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Can Beck turn stumbling block to steppingstone?

BY ARMANDO SALGUERO
Miami Herald

Last year wants to hover over John Beck like an angry cloud, ready to rain on the rest of his career anytime he fumbles or throws an interception or trips over a lineman's foot, because that is mostly what happened during a forgettable, regrettable 2007.

Last year is a recurring nightmare.

And the worry with Beck, as with any quarterback that goes through tough times as a rookie, is that he won't be able to wake up. The concern is that he is permanently stained and won't be able to move on from that difficult first year.

A tough rookie year is not insurmountable for any player, but quarterbacks seem particularly prone to suffer from its aftereffects. Some become jittery in the pocket, or uncertain about their throws, or worried that everything that went wrong as a rookie would never stop going wrong.

Houston's David Carr, San Diego's Ryan Leaf, Washington's Heath Shuler and Cincinnati's Akili Smith all found their careers on life support after difficult first seasons. They were the most prominent quarterbacks who played as rookies and continued to stumble as veterans.

And that stumbling caused some NFL people to conclude the problem was not so much in the players, but in the way the players were managed. The problem, some NFL minds believe, is the players were rushed into action rather than seasoned on the bench.

That's the reason former Dolphins coach Cam Cameron originally planned to marinate Beck throughout his rookie year before actually putting him on that grill that is live NFL action. Cameron was witness to the Shuler fiasco in Washington and didn't want a repeat in Miami.

THROWN TO THE WOLVES

But plans changed when Trent Green went down, and the team Cameron initially believed a playoff contender reeked. A raw Beck was thrust into games to get some experience, to see what he had, to survive if he could.

''For me,'' Beck says, ``I just look at last year as an opportunity to get some playing time and [find] things to learn from.''

Beck quickly learned he was on a team plagued by terrible times -- and he wasn't immune to the plague.

He completed 60 of 107 passes for a 56.1 completion percentage, but his 5.22 yards per completion was bad, even by losing team standards.

He led the team with seven fumbles. He sustained 10 sacks in four starts. He threw three interceptions and only one touchdown pass. The rigors and worries of the season caused him to lose almost 15 pounds.

And, oh yes, he was benched during a game at Buffalo -- after playing only a couple of terrible series.

So the issue that lingers is whether Beck suffered those tough times and will learn from them, or suffered those tough times and was ruined by them.

Beck believes the former, and all Dolphins fans hope he's right.

''A year makes a big difference, just the way your eyes see the game,'' he said. ``Being in the situations I was in, we had some ups and downs last year and I got to learn a lot from both sides of it. Those downs some people might say were hard, but I learned a lot from them. A lot of those things I learned last year are paying off and helping me right now.''

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES

Beck would be wise to use that experience. He should remember what went wrong and correct it.

But he should never let himself relive it, or worse, be defined it. He should recall the lessons, yes, but he would be well served to forget the troubles.

That is exactly what Beck seems to be attempting. Although the media will draw comparisons between the Beck of 2007 and 2008, although fans will measure one against the other to see if there is improvement, Miami's quarterback is simply trying to wash his hands of 2007's dirt and stink.

''It was a rough year,'' he said. ``But my mind is not thinking about what happened last year. I don't even think about that stuff. All I think about on a day-to-day basis is the things I can work on right now. When practice ends, I go home tonight and I work on things at my house. That way I can be better the next time I step on the field.''

Beck is fortunate the Dolphins have new coaches -- even if they aren't the coaches who drafted him. They saw the quarterback's struggles on tape, but it didn't sting them as a personal failure like it would have stung Cameron.

Coach Tony Sparano and his staff are working with a pristine slate and they can offer the same advantage to Beck.

''We all know that somewhere along the line we hope his best football is ahead of him,'' Sparano said. ``I think that's important. For now, as I've told all [the players], I'm looking at this thing as a blank piece of paper. In my mind, what we see right now and what we do on the practice field, as we get ready to go, is really how we'll make our evaluations.''

So it is a fresh start, a new morning for John Beck. That means it is time for him to wake up from his rookie nightmare.

