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).