The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • D14

Page: 1stSection, change MiamiHerald.com| THE MIAMI HERALD 14D APRIL 18, 2013 COLLEGE FOOTBALL The Dolphins have had serious talks with the Kansas City Chiefs about apotential trade for left tackle Branden Albert according to a source. The Chiefs want a second-round pick in return, and Miami has two second-round picks in next NFL Draft. Albert signed his franchise tag tender for but he and the Dolphins could agree to a long-term deal if a trade is agreed upon. Albert has started the past five seasons for the Chiefs and was ranked 25th among all tackles by Pro Football Focus last season. The Chiefs also have spoken to other teams about Albert.

Miami continues to look for a tackle after losing Jake Long to St. Louis. PHILBIN TO SPEAK In just his second year as an NFL head coach, the Joe Philbin has emerged as an influential figure in league circles. The NFL announced Wednesday that Philbin and Dolphins contract negotiator Dawn Aponte will speak at the NFL Career Development Symposium, held May6-8 at the University of Wharton School of Business. The three-day program is intended to educate and assist aspiring head coach and general manager candidates with keynote speakers, panel discussions and other networking opportunities.

The symposium comes after minority candidates were passed over for all 15 of the top-level openings this offseason. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last month that he was in the of the Rooney Rule, which mandates NFL franchises interview minority candidates every time there is a coaching or general manager opening. Along with Philbin and Aponte, other notable presenters include Jaguars owner Shad Khan Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin For Philbin, the announcement comes the same week he was named to the Coaches Subcommittee of the Competition Committee, a seven-man board that debates player safety, competitive issues, coaching and personnel development and technological innovations. Adam H. Beasley contributed to this report NOTEBOOK Source: Dolphins, Chiefs talk trade BY BARRY JACKSON ALBERT safeties, and sees a dropoff after them.

think he could start immediately for the Washington Redskins, and he makes aton of Mayock said. can play both free and strong, but I like him at Said feel comfortable in the deep post and back in the deep half, and I also like playing down in the box Half the teams in the NFL, including the Dolphins, could use a big, fast safety. Cypriensaid hehas visited 12 or 13 teams. time I leave one team, I feel like, the team I should be he said. believe God will put me on the right Cyprien see any of this coming during his junior and senior seasons, though he received All-Sun Belt Conference honors after each season.

He said his NFL dreams were modest get on a roster. Now, Cyprienis looking at being such a high draft pick that be on an NFL roster to open the 2013 season barring injury or something unforeseen. Mario Cristobal and his coaching staff at FIU all but framed Cyprien and put him on the locker room wall as the epitome of a model citizen. Cyprienis one of those who spoke up if he saw a younger player showing a lack of respect to adults or students. Hehas helped oversee the punitive damages for being late to an offsea- son workout.

And, he graduated in three and a half years. Amonth after picking up his degree in hospitality management, at the Senior Bowl, ascension began. He was only the sec- ond FIU player, after wide receiver T.Y. Hilton last year, to be invited to the future draftee showcase. prayed about Cyprien said.

believed in the talent God blessed me with. If God blessed me with talent to play football, I have any worries. Itook that confident He left Senior Bowl week with Best Defensive Back honors. At the NFL Combine, Cyprien did only the vertical jump and defensive back drills, finishing among the top defensive backs in the vertical jump (38.5 inches). Draftanalysts began tapping their laptops in search of FIU game tape.

Suddenly, closing speed, his willingness to hitand his game intelligence gained recognition. The film and the statistics also showed a defense that came into the season with all its starters back and got strafed over the first eight games on the way to a 3-9 record. That begs the question several teams asked: What happened to this defense you were leading? Cyprien said he answered, put our best effort in practice and in games. Every year be a winning season. I give aclear cut reason for why we as successful as we How much NFL teams care will be revealed Thursday during the NFL first round or Friday during the second and third rounds.

