Note on Bess

by bassman on May 15, 2008 8:47 PM EDT

I know we've gotten similar things from our local beat writers, but its still nice to see positive headlines about our UFAs.

[Note by bassman, 05/15/08 8:48 PM EDT ] By the way, its from Sporting News http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=411900

After a very prolific career at the University of Hawaii, wide receiver Davone Bess had a far more anticlimactic weekend during draft weekend as he waited through all seven rounds without being selected. Initially projected by the NFL Draft advisory as a third-round pick, Bess would instead need to wait until the Dolphins picked him up as an undrafted free agent before he was placed on an NFL roster.

But during his first minicamp, Bess looked far more like the third-round pick than the undrafted prospect. He was a solid possession guy, rarely dropping passes. He looked more polished than any of the other wideouts (none of which were drafted), which could give him a shot at making it to training camp. And if he can improve his stamina, as coach Tony Sparano suggested, Bess could find himself vying for actual playing time on the 53-man roster before he knows it.

"I see a player that has pretty good ball skills right now," Sparano said about Bess. "He certainly needs to do some things from a conditioning standpoint. He knows his stamina. To play receiver in our league you are running an awful lot and there is not a lot of numbers. The one thing with him is he has been in an offense where they are running a bunch of routes every game. They are not handing it off. He is running a bunch of routes every game and I think that is a positive. I do see good ball skills from him."

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good find

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by Matty I on May 15, 2008 11:26 PM EDT reply actions

It's finds like this....

that let you know that the franchise is starting to turn around. Good teams are not only built through the draft and free agency, but also through undrafted free agents.

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic." -Unknown

by Daren on May 16, 2008 12:39 AM EDT reply actions

This guy...

...could make an even bigger splash that some think. With corners getting bigger and faster, good route runners with great hands can make a huge difference in the passing game.

by hwyatt3 on May 16, 2008 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

So why...

Did all the other teams pass on him seven times? Not trying to be negative – just wondering why his stock dropped.

by ZIM on May 16, 2008 10:36 AM EDT reply actions

probably because he doesn't have the size

for a typical possession receiver, or the speed for a typical small guy.

-LCFF

by LeftCoastFinFan on May 16, 2008 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

His skill set

seems similar to Wes Welker. If he is in the right system he should be able to be pretty effective.

by kcorona4 on May 16, 2008 3:00 PM EDT reply actions

It’s not like Wes Welker has ever produced in this league right? Wait….......What?........oh…..nevermind. On a similar note…..does anybody else see LoBo totally lighting it up in Philly and being like Wes Welker all over again?

mophins

by mophins on May 16, 2008 3:07 PM EDT reply actions

yea

I do have a bad feeling about getting rid of Booker. If used right, he could be a game-breaking player.

The Phinsider: SBN's Miami Dolphins blog

by Matty I on May 16, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions

But you have to admit

that we really needed that 4th round pick to draft Murphy. And Bess is probably a better overall receiver than Booker. This regime obviously prefers bigger running backs.

by kcorona4 on May 16, 2008 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions

yea that's true

The Phinsider: SBN's Miami Dolphins blog

by Matty I on May 19, 2008 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions

I was merely making an observation...

not giving a reason for why he dropped. Comparing him to Wes Welker was actually a compliment.

by kcorona4 on May 16, 2008 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Stock Dropping

His stock dropped because many teams thought he was a product of Hawaii’s system, which was even more reinforced with the poor 40 time he ran at the combine (in the 4.8 range). Also, because he got caught driving with stolen goods in his car. No charges were filed however because his friend who was in the car with him at the time confessed the goods were his.
As we have seen however in our rookie camp he has a knack for finding the holes in the defense and catches everything thrown at him. Watch some film on him @ Hawaii. Brennan threw some terrible balls that he always came down with. Also is YAC was amazing. He not only can make the first defender miss but can break tackles as well.

by mnphinfan on May 16, 2008 9:28 PM EDT reply actions

One other big problem...

Is that June Jones’ offense is not based around running routes. The Hawaii offense focuses more on telling the receivers “Ok, you end up at this point, and we’ll get you the ball.”

Of course you learn the routes anyways as you learn the game of football. I’d wager then anyone that’s more then a casual fan can tell you the basic routes (streak, in, out, comeback, curl, stop-n-go, stop, go, drag, slant, post, and flag). This is why Bess still knows the routes and can run them, but most NFL offenses will tell you exactly which route to use (or at least give you the option of 2 or 3 to choose), while the Hawaii offense gave you the option of using whatever route you wanted as long as you ended up 2 yards to the outside of the right hashmark near the 30 yard line 3 seconds after the snap of the ball.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that people were afraid that they’d have to re-coach him more then they wanted. Apparently we’re lucky enough that this wasn’t the case.

Some people try to find things in this game that don't exist but football is only two things - blocking and tackling. ~Vince Lombardi

by ratenxs on May 17, 2008 10:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs