Dolphins receiver Hagan one year wiser
Second-year receiver Derek Hagan is displaying his ability in minicamp, and coach Cam Cameron likes what he sees.
BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD
srothschild@MiamiHerald.com
Wide receiver Derek Hagan spent last season as the fourth wide receiver on a Dolphins team that primarily used three. Now, with a new offensive-minded coach and a year of NFL experience, Hagan has a clearer shot at being one of the Dolphins' top three receivers.
During the third day of the Dolphins' final minicamp, Hagan showed glimpses of his talent. Hagan, the Dolphins' third-round pick in the 2006 draft, made several acrobatic catches, including one where he leapt in the back of the end zone and fell backward on a 20-yard pass from Cleo Lemon. For the record, referees ruled the catch out of bounds during a drill, but it had coach Cam Cameron buzzing.
''One thing I noticed about Derek, he can make catches I've never seen before,'' Cameron said Sunday. ``I'm really growing to appreciate Derek, and the reason I say that is if you could pick one guy that I'm on every second of every day it's Derek. I see something in him that I'm not sure he sees in himself.''
UP AND DOWN
Cameron said he's impressed by Hagan's ability to make spectacular catches, but would like to see the former Arizona State star show consistency.
On the play after Hagan's dazzling catch, Lemon threw the same route, but this time it resulted in a drop. Cameron said Hagan's issue is not his hands.
''He'll turn around and drop the one you and I can catch,'' Cameron said.
The solution?
''What do you catch the football with? You catch the ball with your eyes,'' Cameron said. ``Most guys think it's about their hands. Derek just has to be more disciplined at looking the ball. You are not the all-time Pac-10 reception leader if you can't catch a ball.''
As a rookie last year, Hagan played as a reserve in all 16 games, and had 21 receptions for 221 yards and one touchdown.
''I was still learning, every game we had, every practice we had,'' Hagan said.
Cameron said he sees a gem, and that's part of the reason he constantly pushes Hagan to improve. Cameron, a former wide receivers coach at the University of Michigan and San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator, has made a point of harping on Hagan during minicamp. He has offered both praise and constructive criticism.
Wide receiver Chris Chambers has noticed a different Hagan this offseason.
HARD WORK
''He's a lot more confident,'' Chambers said. ``He was a rookie last year, and for a receiver usually you don't come along for two or three years. He's worked extremely hard, he has his ups and downs but he always bounces back, and that's what makes him a good player.''
This offseason, Hagan said he has focused on honing his fundamentals, and said he expects to increase his production. He said those gains will come from his work ethic, whether that means arriving at the Dolphins facility before offseason workouts or staying afterward to reach 1,000 catches a day.
Hagan showed promise with the Dolphins almost a year ago. He had a strong training camp and competed to be the No. 3 receiver, but that role went to Wes Welker, who led the Dolphins' wide receivers with 67 catches. In his first five games, Hagan had only two receptions.
''When you're coming in as a rookie you're working hard, but the coaches expect you to drop off sooner or later,'' Hagan said.
``I thought I was all right, but things didn't go as well as we wanted.''
Even his high points, Hagan said, seemed meaningless because of the team's offensive struggles, and also its 6-10 record.
He caught a career-high six receptions for 66 yards against the Jets on Oct. 15 in a three-point loss.
The next week against Green Bay, he had five catches for 53 yards and scored his first touchdown on a Joey Harrington pass. That, too, seemed like a footnote.
''I was happy but we still lost the game, so it didn't matter that I scored,'' Hagan said. ``We still lost, I wasn't thinking about my touchdown, I was thinking about losing to the Green Bay Packers.''
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