I hope Beck can prove me wrong, I hope he can become an effective leader.
But I still think he will be number 2 this year.

As far as I'm concerned This is John Becks first year. Last year doesn't count. Hell look at the situation Marino got put in in his first season. He stepped into a very good Team with a great O line that allowed him to excel. Beck fell into one of the worse situations any QB could imagine let alone a Green assed Rookie. On the road in those conditions with that Sad excuse for a line? As much as I have distaste for Cameron and his passing of Quinn, I'm giving John Beck at least the end of Training Camp to show me what he's got.

I'm not as optimistic, Defense.  This isn't his first year.  In his first year, he was lost, scared, and made his own folly reel.  I am not giving up on Beck, but part of me thinks that only so much of this is learning -- that you either have it or you don't, and you usually can tell pretty quickly.

Peyton still has yet to overcome a rocky 3-13 start.  WTF is this guy talking about? 

Better question..>WTF are YOU talking about? Comparing Beck to Manning is as ridiculous as comparing Bill Belichick to Cam Cameron. Technically, both had rough rookie coaching seasons.

And both worked for moron owners too.  Who knows maybe Cam will spend a few more years as a coordinator, get another HC job and turn out pretty good.   

I am not saying Beck is going to be the next Manning, but QBs often have a rough start and then improve. 

Good Points......But I really feel he got thrown into an unwinnable situation and I just want to see him get a fair shot is all.

^^ I agree.  I want to see him get a fair shot, but I think that he's probably regressed last year.  What others may call experience, I see as him starting even further back.  He has to unlearn that stuff just to get back to zero.

Now we will see how mentally tough he is.  If he can work through all this adversity, then he has truly earned the job.

How many games did Beck start last year?  2?  3?  right.

In his one relief appearance in Buffalo, when Cleo got hurt, Beck looked awesome!

You people who are ready to give up on the guy based on 3 games should be ashamed.

I'm so ashamed!

John Beck is the reason that we invaded Iraq.

John Beck should be fired!

I had a hard time thinking of John Beck as a rookie last year when he was 26...now people want me to consider him a rookie at 27?

Until he shows me he can play QB at the NFL level, I'm not going to call him a rookie or a veteran...I'm going to call him a mistake.

MaineDolFan
I'm so ashamed!
John Beck is the reason that we invaded Iraq.




If I recall it was right after Beck was signed that gas prices started to soar and the economy started to tank.

DAMNIT!!!!  Bill Parcells should've NEVER kept this loser John Beck around!!!  He's an NFL head coach masquerading as a front office guy!!!!  He needs to be fired!!!!!

 ;D ;D ;D

Isn't this a bit premature.  I mean, wait until you lose the season opener to the Jets by 40 points before you demand he be fired. 

  That's just a bit harsh.

Just a bit? Shoot, I'll try harder next time...

For what it's worth though, I'm equally as harsh on my 49ers' more expensive mistake, Alex Smith. The 49ers should have paid attention to the candles I lit for Braylon Edwards and left the small-handed turnover machine to someone else.

I hope both Smith and Beck prove me wrong.  But until they do, I see problems at QB for both teams I love to cheer for. I see mistakes that need to be corrected at the most important position on the field...and I don't see either team being a playoff contender until those QB issues are resolved.

  By all means do.  Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel. 

  Anyways, I think Beck realizes that this is his best and only shot to grab ahold of the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback job.  He knows this regime didn't invest in him, and that they recently drafted another quarterback in Chad Henne.  Beck realizes that it's now or never at this point.  Beck certainly has a lot more tools at his disposal this time around versus what he went in with in that first game against the Eagles.  As the offensive line goes, he's got Big Jake protecting his blindside, Vernon Carey will be moved back to his natural position at RT, Justin Smiley will be at RG, and of course super-stud C Samson Satele.  The only real question is at LG whether it will be Steve McKinney or rookie Shawn Murphy.  Regardless, this group is more talented than what Beck had in front of him last season. 

