Dolphins Trade Cornerback Vontae Davis To Colts
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis is the latest remnant of the Bill Parcells regime to be sent packing. The Fins traded Davis to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday for a 2013 second-round draft pick, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
The trade ended almost a week of speculation from Colts owner Jim Irsay who had taken to Twitter teasing a big trade was coming for the team. Indianapolis needed a starting-caliber cornerback and got one of the better young cornerbacks in the league.
Davis' biggest problem was his maturity, which was displayed during Hard Knocks on HBO. Davis had all of the talent to be a great NFL corner, but couldn't put it together while a Dolphin.
The Dolphins passed on several players, most notably wide receiver Hakeem Nicks of the New York Giants and Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers, to select Davis in the first round of the NFL draft. Davis and Sean Smith were thought to be a starting tandem for the team for the next several years, but that won't be the case.
Davis' position will be taken over by Richard Marshall, who was originally brought in this year as a free agent. Marshall beat Davis out for the starting cornerback job through the preseason, and Davis had been rumored to be on the trading block.
But, losing Davis will up the pressure on both Marshall and Smith to produce as starting corners. Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle always had strong secondary play in Cincinnati, but Smith was disappointing in his first few years and Marshall has bounced around to several teams.
Since 2006, the Dolphins have drafted and traded or released first-round picks Jason Allen, Ted Ginn, Jr, Vontae Davis, and are waiting on 2010 first-round pick Jared Odrick to live up to his draft-status. The Fins have also lost out on draft picks including: Phillip Merling, Chad Henne, Pat White, Koa Misi, and others.
