Miami Dolphins: 6 Quarterback Options Better Than Chad Henne

The Chad Henne experiment has all but run its course. The Miami Dolphins have begun their search for a new signal-caller for 2012 with the NFL draft and free-agency period looming ahead.

With Henne’s contract up, his future with Miami seems at an end, and Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland and new head coach Joe Philbin will look for the quarterback of the future or a temporary fix who can lead this competitive group back into the playoff hunt.

The Dolphins' quarterback question, as it has been since Dan Marino retired in 1999, is who will they go to next? The roller coaster that was Jay Fiedler to Daunte Culpepper to Matt Moore has alienated a once-passionate fan base with its storied franchise.

All it takes is one bold move, one draft selection, one signature on the dotted line. Then this Miami franchise will have a face, and this fan base will have hope.

Here are the viable candidates to be the Miami Dolphins' quarterback in 2012.

Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III may be the most dynamic quarterback prospect ever. It would take a package of first-round picks to do it, but the Miami Dolphins would be hard pressed to find a better gamble than last year’s Heisman Trophy winner.

Where to start with RG3? He’s a superb athlete with a cannon arm, pocket presence and a set of wheels. He beats defenders on the run with his speed and keeps them honest with accurate darts to his receivers. He set every record you could name at Baylor last season and joined elite company in the NCAA stat books as well. And while Chad Henne’s Achilles heel his entire NFL career has been the touch throw, RG3 has made that his calling card.

His game-winning touchdown against Oklahoma was one of those gutsy touch deliveries he threw only for a Baylor wideout’s hands. Henne could not make that throw playing Madden.

A son of two U.S. Army sergeants, he brings leadership qualities and steady demeanor necessary to take on the role of QB of the future.

The success of Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton has opened the door for Robert Griffin III at the perfect time. Offenses are going through a pass-happy renaissance, and the spread offense continues to evolve. With five-wide and the no-huddle coming to Miami, RG3 could be Joe Philbin’s new favorite toy.

With such complex offensive minds as Philbin and new OC Mike Sherman, the options are endless. RG3 and Reggie Bush running would be a scary thought for opposing defenses. Defenses would need more than 11 men to catch them.

Jeff Ireland would have to sell the farm, but RG3 sounds worth the price and he will rejuvenate this franchise. I think a trade up on draft day is the Dolphins' best move available.

Matt Flynn

After the Miami Dolphins’ hiring of Green Bay OC Joe Philbin, signing the Green Bay backup quarterback that he's been grooming for years seems like a no-brainer. After his Week 17 performance, Matt Flynn and the Dolphins seem like a match made in heaven. 

Week 17 against the Detroit Lions was his NFL audition, and he filled up the box score unlike any other Packer quarterback (480 YDs, six TDs). In his only start of 2011, Flynn threw for more yards and touchdowns in one game than Bart Starr, Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers ever did.

Questions of a unmotivated Detroit defense and pass-happy gameplan still linger, but Flynn did his job to the best of his ability on that day. Now NFL teams in need of a QB have their eyes squarely on the LSU product and Philbin’s pupil. The jury is out whether he’ll be like an Aaron Rodgers or an overpaid Kevin Kolb.

The pairing of Flynn with the offensive scheme he’s been studying for years is an enticing combination. The chemistry is there and most likely Philbin’s stamp of approval.

The only obstacle standing in the way of a Flynn-Philbin-Mike Sherman triangle in Miami is Stephen Ross. His infatuation with a Super-Bowl winning quarterback from Indianapolis has been documented.

Time will tell, but like Austin Powers’ favorite movie, Joe Philbin might be "In Like Flynn."

Peyton Manning

When Chad Henne studied the NFL greats to improve his quarterback play, there is no doubt he popped in the Peyton Manning tape. Now the latest rumors indicate the Miami Dolphins are a viable option for Peyton Manning’s services.

What a difference a year makes.

With Stephen Ross frothing at the mouth, it seems evident that if Manning hits the open market, Miami will roll out the red carpet. But more importantly, is Peyton Manning still Peyton Manning?

