Henne Is Dolphins Quarterback...For Now
INDIANAPOLIS (CBS4) - Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland gave incumbent starting quarterback a lukewarm endorsement at the NFL Combine, calling Henne the quarterback – for now.
Ireland said that both time and circumstance will determine for how long Henne will remain the signal caller for the Dolphins. He also said that the team has not ruled out selecting a quarterback in the 2011 NFL Draft.
"He's the guy on our football team we have to commit to," Ireland said. "We're committed to him right now, and that's where we're at."
Rumors have run rampant that the Fins are after a quarterback in the first round. The problem is that both the quarterback the Fins would likely target, Auburn's Cam Newton and Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, will probably be long gone by the 15th pick.
The rest of the quarterbacks in the draft are borderline first rounders and below. Among those quarterbacks, Jake Locker seems to be the number three quarterback, but is probably a second-round pick.
Ryan Mallett of Arkansas has a cannon for an arm, but questions surrounding drugs and his inability to make good, quick decisions in the pocket could push him all the way down to the third round or further.
It could put the Dolphins in a very good position to trade down and try to recoup the second-round pick lost last year in the Brandon Marshall trade.
The Fins could use the pick to draft running back Mark Ingram or an offensive tackle, but outside of running back, interior offensive line and quarterback are the biggest needs and as of now, no interior lineman is worth the number 15 pick.
Despite the obvious holes in the roster, Ireland said the team isn't worried about the Patriots and the Jets. Instead, they are simply worried about getting better themselves.
"I think the Jets and the Patriots would say the same thing about the Dolphins – that we're obsessed with winning the division,' Ireland said. "We're obsessed with finding out how to beat our opponents in that regard. We pay attention to it, certainly, but it doesn't dictate how we do business."
