clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

What They're Saying: Trent Green Edition

By Matt Infante

Now that the dust has begun to clear, now is a good time to go around the web and see what others are saying in regards to the Dolphins recent aquisition of Trent Green.  

Let's start with Armando Salguero:

If the Dolphins let go of Culpepper, by either releasing or trading him, they effectively establish the pecking order for the quarterback position. They settle an unsettled position. But they also expose coach Cam Cameron as someone who was not sincere when he said that every position is open to competition.

If every position is indeed open to competition, you can't just waive or trade a player such as Culpepper without giving him a chance to, well, compete. And you really can't do it if he's not on the field and 100 percent healthy because that shows you had no intention of ever having a legitimate competition in the first place.

Aside from casting an aspersion on Cameron's word, such a move would also send a bad message to the players competing at other positions. How can they believe it when the coach says there's open competition if he just showed you he doesn't really mean it when he says it?

I, for one, could care less that Cameron may have "fibbed" when he said that it would be an open competition.  Truth is, you were very, very naive if you actually believed him about this situation.  Every coach has to lie sometimes, and in this case, what did you really expect Cameron to say?  Was he supposed to say, "Well, if we get Green, he will be the starter.  But if we don't, then Daunte is our man."  I don't think so.  So seriously, this should be a non-issue.  Let's move on.

Next, let's look at what Dolphin Digest editor Andy Cohen says:

Leadership. Smarts. Work ethic. Public awareness. Green has got it all.

The Dolphins haven't had a healthy quarterback with these type of credentials since way back in the last century or, more specifically, 1999 when Dan Marino last took snaps from center.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As stated earlier, the Green signing further underlines the fact that there is no lengthy rebuilding process in the works here. The Dolphins aren't willing to take one step back to take two steps forward. This first became clear with the signing of Joey Porter. Now it is evident again with the arrival of Green. You don't sign a player with maybe two years left if you think the team is three years away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After thinking about the possibilities that Green offers, after hearing so much about the promise of a Cam Cameron offense, I have one prevailing thought.

September can't come soon enough.

I think the idea that this team is not rebuilding is something that has been overlooked up to this point.  But it's true.  They got their franchise back in Ronnie Brown (and he will prove it this year), and they got their QB of the future in Beck.  Their defense is extremely talented.  So while they are looking to the future, they certainly are not rebuilding.  Clearly, they feel like they can make a playoff push this year.  And we are all hoping this front office is right.

On of Green's former coaches, Dick Vermeil, who coached Green in St. Louis and Kansas City, had this to say about Green:

"I just watched their minicamp practice on Sunday night (by television) and I watched him on the practice field for two days in December last year when I came in to broadcast the Raiders game, and he looked like Trent Green always looked," Vermeil told the Kansas City Star.

"I think he can play at least two more years, if he has a good supporting cast."

That's what I like to hear.  Two to three more years is probably more than we would need him for.  Personally, I hope John Beck gets his shot at some point during the 2008 season.

Giving a player's point of view, Ronnie Brown provided his thoughts on Sirius Satellite Radio:

On the trade being done: "I think I'm excited about if from the fact that it's been up in the air for us to kind of know what's going on as far as that situation, I think the guys will kind of let their hair down and just kind of relax now that the situation has come through. It's unfortunate the way things turned out for Daunte [Culpepper]. But I'm just saying in this situation that he was injured and stuff like that and everything didn't work out."

On whether this allows the Dolphins to now know who their leader is going to be this year and clear up confusion in the locker room: "I think so. Now that we kind of know what's going as far as who's going to be here ... Granted, [Green has to pass] his physical and everything. From that [earlier] standpoint, it's good for our team to know what's going on and people can go ahead and relax and worry about the things we have to do as individuals to make our team better."

Ronnie seems a little bit relieved, in my opinion, because at least now they know who their QB will be and now they can turn their focus to preparing for the upcoming season.  I'd be interested in hearing what Jason Taylor is saying about this, though, as he was one of the biggest Daunte supporters.

And lastly, a humorous take courtesy of Dan Le Batard:

As news of Tuesday's Green trade spread, you could picture Bill Belichick curled up under his desk, clutching a terrified Tom Brady and a weeping Moss. Peyton Manning already is returning that Super Bowl trophy Don Shula gave him with one trembling hand.

Am I sensing a bit of sarcasm?  

Regardless, here's a little tidbit from that Le Batard column about John Beck and how highly some think of him:

ESPN's Chris Mortensen has seven coaches and GMs he consults on quarterback prospects. They've had an excellent track record of projecting greatness with him over the past decade. And most of them told him that Beck is not only better than Quinn, but that Beck is ready to be elite faster than any other quarterback in this draft.

In the words of Borat:  Niiiiiice!

Next Up In Miami Dolphins News