SKOLNICK: Vet's value will be as willing mentor to Beck
Published June 7, 2007
DAVIE · The new No. 10 faced his first difficult Dolphins assignment Wednesday, one that rivaled the challenge of lifting this offense to respectability.
Trent Green has proven he can throw a post pattern.
Try naming the 10 Dolphins quarterbacks who have started since Dan Marino retired.
"Uh, Damon Huard ... "
"Uh, Jay Fiedler ..."
Pause.
"I know Gus [Frerotte] was in there. Let's see, um, Daunte [Culpepper] and Joey Harrington. Cleo [Lemon] started a game last year. A.J. Feeley start any in there?"
Eight. Regrettably. He, and Dolphins fans, have the scars to show for it.
"Do I have them all? No?"
No.
Green missed Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, Sage Rosenfels.
Dolphins fans hardly miss any of them.
So you don't need to celebrate this move, just understand it.
Green won't win any Super Bowls during his one or two or three seasons here, not with a still-developing roster and an approaching 37th birthday.
Forget that fantasy.
Rather, this is about a quarterback providing stability so a coach quickly can establish credibility, as Frerotte did for Nick Saban before Saban botched his second act.
This is about comfort: Cam Cameron traded in hot coals for plush slippers.
Most coaches don't win championships early in their tenures. They can lose the commitment of a team and confidence of a community. They can lose their jobs.
Green, who called this "a fresh start," gives Cameron a fair shot at a good start. The Dolphins are betting on him as a player, sure, but moreso as a steady leadership presence. For an organization with a history of buying the Brooklyn Bridge, Green represents a serviceable bridge to the John Beck era.
Cameron has had a "special relationship" with Green for a dozen years, coming to admire his "resolve and toughness." Daunte Culpepper has shown teammates his own resolve during his rehabilitation, but Cameron's lack of comfort with the former All-Pro has been clear since his hiring. It was particularly transparent at the scouting combine in February, when Cameron listed leadership and decision-making as the paramount quarterbacking characteristics, trumping physical attributes. You know, the skills that a healthy Culpepper offers in abundance.
Without the coach's faith, how could this have worked?
So it is pointless to wonder what Culpepper would have done with another Dolphins chance, or to worry whether he might excel elsewhere. What matters is the unlikelihood of him accomplishing much in this environment.
It is foolish to argue that the Dolphins needed to keep Culpepper because the previous regime squandered a second-rounder for him. If you buy a furnished condo, that shouldn't preclude you from replacing the couches, whether they're ratty or simply not your style.
It is silly to stress about the fourth-rounder Kansas City will get if Green takes 70 percent of the snaps.
Green will be worth more than that pick if he accomplishes two things.
First, give his teammates a reason to believe (and work) every week. Out of post-Marino quarterbacks, only Fiedler inspired any real faith in fellow players, out of respect for his toughness rather than regard for his limited skills. Frerotte earned appreciation late in his only season.
Second, set the right example for John Beck.
Green's comportment toward the rookie is more critical than his completion percentage. Green said that, while he wouldn't "hold his hand," he would answer all questions and show him how to prepare. That's plenty. Many young quarterbacks succeed without a nurturing mentor (ask Joe Theismann about Billy Kilmer and Sonny Jurgensen), but the right relationship never hurts.
Wednesday, Green entered the Dolphins' quarterback picture.
No. 10 in your program.
No. 11 since Marino.
Someday, in a year or two or three, he will exit. What is reasonable to dream? That, when he does, emerging star John Beck will fondly recall lessons learned from the last quarterback to precede him.
Ethan J. Skolnick can be reached at eskolnick@sun-sentinel.com
Trent Green has proven he can throw a post pattern.
Try naming the 10 Dolphins quarterbacks who have started since Dan Marino retired.
"Uh, Damon Huard ... "
"Uh, Jay Fiedler ..."
Pause.
"I know Gus [Frerotte] was in there. Let's see, um, Daunte [Culpepper] and Joey Harrington. Cleo [Lemon] started a game last year. A.J. Feeley start any in there?"
Eight. Regrettably. He, and Dolphins fans, have the scars to show for it.
"Do I have them all? No?"
No.
Green missed Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, Sage Rosenfels.
Dolphins fans hardly miss any of them.
So you don't need to celebrate this move, just understand it.
Green won't win any Super Bowls during his one or two or three seasons here, not with a still-developing roster and an approaching 37th birthday.
Forget that fantasy.
Rather, this is about a quarterback providing stability so a coach quickly can establish credibility, as Frerotte did for Nick Saban before Saban botched his second act.
This is about comfort: Cam Cameron traded in hot coals for plush slippers.
Most coaches don't win championships early in their tenures. They can lose the commitment of a team and confidence of a community. They can lose their jobs.
Green, who called this "a fresh start," gives Cameron a fair shot at a good start. The Dolphins are betting on him as a player, sure, but moreso as a steady leadership presence. For an organization with a history of buying the Brooklyn Bridge, Green represents a serviceable bridge to the John Beck era.
Cameron has had a "special relationship" with Green for a dozen years, coming to admire his "resolve and toughness." Daunte Culpepper has shown teammates his own resolve during his rehabilitation, but Cameron's lack of comfort with the former All-Pro has been clear since his hiring. It was particularly transparent at the scouting combine in February, when Cameron listed leadership and decision-making as the paramount quarterbacking characteristics, trumping physical attributes. You know, the skills that a healthy Culpepper offers in abundance.
Without the coach's faith, how could this have worked?
So it is pointless to wonder what Culpepper would have done with another Dolphins chance, or to worry whether he might excel elsewhere. What matters is the unlikelihood of him accomplishing much in this environment.
It is foolish to argue that the Dolphins needed to keep Culpepper because the previous regime squandered a second-rounder for him. If you buy a furnished condo, that shouldn't preclude you from replacing the couches, whether they're ratty or simply not your style.
It is silly to stress about the fourth-rounder Kansas City will get if Green takes 70 percent of the snaps.
Green will be worth more than that pick if he accomplishes two things.
First, give his teammates a reason to believe (and work) every week. Out of post-Marino quarterbacks, only Fiedler inspired any real faith in fellow players, out of respect for his toughness rather than regard for his limited skills. Frerotte earned appreciation late in his only season.
Second, set the right example for John Beck.
Green's comportment toward the rookie is more critical than his completion percentage. Green said that, while he wouldn't "hold his hand," he would answer all questions and show him how to prepare. That's plenty. Many young quarterbacks succeed without a nurturing mentor (ask Joe Theismann about Billy Kilmer and Sonny Jurgensen), but the right relationship never hurts.
Wednesday, Green entered the Dolphins' quarterback picture.
No. 10 in your program.
No. 11 since Marino.
Someday, in a year or two or three, he will exit. What is reasonable to dream? That, when he does, emerging star John Beck will fondly recall lessons learned from the last quarterback to precede him.
Ethan J. Skolnick can be reached at eskolnick@sun-sentinel.com
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