Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Its a done deal
SAINTS SEND SEVENTH-ROUND PICK TO MIAMI FOR LB DERRICK RODGERS
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2003


Continuing the effort to add speed and experience to an improved defense, the New Orleans Saints have traded their seventh-round pick in 2004 to the Miami Dolphins for LB Derrick Rodgers, it was announced today by the club.


“Rodgers is the kind of player we have targeted for the defense since last season ended,� said Coach Jim Haslett. “He can fly to the ball and close gaps. Derrick is also a proven veteran, having played in over 90 games and seven postseason contests. We have gotten deeper, more experienced and faster with this trade, and we’re excited to have him.�


Rodgers, 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, started 89 of 93 games at weakside linebacker for the Dolphins after being drafted in the third-round in 1997 (92nd overall). In his career, he has posted 378 tackles (248 solo), nine sacks, four forced fumbles and three interceptions. Rodgers twice won the Dolphins’ Leadership Award (2000-01), as voted on by his teammates, and was named Sports Illustrated’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1997. In 2002, he started 15 of 16 games and recorded 74 tackles and two interceptions.


Rodgers attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, but he did not play football, instead playing the trumpet as a member of the school’s nationally-renowned marching band. He graduated from high school in 1989 and then served four years as a medical technician in the U.S. Air Force – where he was stationed for more than two years in Okinawa, Japan – before enrolling at Riverside (Calif.) Community College in 1994. Rodgers played for Riverside for two seasons before attending Arizona State in 1996, where he was named first-team All-Pac-10 after posting 12 sacks. He left school following his junior season.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I don\'t have a problem with adding a veteran OLB to our current fleet of LBers. This guy was going to be a June 1st cut. Why give up a pick for him? If there were rumors flying around that a few teams were speaking to his agent about contracts if and when he is available then I could see trying to secure his rights. Decent move though as a back up plan if Allen or Hodge fail to impress.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Thats exactly what happened. The packers wanted him too. The Saints gave up a draft pick that probably wouldn\'t have made team anyway for the rights for a LB with starter quality. This was a very cheap way to add SOLID depth to a position with some unproven youth. I\'m guessing they didn\'t want to get into a bidding war with anybody.

Yea, this guy ain\'t the 2nd coming of Pat Swilling, but he gives us \"Experience & Depth\" at a position that needed both.

As a starter, he\'s about average,
As a back-up, he\'s WAY above average.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Giving up a seventh round pick next year (since a 7th rounder has little chance of making the team) for a veteran OLB with some speed is a great move since we have very little experience at the LB position.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I don\'t know much about the guy but for a 7th round pick, who cares.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I\'m assuming he\'s in the last year of a contract. Anyone know what his current salary is?

I hadn\'t heard the Packers were interested in him, so I agree in the decision to give up a late pick for him. I\'m just wondering what his impact is to our financial position and what he may be looking at next year.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Well, we\'ve got him now, so I hope he improves the team.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

His current salary is over 2 million with incentives, but he has agreed to restructure his contract. I think this is a good addition to the team, and definitely a step forward in helping the defense.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I think we stole the cheese on this guys and dolls. This is what I liked the most. Wannstedt said \"this is where Derrick wanted to be all along.\" So the phins did what they could to satisfy him, so it appears sombody up top respected the player.

On a Phins forum one of the posters replied, \"his salary was not so high it warranted getting rid of a starting calibre player for next to nothing.\"

2002 stats:

91 tackles
51 solo tackles
40 asst.
4 qb hurries
2 ints

Saints management the real good on this one. Plus he has high leadership skills.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I hope he does great. I remember he played DE at Arizona State and then converted to OLB, just like a recent Raven draftee. He had a lot interest his senior year because he had a big game against the then unstoppable Cornhuskers. I do not know how he has performed the last few years, but he will probably be a good pass-rusher. More importantly, this may allow either Hodge or Allen to go to the middle, which could be a good move.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

hey billy i read he was due 1mil this year and 2.5 next year, these being the last two years of his deal where did you read that he was wiling to restructure?

for a seventh rounder this guy was a steal, the guy was a starter on a team that has been rock solid on d the last 5 years or so, if it takes a junior seau for you to lose your job then i say we start the guy, i had heard he wasn\'t all that good but after reading about him on several miami sites i would have to say we got a good deal

however in typical saints fashion he has to serve a 1 game suspension during the season opener due to a domestic dispute, CAN\"T WE SIGN JUST ONE GUY WHOM ISN\"T AN EPISODE OF LAW & ORDER? :P :P :P :P :P

