Two weeks into the Miami Dolphins' offseason practice regimen Tyler Seguin Jersey , first-round draft pick Minkah Fitzpatrick's running tally of interceptions is underway.
"Have I been counting them? Every DB counts them," Fitzpatrick said with a laugh after Tuesday's workout. "I've got two picks and a couple of pass breakups. Just doing my job."
Contact drills won't begin until training camp, but early indications are the Dolphins used the 11th overall pick wisely when they selected Fitzpatrick.
The safety from Alabama said he's not fazed by reports Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted to trade down on draft night rather than pick Fitzpatrick.
"I heard about it," Fitzpatrick said. "He's a businessman. He's going to see the business side of everything. This is extra motivation to prove I'm a worthy pick and deserve to be here."
The front office wanted a playmaker to upgrade a defense that ranked fourth-worst in points allowed last season, and so far Fitzpatrick looks as if he'll make Miami better.
"He has done a good job," coach Adam Gase said. "He has gotten his hands on a lot of balls. He seems to be all over the place. He has a great motor and a great work ethic. You can tell he takes this very seriously and puts everything he has into this."
The Dolphins' investment goes beyond a first-round choice. Fitzpatrick signed a $16.44 million, four-year deal last week.
But he said he didn't celebrate the contract Eric Weddle Jersey , and doesn't have any plans for the money besides buying a place to live.
"Anytime you see your hard work paying off, it's a good feeling," he said. "But you've got to keep telling yourself it's not the end goal. I didn't come here just to be a first-round pick. I wanted to be a great player here and establish a great legacy."
Fitzpatrick said the Dolphins are dividing his practice time evenly among the strong safety, free safety and nickel back positions. He said he doesn't have a preference and is happy to move around.
"They trust me to do that," Fitzpatrick said. "They're not putting too much on me, but they know they can put a lot on me."
Pro Bowler Reshad Jones is certain to start at one safety spot, and veteran safety T.J. McDonald also returns after starting the final eight games last season. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke may decide to play both along with Fitzpatrick at times Youth Alex McGough Jersey , and June is a time for experimenting.
General manager Chris Grier has compared Fitzpatrick to a Swiss army knife because of his versatility. And wherever Fitzpatrick lines up, he's making his presence felt.
"He is flying around at practice," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "He plays aggressive and plays fast, and that's what you want to see out of a DB."
Fitzpatrick played for Nick Saban at Alabama, which may be why he hasn't found the demands of the NFL too daunting so far. In fact, the coaching styles of Saban and Gase are similar, he said.
"They're both very passionate coaches Raiders Authentic Jerseys ," Fitzpatrick said. "They're both real hands-on. The only difference is coach Saban yells a bit more."
At Alabama, Fitzpatrick had a school-record four interception returns for touchdowns. He's confident about quickly improving his professional pick total.
"That's going to keep going up," Fitzpatrick said. "As I get more and more comfortable, I'll make more and more plays."
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is helping students and families of victims of the recent shooting at a Florida high school attend a march against gun violence.
Patriots spokesman Stacey James confirmed that Kraft provided the team's official plane to fly families of the victims from the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, as well as several other students who were injured in the attack . They will be attending Saturday's "March For Our Lives" rally in Washington, D.C.
The group left Florida on Thursday. They will also fly home on the team plane.
Authorities say Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people in the shooting on Valentine's Day.
Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband http://www.titansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-rashaan-evans-jersey , retired astronaut Mark Kelly, operate an anti-gun violence organization, and reached out to Kraft for assistance.
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