NFL enthusiasts know the competitor that No. 18 is, but is he yanking teams' chains merely because of his hunger to strap up a helmet?

Surely, Joe Philbin and Mike Sherman will test all of Manning’s faculties before they make a financial commitment, but they must tread carefully. The lasting memory of Daunte Culpepper’s "healed shoulder" still stings this franchise.

But if Manning is indeed healthy and without a team to call home, everyone knows what No. 18 brings to a franchise. But if questions still remain, the Joe Philbin may be better suited to snatch up Matt Flynn or a rookie quarterback to call signals for his offense.

Even if he is Peyton Manning.

Ryan Tannehill

Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill may not be a household name in NFL draft discussion for the Miami Dolphins just yet, but draft season has only just begun.

A converted wide receiver may sound like a failed experiment, but try his senior year stats on for size: 3,744 YDs, 29 TD, 15 INT. That includes out-dueling RG3’s Baylor (25-37, 415 YD, 6 TD 1 INT) in a 55-28 blowout. That's the converted wide receiver we're talking about.

Tannehill may be a raw selection in year one, but if the Dolphins were to have a temporary fix for a few years at QB (Matt Moore, Kyle Orton, even Peyton Manning), he would be a superb option for the long-term. In his short quarterback career, he has shown great sense in the pocket and fluid mobility throwing on the run.

With a sizeable gap in quarterback prospects after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, Tannehill has the upside to climb up draft boards and perhaps crash the first round. A broken leg in the Senior Bowl may keep his name from being called on the first day, but he won't last for long afterwards.

Keep an eye out for Tannehill if the Dolphins trade down in Round 1 or during their next selections in Rounds 2 and 3. New Dolphins OC Mike Sherman may be in Joe Philbin’s ear talking about the potential of his former Aggie quarterback.

Matt Moore

The Miami Dolphins' saving grace from a disastrous beginning to a 2011 season, Matt Moore has supplanted Chad Henne as the most-likely QB holdover from the Tony Sparano era. Moore went 6-7 as the Dolphin starter and finished the season as the 12th-ranked NFL passer.

Why is he more likely to stay around than Henne? He still has a year left on his two-year deal he signed last August.

It does not seem likely Moore will go into training camp in August unopposed, but he certainly will be in the running for QB1 regardless of who is brought in to challenge him.

If the Dolphins somehow pass on a QB and decide to wait on prospects until 2013 (Matt Barkley anyone?), Moore would be a worthy temporary solution to bridge the gap. 

Unfortunately, I don’t see Dolphins fan excited with "Matt Moore for 2012."

Kyle Orton

After hearing about Kyle Orton to the Miami Dolphins on the rumor mill and back last offseason, the Dolphins could go full circle with the Kansas City QB in 2012. 

Orton certainly had a rocky 2011 after the Dolphins opted for Matt Moore over the eight-year starter from Purdue. Since then he went back to the team that tried to trade him, then played four games without much help in Denver, only to be supplanted by a young backup who completes 40 percent of his passes.

Luckily, the Denver Broncos were sympathetic enough to cut Orton loose, after which he led the Kansas City Chiefs to an upset of the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers. 

What does it all mean? Orton can still play ball. But his future in Kansas City remains in doubt with the imminent return of the Chiefs' prominent investment Matt Cassel.

Orton has shown that he can manage the game well with a defense behind him (he was 21-12 as a starter in Chicago). He can also run a complex offensive attack and fill up the stat sheet (his best year in Denver: 20 TD, 9 INT, 87.5 QB Rating).

With an offensive guru manning the sidelines and the NFL’s 14th-ranked defense, the pieces are in place for Kyle Orton to be successful in Miami. Perhaps Joe Philbin will fire up the tape of Kyle Orton in Denver and see potential.

Jeff Ireland almost went down this road before, but I don’t see him retracing his steps. The team's ceiling with Orton is a playoff berth and nothing else.

The Dolphins will look to other candidates to be their starter in Week 1.