Two weeks into the Miami Dolphins‘ offseason practice regimen
http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-durham-smythe-jersey , first-round draft pick Minkah Fitzpatrick’s running tally of interceptions is underway.
”Have I been counting them? Every DB counts them,” Fitzpatrick said with a laugh after Tuesday’s workout. ”I’ve got two picks and a couple of pass breakups. Just doing my job.”
Contact drills won’t begin until training camp, but early indications are the Dolphins used the 11th overall pick wisely when they selected Fitzpatrick.
The safety from Alabama said he’s not fazed by reports Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted to trade down on draft night rather than pick Fitzpatrick.
”I heard about it,” Fitzpatrick said. ”He’s a businessman. He’s going to see the business side of everything. This is extra motivation to prove I’m a worthy pick and deserve to be here.”
The front office wanted a playmaker to upgrade a defense that ranked fourth-worst in points allowed last season, and so far Fitzpatrick looks as if he’ll make Miami better.
”He has done a good job,” coach Adam Gase said. ”He has gotten his hands on a lot of balls. He seems to be all over the place. He has a great motor and a great work ethic. You can tell he takes this very seriously and puts everything he has into this.”
The Dolphins’ investment goes beyond a first-round choice. Fitzpatrick signed a $16.44 million
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But he said he didn’t celebrate the contract, and doesn’t have any plans for the money besides buying a place to live.
”Anytime you see your hard work paying off, it’s a good feeling,” he said. ”But you’ve got to keep telling yourself it’s not the end goal. I didn’t come here just to be a first-round pick. I wanted to be a great player here and establish a great legacy.”
Fitzpatrick said the Dolphins are dividing his practice time evenly among the strong safety, free safety and nickel back positions. He said he doesn’t have a preference and is happy to move around.
”They trust me to do that,” Fitzpatrick said. ”They’re not putting too much on me
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Pro Bowler Reshad Jones is certain to start at one safety spot, and veteran safety T.J. McDonald also returns after starting the final eight games last season. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke may decide to play both along with Fitzpatrick at times, and June is a time for experimenting.
General manager Chris Grier has compared Fitzpatrick to a Swiss army knife because of his versatility. And wherever Fitzpatrick lines up, he’s making his presence felt.
”He is flying around at practice,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. ”He plays aggressive and plays fast, and that’s what you want to see out of a DB.”
Fitzpatrick played for Nick Saban at Alabama
http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jessie-bates-iii-jersey , which may be why he hasn’t found the demands of the NFL too daunting so far. In fact, the coaching styles of Saban and Gase are similar, he said.
”They’re both very passionate coaches,” Fitzpatrick said. ”They’re both real hands-on. The only difference is coach Saban yells a bit more.”
At Alabama, Fitzpatrick had a school-record four interception returns for touchdowns. He’s confident about quickly improving his professional pick total.
”That’s going to keep going up,” Fitzpatrick said. ”As I get more and more comfortable
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Two people with direct knowledge the decision confirm to The Associated Press the Buffalo Bills have agreed to sign free agent defensive end Trent Murphy to a three-year contract.
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday because the deal was reached before the NFL's business year opened later in the day.
NFL first reported the agreement.
Murphy spent the past four seasons in Washington after being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he is best known for his pass-rushing ability. He had 15 sacks in 47 games, including nine in 2016.
Murphy missed all of last season after tearing two ligaments in his left knee in a preseason game against Baltimore. Had he not been injured, Murphy would have missed the first four games of the season serving an NFL suspension for violating the NFL's performance enhancers policy.
The Bills finished tied for 30th in the NFL with just 27 sacks last season.
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