Dolphins release safety Keith Davis

[DolFan619]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/08/dolphins-rele-1.html

Dolphins release safety Keith Davis

The Dolphins will announce later this evening that they have released safety Keith Davis.

This is a strange and untimely move for several reasons.

First: Davis has been starting on practically every special team the Dolphins play. He has, by all accounts, acquitted himself well on those special teams. So that causes questions.

Secondly: The team is under the 75-man roster limit. It didn't need to release anyone. So it raises eyebrows that Davis would get released when there was no roster mechanism that required the move.

I am not suggesting the move is caused by outside circumstances but this smells funny.

I can also share with you that Davis was listed on the team's flight manifest for Wednesday's trip to New Orleans. He was even given a room number. So this is obviously a last second move.

Davis was signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Cowboys this offseason. He was part of the Cowboyfication of the Dolphins that included tight end Anthony Fasano, linebacker Akin Ayodele and others.

During his time with the Cowboys, Davis was shot twice in what appear to be random incidents. He was shot in the head in 2006 when he was driving along a Dallas highway. He drove himself to the hospital and was later released.

In 2003 he was shot in the hip and elbow while picking up a friend at a topless bar. Bill Parcells then released Davis on the first day of his first training camp with the Cowboys but the player was eventually re-signed in 2004 and became a starter.

This release is not so great for Keith Davis, but it benefits Renaldo Hill. Hill had been playing third team, to Davis' second-team, since the start of training camp. But of late Hill had been coming on strong and playing well, even getting an interception during one of the preseason games and earning the praise of coach Tony Sparano for his special teams play.

So Hill looks more likely to make the team now that Davis is gone.

[DolFan619]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/08/27/s_keith_davis_cut.html

S Keith Davis cut

By Edgar Thompson | Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 07:31 PM

Bill Parcells’ rebuilding plans apparently don’t show any favoritism to his former players.

The Dolphins have cut safety Keith Davis, who was signed in March after five seasons in Dallas, including Parcells’ final three years with the Cowboys (2004-06).

Davis, 29, was brought in not only to bolster the Dolphins special teams and add depth at safety, but to help instill the new culture in the team’s locker room.

The 5-foot-11, 207-pound Davis had seven tackles in three pre-season games, but none on special teams. He is a former Cowboys special teams captain who had 18 stops for the coverage units last season.

Davis, who signed a two-year deal for $3.5 million, appeared in all but four games since 2004. He started 22 games for the Cowboys, including 15 in 2005. But he made only one start last season.

Davis’ departure seems to lock up a spot on the 53-man roster for veteran Renaldo Hill. Hill, 29, has made impressive strides the past couple of weeks as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered last October.

He had an interception in last weekend’s shutout exhibition win against the Chiefs.

Hill, Yeremiah Bell, Jason Allen and Chris Crocker seem assured of roster spots when the team makes final cuts Saturday. Second-year pro Courtney Bryan is the only other safety on the roster.

[StL FinFan]

So much for Parcells and Co not cutting anyone they signed.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txdolphinsdavis&prov=st&type=lgns

MIAMI (TICKER) —The Miami Dolphins on Wednesday released veteran safety Keith Davis.

Davis, 29, joined his former coach Bill Parcells in Miami when he signed a two-year deal in March worth a reported $3.5 million. Parcells, who coached Davis with the Dallas Cowboys, is the executive vice president of football operations with the Dolphins.

A special teams ace, Davis recorded 18 tackles in 14 games with the Cowboys last season. The five-year veteran has registered 132 tackles in 68 career contests - all with Dallas.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Out of curiosity.... how much of his salary did he get paid during training camp?

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-davis0827,0,5281161.story

Dolphins release safety Keith Davis

By Omar Kelly
SunSentinel.com

8:21 PM EDT, August 27, 2008

The Dolphins surprisingly released safety Keith Davis on Wednesday, clearing way for the team to fit four safeties on the 53-man roster.

Davis, who spent his first five years in the NFL playing for the Cowboys, signed to a two-year deal in the offseason. He was expected to compete with Yeremiah Bell for the starting strong safety spot, and contribute primarily on special teams.

But the emergence of Chris Crocker, who is presently starting over Jason Allen at free safety, and last year's starter, Renaldo Hill, who is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered last October, made Davis expendable.

Cutting Davis a day before the final exhibition game against New Orleans, and three days before all teams must submit their 53-man roster to the league, allows him the opportunity to latch onto another team.

Davis contributed seven tackles in the three exhibition games he played for the Dolphins, but none of them came on special teams, which was his specialty.

A team spokesperson said Davis was the only player released on Wednesday. His departure put the Dolphins at 71 players on their training camp roster at a time when most clubs struggled to cut down to 75 by Tuesday's deadline.

Coach Tony Sparano said there's a possibility the Dolphins will be adding players before Thursday's exhibition game against the Saints. If the Dolphins claimed players put on waivers Tuesday the league will announce those claims on Thursday.

"We need to be active," Sparano said. "It all depends on the players that are out there, and maybe what our needs are."

Because of their 1-15 record, the Dolphins have first dibs on all players waived who have less than four years of experience.

[DZA]

Raises the eyebrow 

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-doldavis082809,0,183129.story

Agent: Keith Davis' release from Dolphins 'a business decision'

By Harvey Fialkov
Sun-Sentinel.com

2:51 PM EDT, August 28, 2008

NEW ORLEANS - The surprising release of ex- Dolphins safety Keith Davis not long before the team plane took off for New Orleans Wednesday was explained by his agent Curtis E. Stephens Thursday as simply a "football transaction.''

Davis, 29, who was signed to a two-year deal worth $3.5 million last March, was projected to be a key player on special teams. His release came three days before the Dolphins have to get the roster down to 53 players.

"[The timing] serves as a benefit to the kid,'' Stephens said. "He could've been released with 57 other guys on Saturday. Nothing occurred that constituted this. The kid showed up, worked hard. It was a business decision, a football transaction.''

Stephens was disappointed to read some negative Internet blog rumors, all of which he adamantly shot down.

"He wasn't in Parcells' doghouse. There was no argument or anything like that. I read some of these blogs and scratch my head,'' Stephens said. "His opportunity in Miami didn't work out. The kid was in no trouble on or off the field. He's healthy, in good spirits and ready to go on to his next opportunity.''

Davis, who played for Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells, defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and coach Tony Sparano when all were at Dallas from 2003-06, had seven tackles in the preseason.

Davis missed the entire 2003 season after suffering gunshot wounds to his hip and elbow while waiting to pick up a friend outside a nightclub. Parcells cut him, but re-signed Davis a year later after he excelled in the now defunct NFL Europe.

In July 2005, Davis was again shot, this time in the thigh with another bullet grazing his scalp while driving down a Dallas highway. The police described it as a possible carjacking. None of the wounds were considered serious. Davis has no history of any arrests and is regular contributor at team charity events.

Davis' release implies that incumbent starting free safety Renaldo Hill has recovered enough from last season's knee surgery to earn a roster spot. Hill had an interception in last week's win over the Chiefs.

"They've got pretty good players on that football team contrary to what you hear around the league,'' Stephens said. "They've got good DBs, good special teams players. You start with 80 and I don't believe they spare any feelings getting to 53. That's the reality. They chose to go in a different direction and our kid was the odd guy out. Parcells has cut players before he's had on other teams. Some had a boomerang effect and others went on to have pretty good careers in other places.''