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Title: Dolphins QB competition heats up Post by: DolFan619 on August 02, 2008, 10:14:27 am http://www.miamiherald.com/614/story/626768.html
Dolphins QB competition heats up BY JEFF DARLINGTON Miami Herald The Dolphins' quarterback competition is on the verge of becoming very interesting after just one week of training camp. Early frustrations have begun to surface, a rookie has started to emerge and a new face still could be on the way. Over the past three days, coaches have gotten in the ears of veteran quarterbacks Josh McCown and John Beck, vocalizing their belief that rookie Chad Henne has rapidly moved into the mix as a serious contender in this competition. The team also was impressed with Thursday's workout of former NFL starter Quincy Carter, who could wind up on the roster if he can get into better shape. Carter has been advised by the team not to discuss his workout -- and instead focus on conditioning. Coach Tony Sparano, vice president of football operations Bill Parcells and general manager Jeff Ireland all attended the throwing and agility session. Carter is back in Kansas City, Mo., where his season for the Arena Football League's Brigade recently ended. Sparano was quiet about it Friday, resisting to offer any type of scouting report on Carter and instead noting, ``He looked fine.'' Soon, the coach will decide whether Carter's assets and arm strength would make him a viable candidate in this competition. It appears there are no major concerns about him having a relapse after his recent stint in drug rehabilitation. IMPORTANT DAY Regardless of the team's decision about the former Cowboys starter, the current quarterbacks in camp still face a very important practice at 2 p.m. Saturday. The team will go through game-simulated drills (somewhat of a scrimmage), giving each quarterback chances with the first-team offense. The scrimmage, which is open to the public, is probably most important for Beck, who has struggled at times this week and needs a good showing to vault himself back into this battle. Beck said Friday he has grown frustrated by his inability to throw as efficiently and successfully as he did during the offseason, when he was statistically better than both other quarterbacks. ''It's tough,'' Beck said. ``When I came in, I wanted things to be perfect. I wanted to throw all touchdowns and no interceptions, but it doesn't always work that way.'' Instead, Beck noted that his opportunities have led to a number of check-down passes during practices -- something he doesn't want to do, but something he has learned he needs to do if necessary. ''It's tough because there's certain situations in practice when you only get limited reps,'' Beck said. ``You feel like you want to make the best of that rep, but sometimes the best of that rep is just checking it down.'' The second-year quarterback said he has learned some valuable lessons this week, mostly that he needs to stop worrying about the competition and only worry about himself. That will lead to better decisions, which will lead to more calculated success. ''As a player, you want to impress [the coaches],'' Beck said. 'You want to show them you're the guy. The hardest part about that is, you do get a little antsy. You're like, `Man, I've already had to take a couple check downs. I want to take a chance down field.' But I can't have that mentality. ``Although it hasn't been quite as right on as I wanted it to be, I feel like I'm learning a lot. Yes, it's a competition. But you've still got to be smart.'' With the preseason looming, Beck said he knows he's capable of playing more consistently -- something he showed coaches during the spring and the summer. And the coaches know, too. That's likely part of the reason why they've occasionally berated Beck for some of his misfires. HENNE IMPRESSES Meanwhile, Henne's early prognosis is looking solid. The staff is growing more confident that he will develop into a solid quarterback, and it's starting to show. The rookie struggled some during Friday's evening session, but it was arguably his first mediocre workout in the past three days. That's why Saturday will be even more important, although still not important enough to merit any major decisions. For Beck, it's a chance to break back into his comfort zone. For McCown, it's a chance to do something better than average and show he's willing to embrace the job. For Henne, it's a chance to show he isn't shy about trying to win this job. And for all of them, it's an opportunity to show Sparano that this competition doesn't need another contender in Carter. ''We're asking for a little bit more every practice from them, and we're putting them in a little bit more situations every day,'' Sparano said. ``They need to be on top of what they're doing.'' Title: Re: Dolphins QB competition heats up Post by: YoFuggedaboutit on August 02, 2008, 10:16:53 am I said this a few days after the draft... Henne is our QB of the future.
Title: Re: Dolphins QB competition heats up Post by: DZA on August 02, 2008, 11:11:56 am I said this a few days after the draft... Henne is our QB of the future. We Know it wont be BECK Title: Re: Dolphins QB competition heats up Post by: stinkfish on August 02, 2008, 03:07:09 pm I said this a few days after the draft... Henne is our QB of the future. That's too bad. |