Williams, Boston? Miami needs QB
By VITO STELLINO, The Times-Union
A year ago, former Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt thought the addition of wide receiver David Boston was going to add another dimension to an offense built around running back Ricky Williams.
As it turned out, Wannstedt never found out how effective an offense with Williams and Boston could be.
Boston missed the season with an injury and Williams quit the team.
The Dolphins finished 4-12, Wannstedt is now in the college ranks coaching Pitt in his hometown, and Nick Saban is the new Dolphins coach.
The irony of all this is that now Saban may find out if Williams and Boston will be an effective combination.
Boston has re-signed for the veteran minimum of $540,000 after being cut, and now Williams appears ready to end his one-year sabbatical.
Saban, not noted for giving reporters much information, told the South Florida media last Thursday that Williams is "very, very interested'' in returning to the team.
Saban probably wouldn't have made that statement if he didn't think there was a good chance Williams was coming back.
Williams told SI.com, "I honestly don't know,'' when he was asked by instant message if he was returning, but he has a lot of reasons for doing so -- mostly financial.
Not only will he collect a salary, but it's likely the Dolphins would forgive the $8.6 million judgment they won against him for breaching his contract. The Dolphins were even awarded bonus money the New Orleans Saints had paid him.
The Miami Herald reported Williams has three children with three different women and recently settled a paternity suit with one of them that requires him to pay $4,000 a month to support the child, deposit $300,000 in a trust account and purchase a $500,000 life insurance policy on himself with the child as the beneficiary.
Williams may still have to serve a four-game suspension for testing positive for marijuana, but sitting out a year canceled a probable one-year suspension.
Boston was suspended for the final four games last year after testing positive for steroids. The injured wideout couldn't play anyway, so the action amounted to a fine.
The Dolphins figure that 12 games with Williams are better than no games, and with both he and Boston in the lineup, the Dolphins are likely to improve.
Saban hasn't solved the problem that has plagued the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired after the 62-7 loss in Jacksonville after the 1999 season.
They still don't have a big-time quarterback.
Saban announced in the session with reporters that Gus Frerotte has a "little bit of an advantage'' over A.J. Feeley and Sage Rosenfels in the battle for the starting job. Frerotte spent the last two years as a backup in Minnesota and knows the system of new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.
Frerotte, remembered primarily for beating out Heath Shuler in Washington and then giving himself a concussion by banging his head into a stadium wall, has spent much of his career as a backup.
Whether Williams comes back or not, the Dolphins need to upgrade at quarterback to become a Super Bowl contender.
Controversial signing
The signing of an undrafted rookie free agent usually doesn't get much attention.
But Saban found himself in the midst of another controversy when he signed former Notre Dame safety Abram Elam, who was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in March, 2002. He was convicted of the lesser charge of felony sexual battery and received an 18-month suspended sentence, two years probation and 200 hours of community service.
Three other players were originally charged and all were expelled from Notre Dame, but Elam was the only one convicted.
After Elam's signing, the victim, whose name is not being published, called reporters in Chicago and the Miami area to protest the Dolphins' decision.
She told the Chicago Tribune: "Abram Elam is living his dream while I continue to have nightmares of the attack endured at his hands over three years ago. I can only hope that every football fan who has a mother, daughter, wife, sister, girlfriend or female friend will express their outrage at this injustice.''
She told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "I will be rape victim and rape survivor for the rest of my life. This is a slap in the face to me and all the women in Florida.''
The Dolphins refused interview requests for Elam. Saban told reporters the team had done a background check and added: "He has learned his lesson.''
By VITO STELLINO, The Times-Union
A year ago, former Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt thought the addition of wide receiver David Boston was going to add another dimension to an offense built around running back Ricky Williams.
As it turned out, Wannstedt never found out how effective an offense with Williams and Boston could be.
Boston missed the season with an injury and Williams quit the team.
The Dolphins finished 4-12, Wannstedt is now in the college ranks coaching Pitt in his hometown, and Nick Saban is the new Dolphins coach.
The irony of all this is that now Saban may find out if Williams and Boston will be an effective combination.
Boston has re-signed for the veteran minimum of $540,000 after being cut, and now Williams appears ready to end his one-year sabbatical.
Saban, not noted for giving reporters much information, told the South Florida media last Thursday that Williams is "very, very interested'' in returning to the team.
Saban probably wouldn't have made that statement if he didn't think there was a good chance Williams was coming back.
Williams told SI.com, "I honestly don't know,'' when he was asked by instant message if he was returning, but he has a lot of reasons for doing so -- mostly financial.
Not only will he collect a salary, but it's likely the Dolphins would forgive the $8.6 million judgment they won against him for breaching his contract. The Dolphins were even awarded bonus money the New Orleans Saints had paid him.
The Miami Herald reported Williams has three children with three different women and recently settled a paternity suit with one of them that requires him to pay $4,000 a month to support the child, deposit $300,000 in a trust account and purchase a $500,000 life insurance policy on himself with the child as the beneficiary.
Williams may still have to serve a four-game suspension for testing positive for marijuana, but sitting out a year canceled a probable one-year suspension.
Boston was suspended for the final four games last year after testing positive for steroids. The injured wideout couldn't play anyway, so the action amounted to a fine.
The Dolphins figure that 12 games with Williams are better than no games, and with both he and Boston in the lineup, the Dolphins are likely to improve.
Saban hasn't solved the problem that has plagued the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired after the 62-7 loss in Jacksonville after the 1999 season.
They still don't have a big-time quarterback.
Saban announced in the session with reporters that Gus Frerotte has a "little bit of an advantage'' over A.J. Feeley and Sage Rosenfels in the battle for the starting job. Frerotte spent the last two years as a backup in Minnesota and knows the system of new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.
Frerotte, remembered primarily for beating out Heath Shuler in Washington and then giving himself a concussion by banging his head into a stadium wall, has spent much of his career as a backup.
Whether Williams comes back or not, the Dolphins need to upgrade at quarterback to become a Super Bowl contender.
Controversial signing
The signing of an undrafted rookie free agent usually doesn't get much attention.
But Saban found himself in the midst of another controversy when he signed former Notre Dame safety Abram Elam, who was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in March, 2002. He was convicted of the lesser charge of felony sexual battery and received an 18-month suspended sentence, two years probation and 200 hours of community service.
Three other players were originally charged and all were expelled from Notre Dame, but Elam was the only one convicted.
After Elam's signing, the victim, whose name is not being published, called reporters in Chicago and the Miami area to protest the Dolphins' decision.
She told the Chicago Tribune: "Abram Elam is living his dream while I continue to have nightmares of the attack endured at his hands over three years ago. I can only hope that every football fan who has a mother, daughter, wife, sister, girlfriend or female friend will express their outrage at this injustice.''
She told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "I will be rape victim and rape survivor for the rest of my life. This is a slap in the face to me and all the women in Florida.''
The Dolphins refused interview requests for Elam. Saban told reporters the team had done a background check and added: "He has learned his lesson.''