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

What I like most about him is that he received the Dolphins Leadership Award twice while playing for them. So not only do we have an average to an above average addition at linebacker, we have a great leader on defense. For a seventh rounder, this is a good move.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Playing with Zach Thomas, Patrick Sertain, Sam Madison and Morton Greenwood, started 15 out of 16 games, we got the cheese boys.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

The only thing that bugs me is why did the Dolphins want to give up on him? He is only in his 7th year and seems to have good production. What is the problem? Why give up a pick to get an very aging Seau and cut lose Rodgers to regain this late pick?

Any ideas?

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I do not believe he was that great in coverage and struggled reading running plays, I heard that midseason when the Dolphins started having problems

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I don\'t think it had any thing to do with his playing ability. I think it was all about the benjamins. He was scheduled to earn 1mil. this season between his base and a roster bonus. His base salary for 2004 is 2.5mil. with no restructure in sight.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Honestly, I like this move. One of the main reasons why is because of the leadership award. He\'s a more than capable linebacker and he might be able to light a fire under the defense\'s butts. We didn\'t give up much for him, and we avoided a bidding war with the Packers to get him. He may not be a superstar, but for what was left available, I think he\'ll do just fine.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Guys I like the deal as well, but the fact the Dolphins dumped on him has to mean something. Whether there is more to the story or not is irrelevant considering we are desperate for veteran LB depth. For that reason alone this is very smart. I would really like to see a play at McGlockton. If Grady doesn\'t get his act together we are suddenly very weak at the DT position. We can\'t go into the season with on Sullivan and Smith and expect Whitehead to move to DT and that\'s it. I would have huge problems with that and I would think Chester could excel in a more reduced capacity.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I think this is a good deal as well. Giving up a seventh round pickin 04 (re: guy who won\'t make practice squad) for a vet LB w/ starters experience is a good deal all around. It\'s not like we are talking about Terry Glenn or Galloway here, this guy has produced, has a good rep (minus the one charge) and came from a real good defensive system that taught its LBs to fly to the ball. That is something we could use considering the youth of our corp. Dolphins prob gave him up b/c of Seau and their draft. Saw him as expendable, not a bad player.

I know I was one who said let\'s just see what our LBs can do as is, but anything for that kind of deal makes sense. I still say keep our starting 3 as is, but now backup isn\'t such a worry.

I don\'t know about McGlockton though. Maybe for a 1 year deal. Not much else.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

acording to the Sun Herald out of Biloxi, Ms. Rodgers contract has already been renegotiated! It didn\'t give any further details but said Loomis completed the restructuring over this past weekend while on his little vacation. No $ figures were given.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

True, but he caught his wife with another man and went nuts. Like Chris Rock said about OJ,
\"I\'m not condoning it.... but I understand!\"

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Hey rusta go to kffl and type in Derrick Rodgers and it will give you the run down on him and the dealings with the phins and other teams.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Now that I know more about this guy, I like the deal too. I think he will bring leadership, speed, and experience to the Saints Defense. I think he will improve the team for sure.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

I heard last night that he just didn\'t fit in the Dolphins scheme as well as Seau does. He\'s a fantastic pass rusher, but only so-so against the run. With Jason Taylor (the QB seeking missle) playing in front of Rodgers, the fins thought they\'d be better off spending big bucks on a LB thats better against the run. Without Jason Taylor, I think they keep this guy.

He still finished 4th on the team in tackles. Thats not bad on the 4th best D in the league.
I imagine Michelle Vick isn\'t all that thrilled with this pick-up.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

we are going to put Vick in his place this year-right on his back for many sacks, he is not going to be able to get away from our D.

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

We gonna put some vapor rub on Vick to deal with the pain. HEHE :D

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Hey, Tweeky! Wasn\'t it also Chris Rock that said \"I won\'t hit a *****, but I\'ll sho shake the **** outta one!\" Maybe if Rodgers had just shook her real good, then he wouldn\'t have to serve a one-game suspension. :P

Official: Rodgers to Saints (for a 7th Rounder)
 

Naw, he\'d just have one pissed off dizzy ***** :P