Cyprien will await at home with friends and family members for his dream offseason to reach its next chapter. FROM THE SPORTS FRONT Cyprien takes LANDING SPOT: Safety Johnathan Cyprien said he has visited 12 or 13 NFL teams. WALTER HERALD STAFF CYPRIEN, FROM 1D NFL DOLPHINS Florida traditionally deep NFL talent pool began to dry up as the Bobby Bowden Era ended. Whereas the first round of any given NFL Draft used to feature at least one dynamic Seminoles player, the quantity and quality of the prospects emerging from FSU have diminished in recent years. But 2012 was a resurgent year for Florida State.

Jimbo team was just the third in school history to reach 12 wins, it captured the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since 2005 and won just the second BCS bowl in FSU history. And now as the 2013 NFL Draft approaches on April25, Florida State finds itself in familiar territory fielding a slew of potential first-round prospects. There are five Seminoles Werner, Xavier Rhodes, Menelik Watson, EJ Manuel and Tank Carradine set to be selected in the first round. And three of those players could be of interest to the Miami Dolphins. Xavier Rhodes might be the most likely FSU prospect to end up in aqua and orange on draft day.

The for- mer Miami Norland standout came to FSU to play receiver after drawing comparisons to Dwayne Bowe in high school. But a transition to corner as a freshman set the redshirt junior up to be one of the top defensive backs in the draft. At 6-2, 217 pounds, Rhodes has the size and ath- leticism to play in the NFL. He finished with eight interceptions and 140 tackles at Florida State and has seen his stock soar after big-bodied corners such as Richard Sherman and Antonio Cromartie have had success at the professional level. Werner has been described by teammates as a technician with a tireless work ethic.

The Berlin-born defensive end moved from his native Germany at age 16 to a prep school in Connecticut to pursue his dreams of one day playing in the NFL. In three years at Florida State, Werner went from touted recruit to one of the top pass-rushers in the country.The 6-4 255-pounder registered 23.5 sacks, including 13 his junior season. Werner is a student of the game who plays the run well, gets after the passer and displayed surprising agility and flexibility in his hips when asked to stand up and perform drills as an outside linebacker on his pro day. versatility and work ethic would likely be a welcome addition to the newly rebuilt Dolphins defense. Should Miami trade down in the first round, one of the more intriguing prospects is right tackle Watson.

Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner worked Watson out extensively at the FSU pro day in March, and the 6-6, 320-pound tackle born in Manchester, England, has quietly been climbing up draft boards across the league. With Jake Long now in St. Louis and Jonathan Martin the likely starter at left tackle, Watson could be an option if Miami moves down in the first round. Originally a basketball player at Marist, Watson took up football and played a year of junior col- lege ball before picking Florida State over several other schools. After playing just a season as the starting right tackle and fewer than 20 football games his whole life Watson is already considered a fringe first-round prospect.

Watson also is a former amateur boxer. Around Florida campus and in the ACC the force and brutality of his initial punch off the snap is already legendary. At pro day, Turner help but be impressed. Manuel and Carradine also could sneak into the back half of the first round, though both are more likely to go Friday in the second or third round. Regardless of how the first round plays out, Florida State is putting talent into the NFL again.

And a solid chance one of those players ends up in Miami. Trickett released: Florida State announced Wednesday that junior quarterback Clint Trickett has been released from his scholarship. Trickett is set to graduate in May and will explore other options. It is likely redshirt freshman Jameis Winston will be named the 2013 starter. Winston, who also is abaseball player hitting in the middle of the lineup and pitching was 12 of 15 for 205 yards and two touchdowns in spring game.

FSU Noles back to being first-round feeder After some lean years when few FSU players drew interest in the first round of the NFL Draft, several could go this year one to Miami. BY PATRIK NOHE Miami Herald Writer POTENTIAL DOLPHIN: Florida Xavier Rhodes, one of the top defensive back prospects in the NFL Draft, could be a good fit for the Dolphins. STREETER IMAGES.