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Maybe it's the storied past. Maybe it's having won two Super Bowls in a row, or having had a perfect season once upon a time. Then again, it could be having had a pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Bob Griese and Dan Marino that makes a franchise desperate enough to try and make a quick fix when they really should be setting the foundation for the future. Whatever the case maybe, the Miami Dolphins blundered when they did not make Brady Quinn their number one draft choice in the 2007 NFL draft. The Dolphins, like many other teams in the draft, passed on the blue chip quarterback prospect from Notre Dame. Yet unlike a lot of other teams in the draft, the Dolphins did not have a suitable game plan in place when they passed on Quinn, at least not a plan that would make a heck of a lot of sense to the average fan.

Sure, they took BYU quarterback John Beck a round later. But Beck is a project, a pin point passer that might do well in the right system, but far from the franchise quarterback that the Dolphins need right now. Then for an encore the Dolphins signed Trent Green. Green the former starter for the Chiefs is 37 and coming off an injury. In fact, Green who was a starter for almost six years in Kansas City, is coming off a season in which he missed 8 games. You would think Miami would have learned after signing Daunte Culpepper last year. But did they? No. They gambled again and gave Green a contract that falls in the $6-8 million range for the 2007 season, depending on his performance with the team. Nothing against Green, he was a prolific passer for the Chiefs when he started, but if you are going to take a chance on a quarterback with a questionable future once again, why would you not take another chance on a young kid like Brady Quinn?

Green has been named the Dolphin starter by new Head Coach Cam Cameron, and Cleo Lemon has been handed the back up role while Beck develops. For his part, John Beck had a solid performance his last game, hitting on 11 out of 22 passes for 162 yards and a TD. Still, over in Cleveland, Brady Quinn has had a few impressive outings in a row, even after a contract hold out earlier this pre-season. As good as Beck might be, he does have limitations that make him only suited for a west coast offense. Quinn on the other hand has the potential of a franchise quarterback. Compounding the problem is the fact that the player they did take in the first round, Ted Ginn Jr., was at best a reach at that point in the draft. With Ginn, we are looking at a poor man's version of Joey Galloway. Good yes, but was he worth passing on Quinn? Hardly.
History should have told Miami that the only times they have had top of the line quarterbacks is when they have drafted them in the 1st round. History should also have told them that taking a veteran coming off an injury is not a wise move. What is it that they say about history? If you aren't careful you are bound to repeat it? Here is looking at 2006 all over again.

Learn more about this author, Rolando Cruz.
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