Live Chat with Sean Smith Highlights
On Friday, the Miami Dolphins hosted a live chat with cornerback Sean Smith — the second call of the offseason exclusively for the fan websites invited by the team to attend the annual Web Weekend.
Smith, the 61st overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, has started 40 of the 47 games games he’s played during his three seasons in Miami, coming up with three interceptions. Last season, No. 24 tied for second on the team with a career-high two picks and registered 51 tackles. Make sure to follow Smith on Twitter: @SeanSMITH24.
Over the course of the 10-minute call, the 6-foot-3 CB discussed the impact of new defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle on the secondary, his new role as a mentor and leader, and, like Richie Incognito last week, told DolfansNYC that he takes great pride in seeing fans clad in aqua-and-orange in New York New Jersey and other opposing stadiums.
“It means a lot, because we definitely appreciate the fan support,” said Smith. “Whenever you’re on the road, you’re always the villain — you’re getting booed no matter what you do — so it’s always good to have that one section you can look up to (where) you get the fans screaming in aqua-and-orange.
“When you can only hear your crowd at their place, you know you’re doing something right.”
With long-time veteran Yeremiah Bell no longer on the team, Smith told us he has taken on the role of mentor to not only the younger players, but some of his more-established teammates.
“I’m always trying to pull guys to the side, whether it (is) the young guys, or the older guys like Vontae (Davis) and Richard Marshall,” he said. “We’re always out there trying to help each other get better.”
Smith explained that he doesn’t just want to give himself the title of being the leader of the secondary, but rather earn it on the field.
“I just go out there and do my job the best way I can and try to show the guys the right way to do things,” he said.
Smith also touched on numerous key topics, including his offseason routine, his expectations for the up-and-coming Phins wide receivers, and adjustments to the new defensive scheme.
*In addition to perfecting his technique — a major point of emphasis by Coach Coyle — No. 24’s biggest priority was getting in tip-top shape prior to the start of training camp.
“My goal, for me, was definitely to get my weight down,” he said. “As soon as I got here, Coach (told) me they want me to slim down, get lean.”
*Smith said that while the Dolphins played more man-defense and relied on coverage last season, the secondary is expected to be more aggressive in going after the ball in the new scheme.
“This year, it’s going to be a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and it puts a lot of pressure on the secondary to make plays, because we’re blitzing a lot of guys from different angles and things like that,” he said. “The secondary definitely has to make plays on the ball and create turnovers, because that’s something we weren’t really good at last year.”
*Smith said the biggest adjustment has been learning the terms and the language, since some of the same plays were called by different names in past seasons.
*Having gotten a first-hand look at the revamped wide receiver corps, Smith isn’t concerned with the mostly negative media perception, and believes the squad brings a lot of talent and versatility to the field.
“Everybody is getting on us because we don’t have that one quote-unquote, number one receiver, go-to guy with the big name, but we have a lot of guys who work really hard out there,” he said. “We’ve got (Davone) Bess in the slot, you have (Brian) Hartline on the outside along with Roberto Wallace and (Legedu) Naanee, and we have Chad Johnson now on the outside.”
*Smith revealed the defense has been forced to react even quicker during training camp than they would during actual games, and believes the fast pace will help the team’s communication, especially when playing in loud road stadiums — like MetLife when the Dolphins face the Jets on October 28.
Tags: Brian Hartline, Chad Johnson, Davone Bess, Joe Philbin, Kevin Coyle, Legedu Naanee, miami dolphins, Reggie Bush, Richard Marshall, Sean Smith, vontae davis, Yeremiah Bell