No Play For Thigpen?

When it comes to NFL QB’s it’s a hit or miss project.  From guys like Chad Henne to 1st round busts like Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning.  Henne has shown solid growth and promise but a lock to be the future?  Not yet.  So when the Phins made a trade last year for Tyler Thigpen of KC after the other Chad went down, it was a good move.  A year later and many now expect Thigpen to be traded.  Yet there seems to be no love for the back-up QB with starting experience, in fact, there is no play for Thigpen at all.

Around the NFL teams are jockeying for QB’s who never had it, never will, projects, or over the hill guys on their last legs.  When the free agent markets’ top QB is Chad Pennington…there might be a little bit of lack of QB’s.

Earlier today it was announced that the Seattle Seahawks have swung a deal with San Diego for 3rd string QB Charlie Whitehurst.  Whitehurst has a big arm and a few intangibles but after that, there isn’t much.  The ‘Hawks moved down 20 positions in the 2nd round with SD and gave them their 3rd round pick.  Is it just me or did they give up a lot for a QB who has proven nothing?

Now, I do realize that in the case of Thigpen he has hardly proven to be a winner, but he has arm strength and speed.  He is also young and although he lacks the pedigree of some others, he has started in the NFL and last year almost led Miami to a final game comeback victory.  Yet we hear nothing of teams being interested in him.  Or could it be that the Dolphins simply have no desire to trade him?

There were a few questions heading into free agency that surrounded Miami and their players.  Would Ronnie Brown be a target with only a 1st round tender?  Not even a whisper thus far.  Did the Dolphins make a mistake in only putting a 2nd round tender on Anthony Fasano when so many other teams were in need of a TE?  Nothing.

The Phins also were rumored to have interest in possibly moving Ted Ginn or Greg Camarillo.  Nope, not a thing.  So what gives?  Well, the market may just not be there and that is fine to some degree.  You can’t control what other teams want or who they deem to be the right fit.  Still, when it comes to QB, you would expect a little more.

Let’s face it, the Seahawks are not bringing in Whitehurst to be the starter anymore than Derek Anderson will be guaranteed to start in Arizona.  Or Delhomme will start in Cleveland, or how about the late round pick given to Cleveland along with Peyton Hillis for former 1st round pick Brady Quinn?

The Rams are still wanting to look at QB as are the Bills supposedly but yet neither team seems interested in a QB who has starting experience.  Again, not yet.

The Dolphins may do well by keeping Tyler Thigpen on the roster, but that would also mean they would be willing to keep 4 QB’s on the team unless they can convince Pat White to take up shop as a WR.  Something that some believe he is unwilling to do.  Perhaps maybe that is the issue at hand.  Teams believe that Miami won’t keep all 4 and that they will simply let Thigpen go.  I doubt it.

So while this seems to be the year of the small trade instead of the blockbuster trade, one thing is apparent, no one is talking to the Phins and the Phins  apparently are not talking to anyone else.  Of course if there is  one thing we know about these guys running the show in Miami is this.  We won’t know until they want us to.