A Real QB Competition?
By Brian Miller
Let’s face it fellow Fin Fans, there is only one real issue for anyone who follows the team, supports the team, cheers for the team, or screams obscenities at the team. The quarterback situation.
The Miami Dolphins have been nothing since Dan Marino left the position open to a plethora of migrant workers…no offense to the real migrant workers of America. Sure, there has been quarterback competitions and I recently learned how to use my Spidey-senses. So is there finally a QB competion in Miami? A real one?
Marino left and it was Fiedler. Then it was Fiedler vs. well no one. Then it was Fiedler vs. AJ Feeley, but not really. Oh and then what about Sage Rosenfels and AJ Feely? Which actualy turned out to be Gus Frerrote. Of course the real QB competition came with Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington, o.k. not really a competition. Oh, the real one came with Trent Green and, oh nevermind, you get the picture.
Now, it’s John Beck vs. Josh McCown vs. Chad Henne. Guess what? All 3 want to start and all 3 have about as much success in the NFL and in the case of Henne, he hasn’t even made it to a training camp yet. Still, you wanted a QB competition and you got one.
While the money is on Beck to win the job this year, McCown is saying all the right things in his attempt to become the Phins starter.
”I hope for the sake of our team and the quarterback position that in John Beck’s mind he believes nothing is going to stop him, and in Chad Henne’s mind there’s nothing that’s going to stop him from being the starter,” McCown said. “When you have guys competing as hard as we’re going to compete, you’re going to get the best out of us, and you’ll get the best quarterback possible for this team.”
Sounds like a real good cooker huh? The truth of the matter is that this is going to be a full fledged competition. McCown is well traveled in the NFL and is the veteran that at least knows the preparation that goes into playing at this level, despite his lack of success. Beck is the 2nd rounder who flailed like a fish out of water, perhaps more the result of horrid coaching and decision making and worse injuries to the supporting cast than a knock on his ability and talent. Henne is the dark horse rookie, but that dark horse has something the other don’t have, Bill Parcells. Unlike Beck and McCown, Henne is his guy and while Henne struggled on day 3 of the rookie camp, it really means nothing. Nothing at all.
There is however one common denominator between them all. QB coach David Lee, another Parcells hire. In fact, Parcells knew the situation in Miami was so bad that Lee was hired before a head coach candidate had been interviewed. While it seems all may be equal, Beck is the one who has worked more one on one hours with the new QB guru. While McCown wondered about where he would play, Beck hired a personal trainer and added bulk to his frame, was a daily visitor to the teams training facility, and was said to be throwing around 1,000 passes a week…on his own.
Beck’s gumption guarantees him nothing. It was Bill Parcells who when first hired to coach the NY Giants, benched future Hall of Famer Phil Simms. It happens and although BP is not the coach, don’t believe for a moment that he isn’t pulling Tony Sparano aside and telling him what the deal is.
So while we as fans sit and listen to the verbal competition, the one that goes, “I’m glad that so and so is here because competition will make me work harder”, the real competition, the one for the starting job has already started. In the weight room, on the practice field when no one else is around, but the eye in the sky is perched like an eagle taking every throw in with scrutiny. Heck, there is probably a video camera stashed somewhere to film every movement.
Come training camp, this team will see something that it hasn’t seen since the days of the late Dave Woodley and Don Strock, a quarterback competition…a real one.