  Beck's running backs last year consisted of: Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, Jesse Chatman, and Samkon Gado.  Ricky was supposed to take some pressure off of Beck, but Ricky and Beck only played a few snaps together before Ricky suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the Pittsburgh swamp.  Maybe too much was expected of Ricky considering he hasn't played a down of football since the 2006 season with the Argonauts in the CFL, and hadn't taken an NFL snap since December 2005.  Patrick Cobbs....  Well, a special teams guy and nothing more.  Jesse Chatman was gimpy with an ankle injury by the time Beck got to work with him, and Samkon Gado....  Well, nice guy but just wasn't good enough.  Notice who wasn't one of Beck's running backs last year?  Ronnie Brown.

  Yes, I understand Ronnie is coming off an ACL injury.  Yes, I understand that Ronnie may not be in top form at the beginning of the season.  However, I do know this.  When healthy, we all saw what Ronnie Brown was capable of, and a power running game is a young quarterback's best friend.  Along with Ronnie, Ricky Williams will be back.  Ricky certainly will be in better football shape for the 2008 season than he was for the 2007 season.  Ricky is 31 years old which is usually considered "long in the tooth" for a RB, Ricky doesn't have the same wear and tear that other 31 year old RB's do.  Also, at Beck's disposal are rookies Jalen Parmele and Lex Hilliard.

  The WR's should be better as well.  Ted Ginn Jr. was Beck's number one target last season, and I expect more of the same in 2008.  Ginn and Beck have worked together all offseason and the chemistry between those two should be above and beyond last year's showing.  Ernest Wilford was a HUGE upgrade.  Probably one of the least talked about offseason moves, but no doubt in my mind Wilford's impact will be felt.  A huge target, reliable hands, and great in the red zone.  He doesn't have the speed of Ginn, he's not flashy, but he moves those chains.  A solid possesion receiver, a lot more reliable than lazy ass Marty Booker.  Then there's Derek Hagan.  I like Hagan, but his penchant for drops simply irks me.  The best Hagan has ever looked in a Dolphins uniform was during that final drive of the Cinncinati game, when he and Beck connected on several passes, one of which was Beck's first NFL passing touchdown.  How Hagan goes from being the Pac 10 Conference All Time Leader in Receptions to being an underachieving WR with a penchant for drops baffles me.  It's put up or shut up time for Hagan.

  As for the rest of the receivers.  It's mostly a hodgepodge of guys like: David Kircus, Justin Wynn, Selwyn Lymon, Greg Camarillo, and Davone Bess.  Out of that group, the one guy who probably stands out the most is former Warrior, Davone Bess.  If you ever watched Hawaii football, you would know that Davone Bess caught everything that came within his grasp.  As far as the TE's go.  David Martin and Aaron Halterman both suck, they're gone.  Anthony Fasano is a massive upgrade over David Martin and will finally get his chance to shine after being stuck behind All-Universe TE Jason Witten in Dallas.  Justin Peelle, and Sean Ryan are okay.  They'll mainly be utilized for their blocking abilities.

  Last season, the majority of the whiny Dolphin fanbase screamed for Beck to start, while a sane few (me and few others as well) said that Beck shouldn't play at all because he wasn't ready and hasn't had a lot of time with the first team unit.  Well, Cameron caved in to the demands of the whiny little bitches, as well as the media, and decided to start Beck.  Well, the people wanted Beck, and they got Beck.  They got a John Beck who was unprepared both mentally and physically, and it showed.  Of course, Beck looked "lost", "afraid", and that "deer in the headlights" look?  Who in the fuck wouldn't?  Cameron failed to properly prepare Beck mentally.  Beck's preparation should have began after Green went down in the Houston game.  Beck should've been taken off of the scout team.  Beck was ill prepared physically, due to the soft strength and conditioning program  of Matt Schiotz and Brad Orht, as well as suffering the flu late in the season and losing several pounds on his frame.  His first two games were against the two most blitz-heavy defenses in Philidelphia and Pittsburgh and the weather was complete shit for both games.  So let's sum it all up.

