 |
 |
 |
|
Draft surprises
MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins went for Ginn instead of Quinn, and fans at the team's draft party jeered new coach Cam Cameron for the decision.
|
With Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn on the board, the Dolphins decided against addressing their most glaring need in the first round Saturday and instead took Ohio State receiver-returner Ted Ginn Jr.
Thirty minutes after selecting Ginn with the No. 9 pick, Cameron made a three-minute appearance at a draft party in the Dolphins' indoor practice bubble. Fans greeted him with boos and continued to jeer as he spoke, and some made a thumbs-down gesture.
"Hey, we need that thumb to go this direction," Cameron said, pointing his upward. "Ted Ginn is going to be someone you're going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami Dolphin."
During Cameron's speech, some fans began to cheer for Ginn, while others broke into a chant of "Brady! Brady!"
| Advertisement |
|||
| |||
"I understand why they would react how they reacted," Cameron said later. "That was no surprise. But we have to do what we believe is right. ... Our commitment was to get the guy we felt had the biggest impact on our team this year."
Dolphins fans at NFL Draft headquarters in New York also booed the decision and chanted Quinn's first name. He wound up being taken 22nd by Cleveland, while the Dolphins waited until the second round to pick a quarterback: Brigham Young's John Beck.
The Dolphins devoted the entire first day of the draft to offense. They used their second pick in the second round to take 311-pound center Samson Satele of Hawaii, and in the third round they selected running back Lorenzo Booker of Florida State.
With general manager Randy Mueller in charge of the Dolphins' draft for the first time, owner Wayne Huizenga praised him and Cameron for making a first-round selection they knew might be unpopular.
"If you're a new coach just coming in -- and Randy, this is his first year being responsible -- I give them all the credit in the world for the decision they made," Huizenga said.
Still, even Ginn found the decision surprising.
"For sure when Brady Quinn was there -- and you know Miami is hurting for a quarterback right now, and Brady Quinn is a great quarterback -- to be in competition with him and for me to beat him out was good," Ginn said. "I guess the coaches saw something in me that they liked."