you can have too many good players at that position and they're going to be competing for playing time."
Miami then traded its other second-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts, moving out of the 56th overall selection down five spots and acquired an extra fifth-round pick (165th overall). The Dolphins chose Smith with their last pick of the day, a 6-foot-3, 214-pound physical defensive back with impressive speed that also plays well on special teams and has a background as a wide receiver.
"I understand splits and route combinations and I understand the open holes inside defenses where receivers like to sit in zone coverages, so definitely being a former receiver helps me out a lot," said Smith, who picked off nine passes in his two seasons as a starting cornerback with the Utes and led them in interceptions each year with five in 2008 and four in 2007. "(His size) makes it more difficult for not only the receiver to catch the ball, but ball placement for quarterbacks. With my reach and my size you definitely have to try and keep the ball away from me, so with that in mind my size definitely helps me out a lot."
Even after Miami took Davis in the first round, Smith was assured by his agent that the Dolphins were still interested in him and he is eager to get to South Florida and participate in next weekend's rookie mini-camp. Knowing the emphasis Sparano, Ireland and Parcells put on special teams, he harped on the fact that one of the first things he learned at Utah was how to play on special teams.
Ireland reaffirmed that Smith was brought in to play cornerback and not safety, and even though he's young in the position having transitioned from wide receiver, the second-year GM believes he can play in the league early and is not necessarily a project. His size, along with Davis' physicality definitely help Miami to be better prepared to face the big receivers in the AFC East.
"You're obviously aware of match-ups in your division and our philosophy is you've got to win the division first," Ireland said. "But we like big corners. That's our philosophy and we like big, physical corners, so it fits both. When you are able to match those things, not only the match-up in the division but it matches your philosophy, you feel pretty good about it."
While he exudes the same type of confidence as Davis and considers himself a tough player who fits Miami's style, he also realizes there is plenty to learn and lots of room for improvement.
"As a defensive back you can always work on your breaks and your overall quickness," Smith said. "I am a bigger guy so I can definitely work on my quickness when it comes to guarding those smaller wide receivers, but that's something I am definitely willing to work on and I can't wait to get in there and compete."
The Dolphins will have a busier today tomorrow as they now hold seven picks over the final five rounds, starting with the 23rd selection in the third round (87th overall), and Ireland indicated that there is a possibility the team will address wide receiver on the second day as an emphasis that this regime is always looking to add good players and depth.
PUNTER ADDED: The Miami Dolphins signed punter Jy Bond to a multi-year contract, the team announced today. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Bond, 30, is the son of former Richmond premiership player and 3AW football commentator Graeme Bond. He was drafted by Richmond under the father-son rule and played for the Tigers' reserves team.
April 25, 2009
By Andy Kent
MiamiDolphins.com
Now that the Buffalo Bills have added Terrell Owens at wide receiver, the prospect of facing three high-caliber wide receivers (New England's Randy Moss and Buffalo's Lee Evans) twice this year in the AFC East made the decision to take Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis in the first round with the 25th overall pick a logical one for the Dolphins on Saturday.
Adding Utah cornerback Sean Smith in the second round with the 61st overall pick also sends a message to the Bills, Patriots and New York Jets that Miami is serious is about upgrading its pass defense, while the selection of West Virginia quarterback Pat White with the 44th overall pick in the second round adds speed, versatility and athleticism to the offense.
"I feel real good about the players we selected," said Ireland, who is in the midst of his second draft as a general manager. "Last year we kind of built the offensive and defensive lines, this year we got an unusual set of skills at quarterback and hopefully two corners that can really help us for a long period of time. We felt like that was good value to have two corners. They're hard to find to begin with and they're very difficult to get in free agency and sometimes they're very difficult to keep as we found this last year (with Andre Goodman departing via free agency)."
Davis was surrounded by over 100 friends and family at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C. when he got the call from Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland and he still sounded excited when he spoke with the South Florida media for the first time on a conference call as he talked about what his best attributes are and what he thinks he can bring to the Dolphins.
