3. Quarterback competitions Observers at the 49ers' camp thought Alex Smith looked better than Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan in what coach Mike Nolan would like to be a three-way competition. As Smith should have. He was the first pick in the 2005 draft. Hill and O'Sullivan are NFL Europe grads. It's really between Smith and Hill, and Smith should win.The 49ers would like to resolve the starting job before the start of camp in order to give the winner time to fully learn the Mike Martz offense. In Miami, Chad Henne showed he has a chance to win the starting job against John Beck and Josh McCown. Henne, the team's second-round choice, threw strong Friday and Saturday but faded Sunday. He even had to run a lap after blowing a snap count. The Dolphins had only a rookie camp, but Henne will be a factor as the summer comes closer. link http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=3382195
I think anybody seeing it otherwise is either really dillusional, or has some extreme insider information. Like being related to Sporano...parf of "The Family" if you will
I don't ever want to fool myself into thinking Chad Henne won't play this year. Remember, as hard as Beck has worked to impress them, he's still Cameron's pick while Henne is their pick. And also, Sparano did admit when he first arrived here, when talking about rookies playing early, that he would like to avoid situations where they go into a second year "not really knowing what we have" in a guy. Unless Beck hits homerun after homerun this year, expect to see Henne play.
Henne had to run a lap for messing up a snap count?? hahaha AWESOME!! I didnt think pro teams punished guys that way. thats priceless
That's the problem. Whoever starts will have to be lights out to keep the job. The first bad game the starter has, the calls for the 2nd/3rd stringer will begin.
Since Mcown has shown nothing in this league so far, I hopw it is Beck or Henne. I could care less who starts as LONG as we have a solid Oline. Won't matter who out of the 3 starts if the Oline is not solid. Oh, by the way...I love that these guys are runnin laps for being lame.
I really believe Parcells is going to want to see both Beck and Henne develop further before anointing either as starter, which means my son Josh will likely be the starter. That's my boy!!! I love the laps thing, they should ALL be running laps, just for being rookies.
McCown is our back up. Beck will get the majority of work in camp as the projected starter. Henne will spend the year as third string. There is a good chance the Dolphins starting quarterback is not here yet.
Winning and Success are great elixirs in making Beck Parcell's guy also. A strong case can be made that all those balls David Lee was assigned to watch Beck throw and the new regime's open-mindedness in giving John a fair chance to compete were justified if John's successful. Bill will go with whomever gives him the best chance of winning - otherwise Drew Henson would be starting in Dallas instead of Mr Jessica Simpson. I don't buy that Beck comes in with a disadvantage - but I do buy that it's up to him to "sink or swim." Remember Tuna walked away from Hensen who cost them a 3rd round draft pick, which when you think about it, isn't all that far removed from a 2 3/4 round pick so I don't think Henne's "cost" makes him the prohibitive favorite.
I really think that they will give Beck every opportunity to take the job, but if he doesn't get it done, McCown will start and Henne and Beck will be either 2 or 3... The reasoning behind this is simple to me... 1) Beck is not their guy, but he has shown them something, either on film or in offseason workouts with David Lee. They have to give him the shot. 2) McCown is the odds on favorite to be the starter...Tunaland's history is to give the younger, developmental guys time to learn the game and use the veteran in the interim. They would rather have a McCown with game experience starting than the youngsters... 3) Henne will be the man eventually, or at least they picture him as the guy. Now that doesn't mean they'll throw him in there without regard, but he's their guy and eventually will be given the shot...it just may not be this year... Of course, the X factor in this is Beck...Will he improve from last years' debacles under a less than desirable OL and skilled players or will he not. Henne was not taken to challenge for a start this year. That job is Becks to lose...the question is will he ??
I don't get guys round here. Before the draft last year everybody was (quite rightfully) like "We'd better spend a high draft pick on a quarterback this year, it's been too long since we did it last." I know Beck is a favourite around here in a lot of ways, I really like the guy and hope he becomes the successful starter, but I also want Henne to be a good quarterback too. I don't understand the lack of support for him.
I don't think it's so much a lack of support for Henne as it is the hope that Beck gets his shot. I feel that we got great value for our pick with Henne. Many of us, however, are tired of everyone and their mom saying that Beck is as good as gone... Just because this regime picked Henne. Honestly, if they were that high on Henne, they would have taken him with 32 because there was no conceivable way that he should have fallen to 57... My opinion on the matter is that we have two potentially great young QBs on the team. Beck has had more time with the playbook and should show us something this year... Henne may get in towards the end of the year at some point, depending on our record, and show what he has. The possibilities are, therefore: 1. Beck succeeds, Henne fails and we're set. 2. Henne succeeds, Beck fails and we're still set. 3. Both Beck and Henne fail and we have to start again in a couple years... or 4. (This is what I hope and pray will happen) Beck shows he has the skills and Henne shows he has the skills and we're stuck in the "horrible" position of deciding which of our two QBs starts... McCown is there as the veteran backup. He'll come in if necessary, but for the most part, on this rebuilding team, I think we'll see Beck and Henne more often than McCown. Just my $ .02...
I'll be pretty pissed, too, and have to chalk it up as yet another example of bad pick management. I'm hopeful that in the next couple of years we get some great offers for either one of our young QBs...
