Chad Henne better than you think?

[fyo]

So it is a bad thing that a player is more concerned with improving his skills and being ready to be competitive when the season starts than he is concerned with the labor politics? 

I would say he has his priorities correct.  

Dolpfan13 has a point, though...

The League has been (is) INSANELY strict with teams this off season. The rule is: If it's not something teams would normally do, it's not allowed. Several teams have gotten the "no-go" to hold team meetings -- one team even had to drop sending generic work-out DVDs to players.

Why? It's all down to a fear of lawsuits from the NFLPA (or collections of individual players, once the union decertifies).

However, it's insane to think that the Dolphins (or any other team) could hold a month of team meetings and not have the union find out about it. You can't very well have meetings with players and hope to keep it a secret from those same players... So, in the end, I very much doubt any damage was done by Henne's comments.

[dolfan13]

So it is a bad thing that a player is more concerned with improving his skills and being ready to be competitive when the season starts than he is concerned with the labor politics? 

I would say he has his priorities correct.   

the league communicated to teams that this is against the rules. for god's sake, if you cheat, don't freaking call yourself out on it to the media.

it's like brady talking about all the rams plays he went over during super bowl week with reporters.

[Pappy13]

He isn't anything more than a backup probably from this point forward

I disagree.  Unless Miami lands a pretty big-time free agent (have no idea who that might be), I think you can expect to see next season get started with Henne under center.  There's no way that any rookie from this year's crop of candidates is gonna step in from day 1.  It's just not gonna happen.

And things get even more dicey should the owners lock out the players and there's a shortened pre-season and/or training camp.  Even a free agent would be hard pressed to have enough reps with the 1st string to unseat Henne unless he's Brett Favre or something and God help us all if that's the case.

That facts are that Henne has been unspectacular as a starter the last 2 years, but there's still hope that he could turn out to be a serviceable QB despite what you think.  I don't think he's ever going to be a superstar in this league, but he doesn't have to be.  Lots of QB's take a couple years to really hit their stride.  Sparano and Ireland are both still saying he's the starter.  Unless/Until they start saying that he isn't I think it's safe to assume that he is.

[Phishfan]

  Sparano and Ireland are both still saying he's the starter.  Unless/Until they start saying that he isn't I think it's safe to assume that he is.

There are two things I have learned to never trust when a coach says it #1 X is our starter #2 I am not leaving for X job.

[Pappy13]

There are two things I have learned to never trust when a coach says it #1 X is our starter #2 I am not leaving for X job.

Normally that would be the case, but this is a special case.  Henne is practically the only QB on the roster.

Last report I saw was that if Miami picks up 2 QB's this off-season, (they are expected to draft one and sign a veteran free-agent at some point), Thigpen is the odd-man out.  Thigpen has never impressed Sparano from all indications and I didn't hear Henne say that Thigpen was in the room with him and Dabol in the meetings.  Sparano only benched Henne to give Pennington a shot, not Thigpen.  And don't even bring up the New England game which was as much to save Henne from further embarrasment or getting injured as it was to give Thigpen a chance.

That only leaves Tom Brandstater on the practice squad.  With the work stoppage looming, there won't be any free-agents coming or any draft choices taking any practice reps in the spring.  Chances are that no one on the team will even know the offense besides Henne and possibly Brandstater when the season starts.

[MikeO]

I disagree.  Unless Miami lands a pretty big-time free agent (have no idea who that might be), I think you can expect to see next season get started with Henne under center.  There's no way that any rookie from this year's crop of candidates is gonna step in from day 1.  It's just not gonna happen.

And things get even more dicey should the owners lock out the players and there's a shortened pre-season and/or training camp.  Even a free agent would be hard pressed to have enough reps with the 1st string to unseat Henne unless he's Brett Favre or something and God help us all if that's the case.

That facts are that Henne has been unspectacular as a starter the last 2 years, but there's still hope that he could turn out to be a serviceable QB despite what you think.  I don't think he's ever going to be a superstar in this league, but he doesn't have to be.  Lots of QB's take a couple years to really hit their stride.  Sparano and Ireland are both still saying he's the starter.  Unless/Until they start saying that he isn't I think it's safe to assume that he is.

Just because Henne will start this season for the Fins at QB, doesn't make him good. It shows that our coaches are clueless. Our front office stinks. And our team is bad. Henne starting for the Fins isn't a sign that Hene is a good QB all of a sudden! I wouldn't take it as that either.

[masterfins]

Just because Henne will start this season for the Fins at QB, doesn't make him good. It shows that our coaches are clueless. Our front office stinks.

Maybe what it indicates is there aren't any Free Agent upgrades that would make a noticeable improvement.  Should the coaches/front office trade away some of our few draft picks to get a mediocre free agent?  Should the front office trade away this years picks, and future picks, to trade up and get one of the few talented QB's in this year's draft? IMO this just isn't a year to get a QB, better to upgrade the positions were you can get some quality players.

