Should Dolphins swap Henne for Orton?

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Let’s throw all rational thought out the window for a second and jump on my magic carpet ride. What I am about to propose may sound absurd initially, but after giving it some thought and recognizing some compelling evidence it will make sense. The Miami Dolphins should trade Chad Henne for Kyle Orton. Huh? Didn’t trade talks fall apart when the two sides couldn’t agree to a contract offer? Didn’t the Broncos want too much? Didn’t the Dolphins just sign quarterback Matt Moore? Yes, yes, and yes. Wait, who is Matt Moore? Here’s why Henne for Orton makes sense for both sides: Henne actually has good value. The Broncos would get a young quarterback with almost two full seasons of experience to “battle” Tim Tebow for the starting quarterback job. He’s good enough to play but not good enough to embarrass Tebow in camp like Orton would. Henne is still growing as a quarterback, has some (maybe) upside, and his base salary in the final year of his rookie deal is a cap-friendly $550,000. He’d essentially be the perfect second quarterback for Denver because he’s a bargain financially, young, and has a nice chunk of starting experience. The Dolphins shouldn’t have any problem parting with Henne because, as I’ve stated numerous times, Henne’s best case is Orton. Acquiring Orton throws Henne is no-man’s land with absolutely zero chance of him returning to the club next season, so why hold onto him? Also, if you think Henne isn’t far behind Orton, give this baby a read. But who’s to say a change of scenery isn’t what Henne needs most. It appears this regime has ruined his development by handcuffing his arm and mind for much of his young career. It’s extremely rare for a quarterback to struggle after two years of starting and then develop into an elite (top eight) quarterback. But then there are players like Orton who struggle early in their careers only to become formidable as time goes on. Mike Vick is the exception, but that man is a freak and traveled a bizarre road to where he is today. So it’s not completely unreasonable to think henne could one day be like an Orton. But what Miami needs is a quarterback who’s in the now. They’ve been building this team for four years now and have some really solid pieces in place, especially on defense. They need a quarterback who’s ready to make a consistent, positive impact NOW. Who knows what this team is capable of with a steady quarterback in command. They have a talented, extremely deep defensive front. Their linebackers in Karlos Dansby, Cameron Wake (although he often plays at end in passing situations), Kevin Burnett (newly signed), and Koa Misi have a chance to be an upper-echelon group. And the secondary is growing, but doesn’t have to be outstanding with the men in front of them pulling most of the weight. On the offensive line, they’re consistent right-guard play away from becoming a team strength, pending rookie center Mike Pouncey makes the positive impact most expect from him. Reggie Bush gives them a home-run threat they haven’t had before, and Brandon Marshall has proven to be among the best at his position on the outside. This team needs a proven quarterback to truly assess what they have in place around the position. The position has held this team back for too long. Of course my vision is shattered if John Elway’s plan all along is to start Tebow and lose 12-13 games to put them in the running for All-World quarterback Andrew Luck in next year’s draft. And there’s a pretty good chance that’s the case. But if he wants a smart backup plan to Tebow for next season, Henne makes too much sense. Just a random thought on a Friday night. Carry on.

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