John Beck On His Chances

Phinsider took notice of a compelling interview John Beck had with a local Utah affiliate. Click here to see the full report.

As always, I'll provide a noteworthy excerpt:

"One of the interesting things he tells us is how all of his throws this offseason were watched by both Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells. They were also taped for future viewing. He points out that he realizes that this new regime has no allegiance to him, even noting how some draft picks from 2007 are already on different teams. Clearly, John knows he has to impress if he wants to not only start to open this season but to also remain the starter for all of 2008 and beyond."

I always thought Beck was a heady guy. He seems to know his place, but it will take a hell of a lot more to succeed in the NFL.

Dolphins QB Battle a Three-for-all

According to various reports from Dolphins sources, the blogosphere, and other insiders, the Dolphins QB battle is looking pretty competitive right now.

The good news: John Beck, Josh McCown, and Chad Henne have all looked good so far. Whether this is more representative of a weak secondary than their skill remains to be seen, but this has to be encouraging.

The bad news: Why is Josh McCown in the running at all? I don't care how good he looks in training camp. He's absolutely, certifiably, unquestionably NOT THE ANSWER at QB beyond being a steady backup. At least there's hope with Beck and Henne that they could actually become a franchise QB.

It has also been rumored that Chris Simms could become a Dolphin, if he gets released by the Bucs. I'm not really buying that story, simply because there would be no place to put him. People say Parcells likes Simms, though, so we'll see.

Dolphins News...Including JT

Contrary to popular belief, the Dolphins do have a team outside of Jason Taylor. In fact, Jason Taylor may or may not be on the team, so it's questionable whether he even counts. Before we get to the real team, however, let me share a quick bit on JT.

Bill Parcells may have a problem with Taylor, but coach Tony Sparano is adopting a much more civil approach. As FinsNation reports, Sparano seems - at least publicly - to want Jason Taylor on his squad. Not a bad idea, considering the guy's a Defensive MVP, Dolphins legend, and decent guy (yes, he is)! Major kudos to you, Tony Sparano, for actually saying the right thing.

Now as for other news, things are looking very promising for John Beck. Both FinsNation and Phinsider reported on this story...perhaps John Beck could be the answer at quarterback? If so, that would be far more integral to the Dolphins' success this year than a certain Dancing With the Stars contestant.

Josh McCown is also rumored to have played well, which is certainly a noteworthy story, but not something to get excited about. Beck is the one with a real future. I hope we never see McCown in a game unless it's garbage time.

Dolphins Expectations

According to Phinsider, the first over/under on the Dolphins season is 5.5 wins. That comes from sportsbook.com, which pits the 'Fins as second lowest in expectations (Atlanta is at 4.5).

I've been ridiculed by my own colleagues at The South Florida Fan, but I've been mentioning the word "playoffs" lately. I'm not backing down. Call me a hometown optimist, but I really like what Parcells has done with this squad.

My biggest concern is obviously the QB position where the perenially mediocre Josh McCown, uncertain John Beck, and completely inexperienced Chad Henne will have to perform well. Of course, it helps when you have a monster like Jake Long blocking for you.

Do I really think the 'Fins are going to the playoffs? No. But I see 7 wins, and that, my friends, is OVER. At least according to this prognosticator, go out and bet OVER on the Dolphins (no death threats accepted should it happen to be poor advice).

Countdown to NFL Draft: 1 Day

Believe it or not, the NFL Draft is just one day away. Months of suspense, permeated by year-long NFL media coverage, will finally come to a close. Is it as J.A. Adande candidly remarked, "Just a bunch of guys putting on hats," or one of the greatest days in sports? There are certain to be some in each camp, but the historically high ratings give ESPN enough reason to slam the issue down our throats.