- Beck was unprepared mentally due to Cameron's reluctance to pull him off the scout team.  When he did eventually pull him off the scout team, Beck still had to share snaps with Cleo up until the week of the Philly game.

- Beck was unprepared physically due to a tissue soft strength and conditioning program, and a late season bout with the flu.

- Beck's first team offense was pretty much filled with players at the wrong positions, shitty scrubs, and inexpierienced rookies.

- Cameron ran a very vanilla offense and saddled Beck with piss-poor play-calling.

- Let's face it, by the time Beck came in the team had already given up the season.  Hardly anybody was trying out there, it was pretty much the rookies and that's it.

- His first two games came against blitz heavy defenses, in the shittiest weather conditions possible.

  I can't imagine there ever being a worse rookie season than that.  Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and it was painful to watch.  Were there some things that were Beck's fault?  Of course, I won't absolve Beck of everything.  His fumblitis was and is a cause for concern and Beck would be the first to admit that.  I believe in John Beck but I would be foolish to call him the answer, as would it be just as foolish to call him a "mistake."  If anything, Beck is still an unknown quantity.  We still don't know what he can do, because he hasn't had the proper things put around him in order to find that out.  Now, I think we have some of those things that will determine as to what John Beck is. 

  John Beck has seen regular season action, and hopefully he can take away some lessons from the tough times and use it to his advantage.  The kid is mentally tough, his freshman season at BYU was remarkably similar to what his rookie campaign with the Dolphins was like.  If he could recover from that debacle, he'll recover just fine.  John Beck has now been in an NFL level strength and conditioning program.  He looks to be in much better shape and has added some much needed muscle to his frame.  John Beck now has his chance to be the "guy."  No more scout team, no more other bullcrap like that.  He's working with the first unit from Day One.  The biggest reason that John Beck has a great chance to succeed this year, is beacuse....  HE HAS THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED!  See, you can be surrounded by the greatest collection of talent, have the best coaches, but if you don't have the will to be the best....  Then you ain't got jack!

  The quarterback is supposed to be the hardest worker on the team right?  Guess who was the first one back in the Davie facility, only four days after the season ended?  It's John Beck.  Guess who is the first one in the building and the last to leave?  It's John Beck.  Guess who is spending countless hours in the filmroom with quarterbacks coach, David Lee, as well as throwing over 4,000+ balls on the practice field in effort to better his footwork and have a higher release point?  It's John Beck.  Guess who was the one giving out pointers to a rookie and a six year veteran on the first day of OTA's?  It was John Beck. 

  If John Beck winds up failing, at least this time it won't be because of a lack of preparation or lack of effort.

So his deer-in-headlights mental state is Cameron's fault, and his lack of physical conditioning is the other coaches fault. Is there anything you think that Beck should be accountable for himself?

Look, I know you like the guy...and I'm fine with that. I just don't think he's looked like a legitimate starting QB at any time he's stepped on the field for the Dolphins. Cameron didn't turn the ball over 10 times last year for Beck...Beck turned the ball over ten times for the Dolphins (to one TD).

If Beck comes out this year, steps up his game and becomes a solid starter...great! Anything that improves the Dolphins' on-field product is aces by me. I'm not going to hold my breath in anticipation though, because I haven't seen anything from him to this point that leads me to believe that a legitimate starter is in there, just waiting for better coaching and supporting players to bring him out.

I agree DolFan, we threw Beck to the wolfs last year and they ate him alive! The Eagles and Steelers games were not a fair assesment of his possible talent.Given our shitty O line and the weather conditions, I think we pulled him to early in the Bills game. It's not like we were fighting for a play off spot! We should have let him play through it to test his metal. I've seen other quarterbacks start off just as shitty and pull it out of their ass to come back and win. Not to say we could have won but, maybe he would have given us something to hope for.

Maybe we should just ask our opponents not to rush Beck until he gets better supporting players around him and the team makes him physically stronger...

::)

Let me guess, it was the centers fault Beck couldn't hold on to the ball cause he used too much lotion on his hands and it transferred to the ball.