"I consider myself a complete corner and being physical when I come up to make the tackle as well as being physical in run support," said Davis, who started 34 of the 36 games he played in for the Fighting Illini and is the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. "I just need to be more consistent. My expectations are to be the defensive player of the year in the National Football League."
During his private workout with the Dolphins the 5-foot-11, 203-pound cornerback was given the indication by Executive Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells that his physical style of play fit Miami's defense. He also considers himself a gym rat, which is important in Miami because the offseason conditioning program is not easy and Parcells, Ireland and Head Coach Tony Sparano place a big emphasis on being strong and in shape.
Among the questions surrounding Davis before the draft were concerns over his character in light of some disciplinary issues in college and the fact that his older brother had a much publicized confrontation with Niners head coach Mike Singletary. But he doesn't feel that's an issue anymore.
"This is what people keep talking about, but everybody who knows Vontae knows that I am a great person, a great player," Davis said. "And Bill Parcells speaks louder than words and for him to draft me; he knows what type of person I am."
Ireland did his homework on Davis and talked to a lot of people who knew Davis, specifically Illinois head coach Ron Zook because the two worked together with the Kansas City Chiefs (Ireland was in Kansas City from 1997-2000). Zook spoke highly of Davis and vouched for him.
"Some of the things that he got maybe in trouble with early in his career were not things that really bother me, and he was younger, "Ireland said. "He's a competitive kid. He's a gym rat. He's a good kid and I don't think we have to worry about any integrity problems there. So I feel very comfortable with him talking to the coaches there and talking to the kid himself. I worked him out, had a nice visit with him, I feel like I know him pretty well so I don't have any problem with the kid's character."
Davis played against Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. in college when Ginn was at Ohio State and he is looking forward to competing for a starting job in the secondary. He believes he will make the other cornerbacks better, and that's the type of attitude the Dolphins' regime likes.
Last year as a junior at Illinois, Davis finished second on the team in tackles with 78 (53 solo) and tied for second in the Big Ten with three forced fumbles. He also had two interceptions, recovered a fumble and broke up eight passes and came up big in the red zone on running downs. He is eager to face Owens, Moss and Evans.
"I am going to do my best and put my best abilities forward to become a great player in the National Football League," Davis said.
Less than an hour later, the Dolphins selected White with the 12th pick in the second round, hinting a firmer commitment to the "Wildcat" package they sprung on the league last year.
The Daphne, Alabama native first met with Sparano, Parcells and Ireland at the Senior Bowl, which was played just over the bridge from his hometown, and they talked to him in depth about the "Wildcat" and what type of role he could play.
"I definitely heard a little bit about the ‘Wildcat' and I'm excited and happy to be a part of it," White said during his conference call with the local media. "I was just hoping that somebody would give me a chance and now that the Dolphins have I'm definitely grateful and ready to get to work. They're talking about using me at multiple positions and we'll see where I end up."
White was one of the most exciting athletes to come through the college football ranks and ended his career as the NCAA's all-time leader in rushing yardage by a quarterback with 4,480 yards. He was the first Big East starting quarterback ever to win four bowl games and the first in conference history to compile over 10,000 yards of total offense (10,529).
White had been on Miami's radar long before the Senior Bowl and the Combine, as Ireland personally attended one of West Virginia's practices the week leading up to the Mountaineers' bowl game against North Carolina and the same week as the Dolphins' season finale at the New York Jets. He gained a positive impression right off the bat and the follow-up interviews and observations in Mobile and Indianapolis helped affirm Ireland's gut feeling.
"I got to see him throw the ball a lot more than I had seen in the past," Ireland said. "Obviously, you knew his ability as a runner but that was primarily why I was going to see him was to see him throw. I know quite a few of the coaches there and our scouts obviously know a lot about him. Our coaches have a great vision for the player. Obviously the Senior Bowl and the Combine and the practices and the scouts reports helped and I felt really good about him."
