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Title: Four QBs don't fit Dolphins' equation Post by: DolFan619 on August 13, 2008, 02:08:11 am http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/miami-dolphins/story/639346.html
Four QBs don't fit Dolphins' equation BY ARMANDO SALGUERO Miami Herald Last week Dolphins coaches and personnel staff were wondering and seriously questioning whether they had two quarterbacks on the roster worthy of keeping. Now coach Tony Sparano tells us the team might keep four quarterbacks. Who is he kidding? The Dolphins have gone from a terrible quarterback situation to a superior one in that they now have a veteran starter in Chad Pennington, a potential franchise quarterback in Chad Henne, and their choice of an experienced backup in either John Beck or Josh McCown. The Dolphins believe ''Penny and Henne,'' as general manager Jeff Ireland calls them, are Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now -- with Pennington providing the temporary bridge to Henne's future inheritance of the position and Beck or McCown providing insurance in case the bridge collapses. But that's where it pretty much ends -- at three guys. The fourth guy? Hard to believe Sparano can be very serious about that. McCown and Beck are locked in a battle for one undefined, uncertain spot. Their long-term future with the team could best be characterized by what happened at practice Tuesday morning when Pennington took 33 snaps in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills while Henne was given the other 25. Beck and McCown totaled zero snaps in team drills. And while it remains possible, if not likely, one of these two guys still will be on the roster this season, it really stretches the imagination to think both will be around. Think about it. Keeping four quarterbacks means a typical regular-season week would have the starter getting 85 percent of the snaps with the first team, the backup getting 15 percent of the snaps, and the third and fourth quarterbacks having to share scout team duties. ''And you're hoping those quarterbacks are guys that can mature in your program a little bit and grow and have some upside down the road,'' Sparano said Wednesday. Henne has that upside but the Dolphins would rather nurture him than need him this year. Beck has that potential down the road also. McCown and Pennington are veterans. So Sparano will have a choice to make. But having that choice include keeping all four would be the Dolphins buying a luxury they cannot afford, it would be them trying to buy a Cadillac while living in a cardboard box. That is clear when Sparano talks incessantly about ''position flexibility.'' The coach and his staff are constantly looking for creative ways to maximize their roster because, frankly, they will have some tough decisions to make at the end of this preseason. The team is working Matt Roth at both defensive end and outside linebacker. Same with Vonnie Holliday. Steve McKinney has worked at center, guard and offensive tackle this camp, while Trey Darilek has spent time at guard and tackle. The Dolphins also expect their returner to play a position such as wide receiver or running back while helping on special teams. And while they're asking veterans and more accomplished players to man multiple positions, they're going to keep four quarterbacks? ''We just have to look quite honestly at the entire roster and see where our numbers are, not necessarily on offense,'' Sparano said. ``We can gain numbers from defense, we can gain numbers a lot of places. You have look at the entire roster.'' If one breaks down the Dolphins roster -- some might argue it is broken already but that is beside the point -- it is easy to pick out four or five positions that more readily deserve an extra player. Quarterback isn't one of them. If the Dolphins keep four quarterbacks, they might have to cut either Reagan Mauia or Boomer Grigsby, two fullbacks who are easily more valuable than a fourth QB. If the Dolphins keep four quarterbacks, the traffic jam at the tight end position becomes suddenly looks like gridlock. The Dolphins have five tight ends on the roster now with Anthony Fasano, David Martin and Justin Peelle looking like the players who will stick. So which one of those three does Miami cut to keep the extra QB? If the Dolphins keep four quarterbacks they might have to whack an offensive lineman and keep only seven. So do they cut McKinney or rookie Shawn Murphy or Darilek, a do-everything contributor? This doesn't even put into consideration Miami's need to keep healthy bodies at linebacker, along the defensive line and in a secondary that was decimated by injuries in 2007. Does this team keep both McCown and Beck while cutting a Renaldo Hill? Or Rodrigue Wright? Or linebacker Edmond Miles, the team's leading tackler on special teams last season? Perhaps Sparano is saying his team is thinking about keeping four quarterbacks to keep McCown and Beck interested. It wouldn't be the first time an NFL coach uses the media to motivate a player. But if either or both those guys need to hear a message in the media to keep their attention sharp, maybe the coach should more rightly be thinking about keeping only two quarterbacks this season. Because that would make more sense than keeping four. |