KEVIN COYLE (Defensive backs coach)
Initial comments:KC: We are excited that we were able to choose Morgan Trent here in the sixth round of the draft. We had him down at the Senior Bowl. He actually played in the East-West game and the Senior Bowl, so we had a week of close contact and an opportunity to get to know him both as a player and as a person. We think we have a quality player and a quality person in him as well. He is a guy from Orchard Lake St. Mary's (Preparatory) in Michigan. He went to Michigan, initially recruited as a wide receiver. He ended up redshirting as a freshman and then started 41 games in college. I can remember going up when we were evaluating Leon Hall, there was this number 14 on the other side of the field that kept showing up on the tape. At the workout at Michigan that year, I remember meeting him and saying, 'Maybe, in a couple years, I could be back here talking to you.' It's funny how it ended up panning out. He is a good-sized player — over 6 feet tall, 193 pounds— and he ran sub-4.5 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) at the combine. He fits the style of defense that we are playing now. We want to have some corners that have size and strength on the perimeter and are able to play the press bump-and-run style that we like. I think he is a good fit.
Q: Is he more of a cover type corner or a big hit corner?KC: I think he was asked to do a lot of things at Michigan. He has the speed that we look for in a cover guy. I think there are some elements of his game that we are going to work hard to improve. He can play more physical at times. But I watched a lot of tape on him because of that, and I have seen him do it on film in various games throughout the year. I know he is a guy that can defend the run — a guy that can come up and defend on the perimeter as well as defend the deep throws. Because he has size, he has long arms. He can do the things that you look for on the outside. You're always looking to improve in the secondary with coverage type guys that have some versatility, and I think he has that. I think he has some size where, in certain defenses, he may be able to be a swing guy that could play some on the inside and some on the perimeter as well.
Q: Has he had any experience in the return game?KC: No he hasn't been a returner, but he has some really impressive track times. He ran track at Michigan, as well as running as a sprinter. I think he still holds the Michigan high school indoor record for 200 meters. The guy can really fly. He is a long-striding speed guy and I am anxious to see how he is going to match up with the receivers that he will be facing on a day-to-day basis. I think a big thing is that he is a quality, smart guy. He came in late at the Senior Bowl during the middle of the week when one of the guys on our team had to leave. We brought him for a meeting and he picked things up within half an hour. That is another element that we feel really good about.
Q: How helpful was Bengals cornerback Leon Hall (also a former Michigan cornerback) in the evaluation process?KC: I talked to Leon about him at length. I talked to (Bengals halfback) Chris Perry (also from Michigan) about him to get his impressions on him from being around him in the past. Those guys were all very favorable and complimentary. They thought he was a very good prospect. We didn't talk to them about where we might draft him. I just talked to them about what kind of guy he is — what kind of player — and they recommended him highly.
Q: This is the fourth or fifth guy you drafted that you coached at the Senior Bowl ...KC: It's a big advantage when you have a chance to work with these guys and spend the whole week with them. You are in meetings together. The first day or two, they are always on their best behavior because they want to impress you, and they see it as a great opportunity to showcase their skills. But as the week goes on, the relationship becomes a little easier for them too, and then you can learn a lot more about their personalities. That is a big advantage for working the game, and I think that's one of the big reasons why coach (Marvin) Lewis has been excited about the opportunities when we have had the chance to work the game.
