Butler would be good fit for Miami

By Adam Sweeney  |   Monday, April 13, 2009  |  Comments( 3 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins brought in USC linebacker Rey Maualuga for a recent workout, which has a lot of experts speculating that Bill Parcells is looking for his next great LB to build around. But inside linebacker isn't the Dolphins' most pressing need. Wide receiver and cornerback both trump that position, actually, and it's reason enough to believe that the Dolphins are going to address one of those two areas with their first-round pick in this month's NFL draft.

A cornerback who could be on the Dolphins' radar at pick No. 25 is the University of Connecticut's Darius Butler. He only missed three games in college, is incredibly athletic (which may be a term too often used) and has shown that he can shut down his opponent when on an island. Is there any corner on the Dolphins who can make that claim right now?

Eric Green is not the answer opposite of Will Allen, yet Butler could be that guy. While he is only 5-foot-10, Butler has a 43-inch vertical jump, which definitely helps as teams will look to throw over the top of him. He also has returned kicks, which could be a big boost should the Dolphins take RealFootball365's advice and consider trading Ted Ginn Jr.

The Dolphins might have some company ahead of them when it comes to Butler, though. The New England Patriots felt the wrath after letting cornerback Asante Samuel go last offseason, so don't be surprised if they're looking to take a corner like Butler with the 23rd pick. They couldn't stop anyone on third down last season, but securing a top corner prospect could go a long way toward achieving that goal.

Butler does have his flaws, of course, as he isn't the biggest or most physical corner. But his combination of leadership (Butler was team captain for two years), instincts and versatility when it comes to coverages should be enough to gloss over the little things. If there is any question about Vontae Davis -- another corner and potential Dolphin draft pick -- Miami should jump at the chance to grab Butler.
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About Adam Sweeney

Adam Sweeney spent 4 years as an opinions and arts & entertainment columnist with the Lone Star Lutheran, also working with Sports Illustrated.com. Along with his work on Realfootball 365 he currently is a contributor for Film School Rejects, SLAM Online, Talkhoops.net, and C-Heads ...
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