Dolphins Sign Josh McCown

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the Dolphins have signed Josh McCown to a two year deal worth 6.25 million. They point out that the money is along the lines of a backup QB rather than a starter, which makes the deal sound pretty good.

I said earlier that McCown was mostly backup material and so signing him for a reasonable amount of money is a pretty easy pill to swallow. If he turns out to be a play maker and a reliable starter as some are suggesting, that’s great and the Dolphins can try to re-sign him down the road. The good news is that he has started games in the NFL and has won. The bad news is he throws a few too many interceptions for my tastes, but that could change with the right team. We’ll see.

The next big question is who will the Dolphins draft at the QB position?

The acquisition of Jason Ferguson at DT in all likelihood means Glen Dorsey is out of the running for the number one pick. I’m still thinking Chris Long goes first overall, unless Parcells works out a trade with another team for McFadden or Ryan.

Dolphins QB Choices

Right now, John Beck is the man in Miami. With Cleo Lemon an unrestricted free agent, the Dolphins currently have only Casey Bramlet and Matt Baker on the depth chart after Beck. These two are practice squad guys and don’t really figure into the equation.

With only one legitimate potential QB on the roster, Miami will need to pick up two others soon. The most likely scenario is to draft another QB and sign a veteran free agent to hold the team over until Beck or this year’s draft pick are ready.

Derek Anderson of the Browns is a restricted free agent with a hefty price tag. A team that signs him will have to give up a first and third round pick in this years draft. With Miami having the number one pick overall, signing Anderson is out of the question. He would be a better fit for a team with a lower first round pick like Minnesota. Edit: ESPN.com and SI.com are reporting that Anderson has signed a long term contract with the Browns, details forthcoming.

Rex Grossman has been re-signed and Todd Collins is close to re-signing.

Mark Brunnell is an UFA and looks to be the best unrestricted guy available. He has experience and has put up decent numbers in his career. Not a franchise quarterback but he certainly could be a stopgap for a year or so until one of the young guns are ready.

David Carr could be had for a pittance and one sportswriter suggested Miami needs to take a chance on him, but the consensus is that he’s a bust for any price.

Daunte Culpepper has the most experience but is still a gamble. I don’t think he’d receive too warm a welcome in Miami either.

Byron Leftwich has potential and could fit the bill nicely. I like Brunnell a little more personally, but Leftwich is close and for similar reasons.

The rest of the QBs are backup material in my book. I didn’t see much in Cleo Lemon this year and doubt he’ll be re-signed. Billy Volek, Josh McNown and Quinn Gray all fit the bill as a backup, but aren’t worth signing as a starter.

The other, remote possibility, is that Miami somehow works out a trade for a QB. Miami has the number one pick to shop around, perhaps they pick up Donovan McNabb from Philly? Trades are pretty rare in the NFL other than swapping draft selections and I don’t see this happening, but it remains a possibility.

Update: Cleo Lemon has signed with Jacksonville. Also, the Dolphins have invited former Oakland QB Josh McCown to visit.