It’s hard to say for certain who will quarterback about three quarters of the teams picking in the top half of the 2011 NFL Draft.
But the status quo — given the circumstances of this offseason — might be best for some of the teams in that group. And the argument can be made the Miami Dolphins are one such team.
I’m not sure there’s a single person in that facility in Davie, Fla. who feels nearly as strongly about Chad Henne as they did at this time last year. But there’s some merit to keeping him in place as the team’s starting quarterback, which I’m hearing the team will likely do, even if it does draft a rookie QB high.
And maybe the best reason why is that the club feels like it failed to get Henne, who proved he’s not quite the kind of quarterback who can raise the play of others, enough help. The interior of the offensive line collapsed, the running game sagged, and suddenly the smashmouth offense Henne managed in 2009 became an outfit he had to carry.
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He couldn’t do that — throwing more interceptions than touchdown passes for the second straight year — and the Dolphins have recognized that.
So it’s completely conceivable that the Dolphins could work to rebuild the running game, by fortifying the inside positions on the line and turning over the backs, and reasonably expect better quarterback play from Henne.
I’ve gotten crucified (deservedly) for picking Miami to outlast the Patriots (who finished 14-2) and Jets (who went to a second straight AFC title game) and win the AFC East in 2010. Probably won’t do it again.
But I do think the foundation to be pretty good is there. A young defense has serious cornerstones in Vontae Davis, Karlos Dansby and Cameron Wake, and should continue to ascend in Year 2 under Mike Nolan, and the offense isn’t that far off from being pretty good, with improvements at positions where new players can come in and contribute quickly.
The question remains at quarterback. Last year, the Dolphins found out that Henne needs be a complementary piece in an offense, rather than someone to carry other guys. Now, one plan on the table in Miami is to put players around Henne to allow him to be just that.
First …
So now that the NFL and NFLPA have gone through Round 1 of the Brady v. the NFL case, and the subsequent letter-writing contest, the question becomes … what’s next?
Unfortunately, despite the contents of those letters, chances are that it won’t be any sort of mediation.
Both sides have plenty to lose by doing so. The NFL would avoid going to Minnesota for several reasons, including setting the precedent of judicial oversight in a negotiation with the players and entering into what could be construed as “settlement talks” in a case it plans to file a motion to dismiss. Conversely, the players returning to FMCS would remove their greatest leverage point — the antitrust case — and also created the perception of “union behavior,” even if they were somehow protected legally in that sense.
All that means is the next time we’re likely to see action in this case is when Susan Nelson rules on the injunction.
If she is to grant it, the biggest domino to fall in that decision will be whether she “stays” the ruling upon appeal or not. Chances are, she will, and that will send this case to the appellate court.
… In case you were wondering.
Carucci: Time is right for Colts
Vic Carucci explains what makes the 2011 draft the right point in time for Indianapolis to address its inevitable need for a new franchise quarterback. More …
» Watch: Draft Manning’s successor?
… And five
Don’t laugh, Colts might just do it
The idea that the Colts could draft Peyton Manning’s eventual replacement this year might not be quite as out-of-whack as you might think. Manning’s now 35, which is precisely the age that Brett Favre was when Packers GM Ted Thompson pulled the trigger and took Aaron Rodgers.
That’s not to say the Colts will take a quarterback in the first round — it’d be shocking if they did — but using a pick in the middle rounds would simply be smart business. As the Ron Wolf Packers of the 1990s showed (Mark Brunell, Ty Detmer, Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks), developing a solid young quarterback behind your starter can bring rewards down the line. So if the Colts draft someone now and hit on that pick, they could either have the heir apparent, or a valuable chip to deal off in, say, the offseason of 2014.
Bryant’s woes could impact WR prospect
The Dez Bryant situation in Dallas could well have delivered a roundabout hit to the draft status of Pitt receiver Jonathan Baldwin. It’s not like a young receiver having issues, whether it’s Bryant or someone else, comes with much surprise anymore. Baldwin had some off-field problems at Pitt and questions hover over his work ethic as well, and so the fact that Bryant’s situation is fresh in the minds of decision-makers won’t help.
Still, with the aforementioned dearth of skill position talent in this draft, Baldwin will be an enticing option for plenty of teams when so many other receivers beyond A.J. Green and Julio Jones are so limited. He’s 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, and runs in the 4.4s in the 40. It’s possible someone, earlier than most of us think, could look at that and say, “I can work with that.”
And so there are two sides to the argument here, and all it takes is one team to settle it.
McNabb to Vikes makes sense
The Donovan McNabb-to-the-Vikings rumors picked up steam again this week. I’ve heard all along that Minnesota — because it’s a veteran team that’s ready to win now — would be a place the ex-Eagle and soon-to-be-ex-Redskin would be amenable to going. And the presence of former Eagles assistant Leslie Frazier as head coach would be another reason to believe it could happen.
Here’s one more to keep in mind: Because of his contract, McNabb will have control over where he lands (the new team would certainly want a renegotiation), and that means he could steer himself to Minnesota. The bottom line is that the Redskins, if they want anything for McNabb, will have to cooperate with him to get it, and Minnesota has shown a willingness in the past to mortgage draft picks for vets.
Steelers hope Roethlisberger found stability
With the news of Ben Roethlisberger’s engagement in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, I recalled a conversation I had on the field with Art Rooney II after the Steelers won the AFC title game in January. Rooney said repeatedly that “Ben got back to being who he is.”
My feeling is that Pittsburgh felt like there was an alter-ego to Roethlisberger that the fame brought out in him, and the fact that he had a sterling reputation at Miami (Ohio) University would seem to support that. Anyway, Rooney’s point was that the positive in Roethlisberger was coming out again. And my guess is the Steelers hope the stability of marriage would keep the negative from rearing its head again.
My mini-mock draft
I think I’m probably the only NFL Network or NFL.com person who hasn’t done a full mock draft yet, although I did have a scout put together one for me. I’ll probably get assigned one sometime soon, but I might as well go on record with my top five for now. So here you go — Carolina: Auburn QB Cam Newton; Denver: Alabama DT Marcell Dareus; Buffalo: Texas A&M OLB Von Miller; Bengals: LSU CB Patrick Peterson; Cardinals: UNC DE/OLB Robert Quinn.