At 6-feet and 190 pounds, White displayed toughness that offset his physical stature, playing through concussions and foot injuries while emerging as the unquestioned leader of the Mountaineers. The versatile athlete also was taken by the Anaheim Angels in the fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft but passed up a six-figure signing bonus to pursue a football career, and he did well enough at the Senior Bowl and the Combine to open some eyes as to his future as a quarterback.
"I have to get better at all aspects of my game, dropping back, completing the ball, reading defenses. I feel I can better myself every day and that's what I'm going to try to do," White said. "I definitely watched the Dolphins on television and it kind of reminded me of West Virginia a little bit, get the defense going one way and shoot somebody out the other way. It just keeps the defense on their toes."
White was surrounded by family when he got the call and spoke to six or seven different people. He did not work out privately for the team but accomplished what he wanted to accomplish during his interviews at the Senior Bowl and the Combine and his Pro Day workout in Morgantown, West Virginia. He holds 19 school, Big East and NCAA records.
Ireland described Miami's view of White as an outstanding athlete and a player with an incredible array of skills that can be used creatively in the offense. Last year's second-round pick at quarterback, Chad Henne, is still held in high regard, but Ireland reiterated that, "I don't think you can have too many good players at that position and they're going to be competing for playing time."
Miami then traded its other second-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts, moving out of the 56th overall selection down five spots and acquired an extra fifth-round pick (165th overall). The Dolphins chose Smith with their last pick of the day, a 6-foot-3, 214-pound physical defensive back with impressive speed that also plays well on special teams and has a background as a wide receiver.
"I understand splits and route combinations and I understand the open holes inside defenses where receivers like to sit in zone coverages, so definitely being a former receiver helps me out a lot," said Smith, who picked off nine passes in his two seasons as a starting cornerback with the Utes and led them in interceptions each year with five in 2008 and four in 2007. "(His size) makes it more difficult for not only the receiver to catch the ball, but ball placement for quarterbacks. With my reach and my size you definitely have to try and keep the ball away from me, so with that in mind my size definitely helps me out a lot."
Even after Miami took Davis in the first round, Smith was assured by his agent that the Dolphins were still interested in him and he is eager to get to South Florida and participate in next weekend's rookie mini-camp. Knowing the emphasis Sparano, Ireland and Parcells put on special teams, he harped on the fact that one of the first things he learned at Utah was how to play on special teams.
Ireland reaffirmed that Smith was brought in to play cornerback and not safety, and even though he's young in the position having transitioned from wide receiver, the second-year GM believes he can play in the league early and is not necessarily a project. His size, along with Davis' physicality definitely help Miami to be better prepared to face the big receivers in the AFC East.
"You're obviously aware of match-ups in your division and our philosophy is you've got to win the division first," Ireland said. "But we like big corners. That's our philosophy and we like big, physical corners, so it fits both. When you are able to match those things, not only the match-up in the division but it matches your philosophy, you feel pretty good about it."
While he exudes the same type of confidence as Davis and considers himself a tough player who fits Miami's style, he also realizes there is plenty to learn and lots of room for improvement.
"As a defensive back you can always work on your breaks and your overall quickness," Smith said. "I am a bigger guy so I can definitely work on my quickness when it comes to guarding those smaller wide receivers, but that's something I am definitely willing to work on and I can't wait to get in there and compete."
The Dolphins will have a busier today tomorrow as they now hold seven picks over the final five rounds, starting with the 23rd selection in the third round (87th overall), and Ireland indicated that there is a possibility the team will address wide receiver on the second day as an emphasis that this regime is always looking to add good players and depth.
PUNTER ADDED: The Miami Dolphins signed punter Jy Bond to a multi-year contract, the team announced today. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Bond, 30, is the son of former Richmond premiership player and 3AW football commentator Graeme Bond. He was drafted by Richmond under the father-son rule and played for the Tigers' reserves team.
