Beck, Culpepper and Lemon: Enough at QB for ‘07?

By Adam Best  |   Monday, May 28, 2007  |  Comments( 17 )

Miami Dolphins
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The last two RealFootball365.com Miami Dolphins articles highlighted quarterbacks currently not on the roster as possible solutions to the team's QB conundrum. According to the fans, however, the answer to that problem may already be employed by the Dolphins.

Many of Miami's fans feel that Cleo Lemon, Daunte Culpepper or John Beck -- or some combination of the three -- will suffice at the quarterback spot for the '07 season.

Here's a current look at all three Dolphins signal-callers:

Cleo Lemon

At this point, not even Miss Cleo can predict what kind of quarterback Lemon will become -- he just hasn't played enough. When he has played, however, his stats have been somewhat impressive and certainly not pedestrian. Lemon also hasn't been careless with the football, as he's only thrown a few interceptions during his entire career. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he also possesses prototypical size for an NFL QB. Also, Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron was the offensive coordinator during Lemon's entire 2½-year stint with the San Diego Chargers. That should allow Lemon to know Cameron's system better than any other quarterback on the roster, potentially even Trent Green.

The biggest question surrounding Lemon: If he has so much talent then why at the age of 27 has he never started an NFL season higher than third on the depth chart for any of the teams he's played for?

Daunte Culpepper

There is an ex-offensive juggernaut on the Dolphins roster, and, no, it's not fullback Reagan Mauia either. Daunte Culpepper used to be one of the elite offensive performers in the NFL, but that was quite a while ago. That was before he became separated from his favorite target -- wide receiver Randy Moss. That was before he was traded to the Dolphins. That was before he tore his knee to smithereens, an injury that essentially made him less like Donovan McNabb and more like Peyton Manning athletically. That's a bad thing because Culpepper is no Manning -- without his scrambling ability he just flat out isn't that special.

If Culpepper can come back 100 percent physically healthy and with complete confidence in his knee, he should be fine. On the other hand, Culpepper's already done more rehab than Darryl Strawberry, so you have to wonder if he's damaged goods at this point. Plus, is he even a good fit for Cameron's offense? Given Culpepper's health and bloated contract, he may not even be on the roster come Opening Day.

John Beck

Beck enjoyed tremendous success at BYU, and even though he's a 25-year-old rookie, his maturity exceeds his age. The NFL is a different animal than the NCAA, though, and the slowly but surely method tends to work better than the trial-under-fire one when it comes to rookie QBs. Beck seems to have the talent and maturity needed to step on the field next season, but it's hard to think he should start the season for Miami.

The Dolphins should protect their second-round investment by only putting Beck out on the field when he's completely ready. This is the same blueprint that worked wonders for three rookie QBs in 2006 -- Vince Young (Tennessee), Matt Leinart (Arizona) and Jay Cutler (Denver). Ideally, Beck will only see the field when the Dolphins' playoff fate has already been decided, setting him up as the team's starter for the 2008 season.

Overview

Given the uncertainties that surround these three, the Dolphins should definitely bring in another experienced QB. Doing so would give Miami the best chance to make the playoffs. That being said, don't be shocked if Beck, Culpepper or Lemon stepped up and performed well this upcoming season. After all, Trent Green himself wasn't any more highly regarded than any of these three before he went to the Kansas City Chiefs and became a star six years ago.

Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch@realfootball365.com. For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.
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CommentsComments: 17  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
finboss		10:05 AM
05/28/2007
Dawg, unless my memory is comepletely gone, Trent Green was the starter for the Rams. Vermeil loved the guy. He was The Man in...
No.2
teacherblynn		10:17 AM
05/28/2007
First, this is a great site. I really appreciate your excellent articles. Second, unlike Beck and Lemon, Trent Green was a...
No.3
FinFan '72		12:22 PM
05/28/2007
Actually, Trent Green was with the Washington Redskins from 95-98 backing up Gus Ferrotte for 3 years before starting. He threw...
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