thechris
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
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Mueller felt lucky to get QB Beck
By Greg A. Bedard
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
DAVIE — So this is how an NFL team chooses its quarterback of the future.
John Beck calls out formations and plays as he runs a two-minute drill against a defense of mountain air.
A couple of middle-aged veterans, huffing and puffing, take their positions to fill out the offense.
Beck tells the halfback to shift in order to pick up the blitz. Randy Mueller - yes, the Dolphins' general manager - obliges.
The H-back also has to be told where to go. Dolphins coach Cam Cameron quickly moves into position as though his old basketball coach, Bobby Knight, had barked an order at him.
Ninety seconds later, the mock drive is complete. Beck delivers his team of misfits into the end zone.
Not once did he throw to Mueller or Cameron.
Smart move.
"I don't think my Achilles' could have handled it," Mueller said Tuesday at the Dolphins' training facility.
Due in large part to Beck's performance during that private workout at BYU, the Dolphins positioned themselves to scoop him up when he was available with the 40th pick during last weekend's NFL Draft.
"He's a football junkie," Mueller said. "He studies it. He's going to do a lot of things on his own. That was apparent. And very impressive."
The Dolphins left Provo, Utah, so confident in Beck that they decided they could bypass former Notre Dame standout Brady Quinn, whom they had rated second among quarterbacks on their draft board behind JaMarcus Russell. Quinn and Beck were so closely rated by the Dolphins that they felt the better value was Beck in Round 2.
Mueller realized he was taking a huge risk. Beck could have been snapped up before Miami used the 40th selection.
"We were very, very worried," Mueller said. "Probably spent more energy on the top of the second round than top of the first round, in planning, making deals. We knew a couple teams around us in Round 2 needed quarterbacks and we were worried sick about that. But we had to have been lucky. And we were lucky."
Trent Edwards of Stanford, who was slightly behind Beck on the Dolphins' board, was Miami's fallback position. But drafting Beck was the second part of the plan to inject life into the Dolphins' offense.
Taking Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. - despite his sprained left foot - was the first part.
The plan had to be sold to owner Wayne Huizenga and team President Bryan Wiedmeier. But Mueller and Cameron told their bosses they had no intention of taking Quinn, despite the demand of the South Florida public that they do just that.
The coach and GM simply believed that the combination of Ginn and Beck would trump any other they could find if they selected Quinn at No. 9.
"We wanted special at nine. Something really special," Mueller said. "And it didn't take us long to find it or figure out that Teddy would bring something special at a giant position of need for us. Getting Teddy at No. 9 and John Beck when we got him, together that made a lot of sense to us.
And he said it still does - despite Cameron being booed off the stage at the team's draft party Saturday, an embarrassment that Huizenga watched stoically before it was replayed on national TV sports shows.
Quinn told ESPN.com that he "felt pretty misled" by a couple of teams. He didn't name the Dolphins. But Quinn's expression when Ginn's name was announced said it all.
"We never mislead anybody," Mueller said. "I think everybody had kind of assumed certain things, but they surely didn't get it from us. I like Brady Quinn. He's a great kid."
But not the right quarterback for the Dolphins. He turned out to be the guy who led a couple of has-beens and other misfits on an 80-yard scoring drive in 90 seconds. And wasn't afraid to bark at his would-be bosses to get it done.
"I was thinking, 'If he can get us to move like this, imagine what he could do with real players.' " Mueller said. "The guy is a born leader with all the tools. That's what we wanted."
Boy do I love the Dolphins!
By Greg A. Bedard
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
DAVIE — So this is how an NFL team chooses its quarterback of the future.
John Beck calls out formations and plays as he runs a two-minute drill against a defense of mountain air.
A couple of middle-aged veterans, huffing and puffing, take their positions to fill out the offense.
Beck tells the halfback to shift in order to pick up the blitz. Randy Mueller - yes, the Dolphins' general manager - obliges.
The H-back also has to be told where to go. Dolphins coach Cam Cameron quickly moves into position as though his old basketball coach, Bobby Knight, had barked an order at him.
Ninety seconds later, the mock drive is complete. Beck delivers his team of misfits into the end zone.
Not once did he throw to Mueller or Cameron.
Smart move.
"I don't think my Achilles' could have handled it," Mueller said Tuesday at the Dolphins' training facility.
Due in large part to Beck's performance during that private workout at BYU, the Dolphins positioned themselves to scoop him up when he was available with the 40th pick during last weekend's NFL Draft.
"He's a football junkie," Mueller said. "He studies it. He's going to do a lot of things on his own. That was apparent. And very impressive."
The Dolphins left Provo, Utah, so confident in Beck that they decided they could bypass former Notre Dame standout Brady Quinn, whom they had rated second among quarterbacks on their draft board behind JaMarcus Russell. Quinn and Beck were so closely rated by the Dolphins that they felt the better value was Beck in Round 2.
Mueller realized he was taking a huge risk. Beck could have been snapped up before Miami used the 40th selection.
"We were very, very worried," Mueller said. "Probably spent more energy on the top of the second round than top of the first round, in planning, making deals. We knew a couple teams around us in Round 2 needed quarterbacks and we were worried sick about that. But we had to have been lucky. And we were lucky."
Trent Edwards of Stanford, who was slightly behind Beck on the Dolphins' board, was Miami's fallback position. But drafting Beck was the second part of the plan to inject life into the Dolphins' offense.
Taking Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. - despite his sprained left foot - was the first part.
The plan had to be sold to owner Wayne Huizenga and team President Bryan Wiedmeier. But Mueller and Cameron told their bosses they had no intention of taking Quinn, despite the demand of the South Florida public that they do just that.
The coach and GM simply believed that the combination of Ginn and Beck would trump any other they could find if they selected Quinn at No. 9.
"We wanted special at nine. Something really special," Mueller said. "And it didn't take us long to find it or figure out that Teddy would bring something special at a giant position of need for us. Getting Teddy at No. 9 and John Beck when we got him, together that made a lot of sense to us.
And he said it still does - despite Cameron being booed off the stage at the team's draft party Saturday, an embarrassment that Huizenga watched stoically before it was replayed on national TV sports shows.
Quinn told ESPN.com that he "felt pretty misled" by a couple of teams. He didn't name the Dolphins. But Quinn's expression when Ginn's name was announced said it all.
"We never mislead anybody," Mueller said. "I think everybody had kind of assumed certain things, but they surely didn't get it from us. I like Brady Quinn. He's a great kid."
But not the right quarterback for the Dolphins. He turned out to be the guy who led a couple of has-beens and other misfits on an 80-yard scoring drive in 90 seconds. And wasn't afraid to bark at his would-be bosses to get it done.
"I was thinking, 'If he can get us to move like this, imagine what he could do with real players.' " Mueller said. "The guy is a born leader with all the tools. That's what we wanted."
Boy do I love the Dolphins!
If Quinn becomes a star and Beck a flop, someone will STILL lose their job by the end of this year.
