Henne Controversy – Trade/Cut/Coach?
By author
Dolphins QB Chad Henne seemed like a big letdown to the team and to fans in many ways last season. But Chad Henne still has guns. The Dolphins and Jeff Ireland must make a decision on him – do they trade him, cut him or coach him? And how much are they actually considering these options – particularly with the contract problems the NFL is (hopefully) going to be resolving sometime real soon….
He needs a sharp and up-to-date Offensive Coordinator (did we just get one or not?) and wide receivers that will be good targets; particularly he needs 1-2 speed receivers rather than possession receivers. And that combination, plus correct coaching to put “touch” on the ball rather than make every pass a fastball, will pull him up to the top ranks of NFL QB’s.
Look, this guy is a gunslinger. And there just is no arguing that fact. He’s got a great arm, a good release, lots of confidence (although he has not displayed it last season) and was touted by the likes of Dan Marino. And we definitely know that Marino did not speak up about other QB’s in Miami the way he has about Chad Henne. This guy has the tools. The troubles he experienced were directly attributable to the Offensive Coordinator and the QB Coach, Jeff Lee.
So the question everybody – and I mean everybody from ESPN down to the fan in the bleachers has been asking is this: how come he didn’t even resemble the guy on the field nearly all of last season?
My answer is this – scheme, coaching, play-calling have had him confused and simply, “not himself”. He has actually been coached into a regression. And that is why we now have a much better chance of seeing the potential now that the shakeup has occurred on the offensive coaching staff.
All of that said, I definitely think that the time-honored remedies will settle this guy down and get him producing at the top of the league. No, I’m not a dummy and no, I’m not kidding. Try bringing in a couple of other real gunslinger QB’s like a hot draft pick (Ryan Mallett) and a great 2nd stringer veteran (like Matt Flynn – although the Packer’s HC has clearly indicated that the team does not intend to part with him anytime soon) and then coach Henne back to the basics: footwork, reads, timing, accuracy and touch. And believe me, he will seem like the 2nd coming of Dan Marino for real this time.
What? Did you think that bringing in a rookie QB prospect would be the solution? Really? Henne is every bit as talented as any QB coming out of college and has more understanding and experience with the NFL game than any rookie, obviously. Wait and see but I predict he will be the starter and have a much better year with the changes that were made and will be made.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JT cut by the Jets, but that’s ok. He got what he wanted and made some money and can now consider retiring or perhaps helping another team and make a bit more dough. Why didn’t he have a more productive year with the Jets? Simple: he was used in a scheme where many adjustments were being made constantly and getting pulled-out and put back in again. But he can still hold his own for another year and maybe even 2 more. Just not with the Dolphins or the Jets and not for the payola that he got last year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What about the Dolphins D? I wrote last August (you can look it up) that the Defense would rebound into a proud unit once again. And it has. Coaching, scheme, adjusting the personnel and leadership created that. And it will improve again. Trust me on that. My next articles will have more to say about the coming Defensive changes as well.
Fins Up Dolphins! The best is yet to come.