Does Miami need another Marino to succeed?

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, September 05, 2007  |  Comments( 15 )

Miami Dolphins
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There was an interesting Miami Herald article from this past Sunday that basically stated the obvious -- Miami hasn't excelled since the Dan Marino era.

While that is certainly true, as evidenced by the musical chairs act at quarterback position, it begs the question: Will it take a Marino 2.0 to get Miami back to being a playoff fixture?

In short, no.

There are some strong quarterbacks out there right now, but only one or two of them will end up with the rich history and storied career that Marino had. Therefore, it's really ridiculous to think the Dolphins can get another Marino.

But there are some other pros QBs who are very young and show tons of promise. Dolphins rookie John Beck, a second-round pick, is, believe it or not, in that category.

The ex-BYU gunslinger finished with a 56.3 completion rate, 300 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in four preseason games.

Those numbers are solid, but one stat not mentioned is that Beck was sacked 10 times. If the offensive line, which appears to be the team's weakest link (especially now that the depth took a hit with Drew Mormino's recent season-ending injury), can keep Beck protected in the future and give him time, then the passing game will improve greatly.

The reason Beck, not Trent Green or Cleo Lemon, is the Dolphins' best hope at QB is because of his youth. Although a proven quarterback, Green is 37, entering his 14th year in the league and really isn't much better than average now. Although there's no substitute for experience, there's no way to expect true longevity from him.

At 28, Lemon has quite a bit of youth on his side, but rookie head coach Cam Cameron will have an easier time molding a rookie than a four-year veteran.

With the Dolphins' season starting this Sunday against the Washington Redskins, fans will most likely see Green play the full game. If he doesn't perform well, however, expect Beck to get a respectable number of reps soon enough.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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CommentsComments: 15  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Bing		11:10 AM
09/05/2007
Off the subject written here...I cannot believe we passed on Reche Caldwell. What kind of bonehead decision was that? go...
No.2
Tony		11:55 AM
09/05/2007
Correction, Beck had 2 interceptions, and he is only 2years younger than Lemon so its not like he is your average rookie aged QB....
No.3
joevette		01:10 PM
09/05/2007
We don't need no stinkin Marino. Fiedler was good enough to take the team to the big game if he had a good o line. Remember a guy...
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