As for our coverage, we'll be following right along, providing analysis with each Dolphins pick. For those who don't know, the first two rounds are on Saturday and rounds 3-7 on Sunday. Here's the Dolphins' draft board for each of those days:

Day 1 (Saturday):
Round 1, #1(1) - Jake Long, OT Michigan
Round 2, #1(32) -
Round 2, #26(57) - (acquired from San Diego for Chris Chambers)

Day 2 (Sunday):
Round 3, #1(64) -
Round 4, #1(100) -
Round 6, #29(195) -
Round 6, #38(204) -
Round 7, #1(208) -
Round 7, #38(245) -

Phinsider opines on what the Dolphins might do in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. They envision the team considering defensive end/outside linebacker, defensive end/defensive tackle, tight end, and wide receiver.

One position Phinsider doesn't discuss is quarterback, which FinsNation thinks is just fine as is. FinsNation makes a strong argument for current project John Beck, while also confessing a liking for Brian Brohm. John Beck is hardly the big man on South Beach these days, but he deserves a little more time. Even so, I admit to harboring a secret desire for Brian Brohm as well. He may lack the arm strength, but his well-chronicled accuracy and terrific in-game instincts should make for a splendid NFL quarterback.

Lastly, one aspect of the draft that shouldn't be ignored is Bill Parcells' obsession with character. We all know how poorly the Parcells-Terrell Owens experiment turned out in Dallas. With Parcells now on the Dolphins, the Cowboys seem to be acquiring as many troubled players as possible, such as suspended cornerback Pacman Jones. As Pasik seems to illustrate, this never would have happened under Parcells' watch. Look for the Dolphins to avoid those kinds of players like the plague this weekend.

Which South Florida Sports Franchise Will Improve First?

Today, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel found a little optimism within a miserable question: Which weathered franchise in South Florida will improve first? This is his order:

1. Heat
2. Marlins
3. Dolphins
4. Panthers

Before I give my opinion, let me just say that the Panthers were on the cusp of the playoffs, and the Marlins are currently in first place. It's way too early to call the Marlins a success, but for the sake of argument, let's focus on the 2009 season. Here's my order:

1. Heat: I agree with Dave Hyde here. The only thing stopping the Heat from being a playoff team is Dwyane Wade's health. As I've said before on this blog, it's easy to forget just how dominant Wade was when healthy. Throw in Marion/FA and an early draft pick (Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose), and this team is suddenly good again. I also can't imagine the defensive effort being any worse. In a renewed season, the Heat will rediscover their will to play hard on both ends of the floor.

2. Marlins: Again, Dave Hyde and I are on the same page. I was almost tempted to put them first, but I never underestimate Dwyane Wade. Imagine this current lineup, supported by a monster staff of Josh Johnson, Annibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad, Gaby Hernandez, Scott Olsen, and refined versions of Andrew Miller, Ricky Nolasco, and Rick Vanden Hurk. They'll all be back. Oh, and Cameron Maybin just might be starring in center field too. The future is bright for the Marlins.

3. Panthers: This is where Hyde and I disagree. The Panthers showed tremendous promise at the end of the year. David Booth is clearly a star in the making, and there are a number of other young players on the verge of breaking out. If they can retain Olli Jokinen (a player Mr. Hyde conveniently left out), they'll be a playoff team for certain.

4. Dolphins: I just don't see much happening this year, even under strong management. Is John Beck the starting QB? I like the 'Fins chances of pulling off 7 or 8 wins, but this isn't a contending team yet (of course, we really need to see what happens in the Draft first to truly determine this). Now as for the 2009-10 season? That's a whole other story. Also on the Dolphins' side: in no other league do teams complete turnarounds like the NFL.

Now that I've put this all together, I'm feeling quite giddy about our sports teams down here. Things may have hit rock bottom, but they'll be fine and dandy soon enough. I'll leave you with projected records:

2008-09 Heat: 47-35, 5th seed
2009 Marlins: 88-74, contend for Wild Card
2008-09 Panthers: 41-30-11 (93 points) - 7th seed
2008-09 Dolphins: 7-9