phinatic1399
Diehard Phinatic!
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
DAVIE —
While the Dolphins’ quarterback battle gained more clarity Friday with David Garrard taking extra snaps with the starting offense, an unexpected battle has broken out at cornerback.
Three-year starter Sean Smith has taken virtually every snap with the starting defense, but his running mate, Vontae Davis, seems to have lost his grip on the other starting spot, at least temporarily. Instead, it has been free agent Richard Marshall paired with Smith in the base defense, with Davis only playing with the starters in the three-cornerback nickel package.
Coach Joe Philbin didn’t provide much clarity on Davis’ situation when asked about it Thursday. He said “it’s not a reflection that he hasn’t done well,” but made it clear that Davis, the team’s first-round pick in 2009, has not earned a starting spot.
“There is nothing locked in stone here,” Philbin said. “Certainly we want to look at some other guys and create competition everywhere.”
It could simply be a case of Marshall, who spent his first six NFL seasons with Carolina and Arizona, playing well. Signed to a three-year, $16 million contract this off-season, Marshall was rated by the website Pro Football Focus as the second-best run-stopping cornerback in the NFL last year.
“Sometimes when you do the tackling drills and the blocking drills, sometimes you can kind of hear a good tackle or a good block, and Richard is one of those guys,” Philbin said. “I really like what I see out of him.”
And Marshall said the role he’s playing now with Miami — on the outside in the base defense and in the slot in the nickel package — is familiar.
“Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been on the outside, and on third down I come into the inside on the nickel,” he said. “But I can’t think about who’s going to start. I just have to get my technique down.”
Davis, who has nine interceptions in three seasons but has also struggled with his professionalism and work ethic, said he doesn’t view his current situation as a benching.
“Everybody needs work. We’re just changing it up,” he said.
* Earlier this week, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle took issue with a reporter’s statement that only one job on the defense – one of the safety spots – is up for grabs. The past two days, we’ve seen why: Vontae Davis has lost his spot, for now at least, to veteran Richard Marshall as one of the two outside cornerbacks in the base 4-3 defense. Friday, Marshall and Sean Smith began each drill as the two outside corners, and Davis would only come onto the field with the Nickel package (with Davis on the outside and Marshall on the inside).
Coach Joe Philbin said Marshall is “having a good camp.”
“I really like what I see out of him,” Philbin said. “Sometimes when you do the tackling drills and the blocking drills, sometimes you can kind of hear a good tackle or a good block, and Richard is one of those guys.”
Marshall, a seven-year veteran with Arizona and Carolina, said “everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been on the outside and then on third down I come inside in the Nickel.” Neither Philbin or Davis said Davis has lost his spot, but he has been paired up on the outside with Jonathan Wade, who has had a good camp.
The Dolphins are rotating the cornerbacks a lot, but it’s mostly at Davis’ position, as Smith plays almost exclusively with the starters.
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...-vontae-davis-david-garrard-earns-more-snaps/
DAVIE —
While the Dolphins’ quarterback battle gained more clarity Friday with David Garrard taking extra snaps with the starting offense, an unexpected battle has broken out at cornerback.
Three-year starter Sean Smith has taken virtually every snap with the starting defense, but his running mate, Vontae Davis, seems to have lost his grip on the other starting spot, at least temporarily. Instead, it has been free agent Richard Marshall paired with Smith in the base defense, with Davis only playing with the starters in the three-cornerback nickel package.
Coach Joe Philbin didn’t provide much clarity on Davis’ situation when asked about it Thursday. He said “it’s not a reflection that he hasn’t done well,” but made it clear that Davis, the team’s first-round pick in 2009, has not earned a starting spot.
“There is nothing locked in stone here,” Philbin said. “Certainly we want to look at some other guys and create competition everywhere.”
It could simply be a case of Marshall, who spent his first six NFL seasons with Carolina and Arizona, playing well. Signed to a three-year, $16 million contract this off-season, Marshall was rated by the website Pro Football Focus as the second-best run-stopping cornerback in the NFL last year.
“Sometimes when you do the tackling drills and the blocking drills, sometimes you can kind of hear a good tackle or a good block, and Richard is one of those guys,” Philbin said. “I really like what I see out of him.”
And Marshall said the role he’s playing now with Miami — on the outside in the base defense and in the slot in the nickel package — is familiar.
“Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been on the outside, and on third down I come into the inside on the nickel,” he said. “But I can’t think about who’s going to start. I just have to get my technique down.”
Davis, who has nine interceptions in three seasons but has also struggled with his professionalism and work ethic, said he doesn’t view his current situation as a benching.
“Everybody needs work. We’re just changing it up,” he said.
* Earlier this week, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle took issue with a reporter’s statement that only one job on the defense – one of the safety spots – is up for grabs. The past two days, we’ve seen why: Vontae Davis has lost his spot, for now at least, to veteran Richard Marshall as one of the two outside cornerbacks in the base 4-3 defense. Friday, Marshall and Sean Smith began each drill as the two outside corners, and Davis would only come onto the field with the Nickel package (with Davis on the outside and Marshall on the inside).
Coach Joe Philbin said Marshall is “having a good camp.”
“I really like what I see out of him,” Philbin said. “Sometimes when you do the tackling drills and the blocking drills, sometimes you can kind of hear a good tackle or a good block, and Richard is one of those guys.”
Marshall, a seven-year veteran with Arizona and Carolina, said “everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been on the outside and then on third down I come inside in the Nickel.” Neither Philbin or Davis said Davis has lost his spot, but he has been paired up on the outside with Jonathan Wade, who has had a good camp.
The Dolphins are rotating the cornerbacks a lot, but it’s mostly at Davis’ position, as Smith plays almost exclusively with the starters.
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...-vontae-davis-david-garrard-earns-more-snaps/