[MikeO]

Maybe what it indicates is there aren't any Free Agent upgrades that would make a noticeable improvement.  Should the coaches/front office trade away some of our few draft picks to get a mediocre free agent?  

No upgrades over Chad Henne? Are you kidding me. The guy flat out was terrible last year, trust me there are upgrades on the FA market. Don't be a blind homer! I am actually a Henne supporter but to say there aren't any upgrades out there, that is flat out lying or ignoring the reality!!

And why would you have to trade away draft picks to sign a free agent? You lost me on that. Do you know how free agency works? (not being sarcastic, but you said it.)

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

No upgrades over Chad Henne? Are you kidding me. The guy flat out was terrible last year, trust me there are upgrades on the FA market. Don't be a blind homer! I am actually a Henne supporter but to say there aren't any upgrades out there, that is flat out lying or ignoring the reality!!

And why would you have to trade away draft picks to sign a free agent? You lost me on that. Do you know how free agency works? (not being sarcastic, but you said it.)

Name some unrestricted free agents that would be a significant upgrade over Henne that aren't 32 years or older (anyone older is just a one or two year stop gap not building the franchise)

[masterfins]

No upgrades over Chad Henne? Are you kidding me. The guy flat out was terrible last year, trust me there are upgrades on the FA market. Don't be a blind homer! I am actually a Henne supporter but to say there aren't any upgrades out there, that is flat out lying or ignoring the reality!!

And why would you have to trade away draft picks to sign a free agent? You lost me on that. Do you know how free agency works? (not being sarcastic, but you said it.)

Who are these great upgrades??

[MikeO]

Who are these great upgrades??

Vince Young, love him or hate him is a better player than Chad Henne.  Not saying Young is great, but he's better than Hene. In Young's last 21 games he has thrown only 6 INT's. Henne throws that every 2 games!!

Bruce Gradkowski actually took a Raiders offense with no WR's of note and had them playing at a high level. He is a much better player TODAY than Henne is.

Matt Hassellbeck as a 1 year stop gap (ala Pennington in 2008) is better than Henne. Hell he won Seattle a playoff game last year!!!  Sign Hasselbeck and draft a kid QB and let him compete with Henne for the #2 job. Sounds good to me!

Those are just off the top of my head, I'm sure if I looked at a list of FA QB's I could find more. But don't tell me there aren't guys out there who aren't better than Henne. Henne (who I like by the way) is a walking turnover at this point in the game. He isn't helping the Fins any when he is under center

[MikeO]

Name some unrestricted free agents that would be a significant upgrade over Henne that aren't 32 years or older (anyone older is just a one or two year stop gap not building the franchise)

So whats wrong with a 1 or 2 year stop gap while you DRAFT someone and let him sit and learn? Why is that bad? Last time we did that we went 11-5 and made the playoffs. Yeah, why copy that formula again since it actually worked 

[Sunstroke]

In Young's last 21 games he has thrown only 6 INT's. Henne throws that every 2 games!!

In 28 games since Henne took over the starting position (27 starts and one nearly full game that he didn't play the first series), he's thrown 32 interceptions = 1.14 per start. In 2 games, Henne would throw roughly two or three interceptions, not six.

Maybe it's just me, but when discussing player stats, I really prefer the "reality in pursuit of truth" approach more than the "exaggerated to support a point" variety.

Statistical PSA aside, I actually agree with most of your point, and would have no problem with seeing a stopgap QB under center if:

1) The coaching staff believes that Henne doesn't still have the ability to develop into a quality QB.

2) The coaching staff feels that the stopgap QB gave Miami a better chance to win each week.

3) We draft the QB we want to develop now, rather than make the stopgap into an open-ended gap.

4) It's anyone other than Vince Young. I won't argue that he has more physical talent than Henne, because I'm fairly certain that he does. I just think that this coaching staff has enough on its plate without having to deal with an emotionally unstable hothead on the field and in the locker room.

[dolfan13]

henne is a bad nfl qb right now. i hope he gets magic in a bottle, and drastically improves over this next year. the dolphins need to significantly upgrade the qb position if they have any chance of competing the next few years.

[MikeO]

In 28 games since Henne took over the starting position (27 starts and one nearly full game that he didn't play the first series), he's thrown 32 interceptions = 1.14 per start. In 2 games, Henne would throw roughly two or three interceptions, not six.

Whatever, you are missing the forest from the trees. Henne threw 6 INT's from Thanksgiving on last season when the spotlight was on him to produce and had 2 lost fumbles (and Henne hardly played the final game of the year vs NE ). Young has that same amount on INT's in his last 21 games. GET IT? GOT IT? That's the point!!! Henne's numbers are far worse than Young's.  You can spin the numbers anyway you want, bottom line.... Young > Henne (right now, in the past, and probably going forward)

Henne in his short career is a turnover machine. In those post-Thanksgiving games last year he had 6 INT's and 2 lost fumbles. 8 Turnovers in 5 games (not counting the final game in which he was hardly on the field!!) Average that out Rainman!!   Vince Young ISN'T a turnover machine, Henne is!The numbers back it up!