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Franchise Quarterbacks

SF Dolphin Fan

SF Dolphin Fan

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The Dolphins have been extremely fortunate to have Bob Griese and then Dan Marino at quarterback. The two of them played for a combined 31 years if I'm doing my math correctly. That's 31 of the teams 40 years in existence that they had good to excellent quarterback play. Combined with an excellent coach like Don Shula and no wonder Miami was almost always in the running. Amazing that Shula got the Dolphins to the super bowl with Woodley at quarterback, but that's another post.

Fact is, franchise quarterbacks are hard to find. There may be 5-7 in the NFL right now and some teams have NEVER had one. I count Manning, Brady, Culpepper and McNabb among the best. Brees and Vick could climb up as could Big Ben. That's still only 7 out of 32 teams. Eight if you include Favre, but he's sliding quite a bit, nine if you list McNair who I think is a shade below franchise. Carr and some of the rooks might get there, but the odds are long.

The point is this. Teams are going to gamble, trade multiple draft picks etc. for a chance at a "potential" franchise quarterback. More often than not they are going to miss. Maybe the better approach is to draft one if they are there when you pick (like Marino), or build up everywhere else in which case the team doesn't need a franchise quarterback.

In the best case scenario, the Dolphins are able to get a franchise quarterback or an above average quarterback next year, either in the draft, trade or free agency. If not, then building the best defense in the NFL should be the priority. In other words, packaging multiple picks for a potential franchise qb, or using $10-12 million of the cap on an established one through free agency or a trade, is not the only way to get it done.
 
We also had great backups like Earl Morrall and Don Strock for many years. :)
I thought we gave up too soon on Brian Griese....now we are stuck with a couple of "prentender" franchise QB's. :(
 
My wife and I had this discussion just yesterday, but you certainly put it very well. Great post, right on target!

:up: :up: :up:
 
I agree for the most part with this post, but I will disagree with the Brady part. Not because I am a die-hard Dolfan, but I think any qb with a good head on his shoulders could go play in that system. Look at the 49er's. Again, the system. I took it as an insult for Dan to get enshrined with Steve Young. If Young were that good, his stats would have been better in Tampa.
 
Roman529 said:
We also had great backups like Earl Morrall and Don Strock for many years. :)
I thought we gave up too soon on Brian Griese....now we are stuck with a couple of "prentender" franchise QB's. :(
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I agree the team gave up on Brian Griese too soon. He's pretty lethal when he has time to throw and his career is certainly on the right path with Gruden in Tampa Bay. Miami also missed drafting Drew Brees, which was a mistake. There's a perfect example of someone who fell right into our laps. Then again, that's the past and we have to look forward instead of back. I fully expect that Saban will build a powerful defense, getting the franchise qb may or may not happen.
 
MiamiDLFIN said:
I agree for the most part with this post, but I will disagree with the Brady part. Not because I am a die-hard Dolfan, but I think any qb with a good head on his shoulders could go play in that system. Look at the 49er's. Again, the system. I took it as an insult for Dan to get enshrined with Steve Young. If Young were that good, his stats would have been better in Tampa.
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How can you not say that Brady is one of the top Qbs in the NFL right now......

Its not the system.... its a team that plays together..... complete ...all on the same page...
 
MiamiDLFIN said:
I agree for the most part with this post, but I will disagree with the Brady part. Not because I am a die-hard Dolfan, but I think any qb with a good head on his shoulders could go play in that system. Look at the 49er's. Again, the system. I took it as an insult for Dan to get enshrined with Steve Young. If Young were that good, his stats would have been better in Tampa.
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Good point -- a system really makes a difference. Had Steve Young played his entire career in Tampa Bay, Canton wouldn't have happened for him. I still think that Dan Marino is the only qb that the league had to adjust to and not the other way around. If that makes sense.

I really feel Peyton Manning is the best qb in football today. More is asked of him than any other qb right now. If Manning has an off day, the Colts usually lose. On the other hand, if Tom Brady has an off day (like he did in both games vs. Miami last year), the Patriots have enough talent to win the game. Going back, the same could obviously be said about Marino. He had to carry the Dolphins. Montana didn't have to carry the 49ers, but did deliver when they needed it.

That said, I do think Brady has to be listed as a franchise quarterback based on what he has done (system or not).
 
Hmmm..... interesting idea.

Make do with an average QB and throw the bulk of your money and draft picks at the Defense.

But I think that approach has been tried in Miami.
We ran the guy out of town that tried it.

If a "franchise" quality QB is not available then the alternative should be to build the offensive team around the QB to make his job easier. Better receivers, better RBs, but most of all, better linemen. Defense certainly is important, but becoming "the best defense in the NFL" should not be made a priority unless the Offense is already a serious threat. Losing a game 12-3 is still losing a game.
 
SF Dolphin Fan said:
Miami also missed drafting Drew Brees, which was a mistake. There's a perfect example of someone who fell right into our laps.
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that was the worst draft pick of the wanny era. brees was on the board, as well as kendrell bell, matt light, fred smoot and chad johnson; but wanny takes jamar f-ing fletcher. :fire:
 
I agree with all that has been said so far. Getting a franchise QB is more luck than anything else. I still think it's coaching and the system that makes them play their best. Shula was always a run first, tough defense coach, then Dan came along at the 27th pick by some stroke of luck and the rest is history. Rookie potential and output on the field hardly ever equals out. And at times, as is the case with Brady, output well overexceeded rookie potential. Same with Favre, Warner, Gannon, Dilfer to name a few. And Elway sucked his first year or two. Hell, Brock Berlin could be the next Brady :lol:
 
You are WAY too low on the number of quality QBs in the NFL right now. My job is sports statistical analysis for Nevada sportsbooks. Last year the caliber of QBing was terrific, an amazing 19 QBs with 7.0+ yards per pass attempt. In many years that number is in the 10 range.

You don't need a so-called franchise QB to win the Super Bowl. A smart functional QB with variety of touch and very good yards per attempt, like Jake Delhomme for example, is plenty good enough to win it all given the proper quality and balance of team around him.

Our problem is we're not close. I've had to hold my breath for months around here with all the positive posts regarding A.J. Feeley, while the numbers shout he has no business as a starting QB. He wobbled to 5.32 yards per attempt last season, nearly 4 yards per attempt worse than Peyton Manning. That's like being lapped in a horse race.

I must concede, if you include INT return yardage then Feeley's yards per attempt improves significantly.
 
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