2012 NFL Draft: Why the Miami Dolphins Should Draft a Quarterback

Fiedler, Huard, Lucas, Griese, Rosenfels, Feeley, Frerotte, Culpepper, Harrington, Green, Lemon, Beck, Pennington, Thigpen and Henne.

I’ve heard Dolphin fans call it “The List.” Their eyes roll in disgust when they hear it.

Miami has gone through these 15 quarterbacks since Dan Marino retired in 1998, all along passing on ones in the first round.

The organization thought they could win with veterans and mid-round picks at quarterback. They’ve used top selections on the Eddie Moores and Jamar Fletchers instead of the Aaron Rodgers or Matt Ryans.

The Dolphins refuse to rebuild. But their reloading has been unsuccessful. 

One playoff season in a decade. And 2012 is not looking much better.

This should be the year.

Sure, this team is missing other pieces. The linebackers and safeties can’t defend the pass. The offensive line hasn’t protected as advertised.

But a quarterback can bring promise and change a culture. Without a future QB1, there’s no reason to “wait until next year.”

With another season looking grim, Dolfans’ eyes have already begun peeking at draft boards, scouring the lists for the signal caller of the future.

To all the Chad Henne supporters out there, even you have to be bothered in Year 4.

The closer he gets to the end zone, the harder it is for him to score. He passes to the check down when he should go long, and he goes long when he should throw the check down. There's nothing clutch about Henne's body of work.

Last week against Cleveland was a winnable game in the fourth quarter. It was Henne's time to secure a victory and to quiet critics. But he could only muster incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, interception. A sight all too familiar.

Even stats echo the concern for Henne: He’s currently 34 out of 37 in quarterback rating and completing only 40 percent of his passes from the red zone.

Usually you can have an idea when a quarterback has that “it” factor. Rookie Cam Newton has shown it in a three-game audition.

How long can the jury be out on Henne when colleges keep pumping out quality quarterbacks on an assembly line?

Coaching could be the main culprit. I am not ruling that out.

But there’s no reason not to bring in competition for Henne in 2012. Current backup Matt Moore couldn't even scare a cat.

The Dolphins are fortunate. In this upcoming draft, QB crop couldn’t be any more ripe.

Fans are already starting their "Suck for Luck" campaigns for their teams. If you haven’t watched Andrew Luck, tune in. His senior season at Stanford has become a 12-game audition. His following grows by the day.

Even if the Dolphins miss out on the Stanford product, there’s other passers to consider.

Perhaps Landry Jones, who’s carving up defense like Sam Bradford used to do in Norman. Or Matt Barkley of USC, who’s thrived in the spotlight since high school.

These quarterbacks might not ultimately be the answer. But the Dolphins organization must not be afraid of failure.

Only then “The List” will become just names.