It is pretty much official now that Chad Henne will be the Quarterback for the Miami Dolphins this year, whether you guys like it or not.
Kyle Orton is now the top QB in Denver, and they aren't going to be trading him anymore. The pool of quarterbacks has basically run dry, and Miami already has two backups behind Henne on their roster. So, they more than likely won't be adding anyone unless they are the favorite to start for the Dolphins like Orton would have been.
The Dolphins brass has decided to stick with Henne with their jobs are on the line, and all they can do is put the best possible team around him and hope that he is as good as they need him to be. If he isn't then you can expect Tony Sparano to get the axe, and likely Jeff Ireland as well.
The Miami Dolphins really are a Super Bowl team with a good quarterback. Think about it. They've got one of the best defenses in the NFL, they've got one of the best receiving corps (I challenge you guys to name five WR groups in the NFL better than Miami's), they have a great offensive line group (as long as they stay healthy), and they've got a better than average backfield with Reggie Bush, Daniel Tomas, Lousaka Polite (one of the best in the NFL at getting the first down), and a lot of other young backs with promise.
Say what you will, but Miami is a quarterback away from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland know how to build a team, which is why it will be a shame if they are fired because of Chad Henne. I'm not saying it will happen. I'm saying that it is a possibility.
Now, for the big question: can Chad Henne be that quarterback that makes us a contender?
There will be people on both sides who say absolutely yes and absolutely no. It is incredible how one player can cause so many people to disagree on what he is really capable of. Honestly, when was the last time you saw a quarterback that 50% of fans thought was garbage and the other 50% thought was definitely starter-caliber?
Chad Henne, quite possibly the most boring starting quarterback in the history of the NFL, is at the center of this very emotional debate, and the pressure on him must be immense, but I think he can handle it.
I think that Henne will be a strong NFL starting quarterback. He won't be elite, but he doesn't need to be. Miami is a really good team. They just need an above average quarterback to lead them to the promise land, and I think that Henne is that quarterback.
I've done my research on Henne. His poor play was a result of an awful offensive gameplan. He can do much better than last year, and I think that we will see that this season. He just needs to show some progression.
All that I personally want to see out of him that I didn't see last year is him playing with some passion and learning to anticipate better. He can't afford to wait until his receiver has been open for an entire second before throwing the ball. He needs to anticipate when his receiver is about to be open and then throw the ball so that it gets there as soon as the wideout is open. If he can learn to do that, then he will be dangerous, and Miami will finally be the team that we know they can be.
Just imagine what we could be if we had Orton instead.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. I would also like your feedback on the new design of Dolphin Shout. I made the change in an attempt to make everything easier to read. Please let me know your honest opinion of the logo.
