Not so many years from now I will be telling my 11yo & 6yo about how the Dolphins fortunes were turned to dust by 1 player passed on 2x. About how they passed on Drew Brees in the 2001 draft for that playa Jamar Fletcher. I'll tell them how they had that stud Ray Lucas backing up Jay Fiedler and that they only needed to carry 2 QB's that year. I'll tearfully reflect on that 2nd passing of 2 ships in the night when this team and player had an opportunity to come together again. Life plays some mean tricks and in 2006 the trick was the trade for Dante Culpepper who only cost a 2nd round pick. Who could we have had with that 2nd pick? Greg Jennings, Devin Hester or Maurice Jones Drew. Yeah you need an arm to throw but if you can't stand on your legs and you're a head case chances are you won't be very good as a QB. I'll spare you the details of who we could have had in the 1st over that stud Jason Allen. Actually I won't, it could have been Santonio Holmes, Deangelo Williams or Antonio Cromartie. Yeah you can tell me that Brees wasn't this good coming out or we would have cut him at some point or that he wouldn't have been the same player here. But what if we had just made a few different choices?
I think it is just as likely we will be hating on Brees if he was drafted as a Dolphin. Especially since none of the coaches would of drafted another quarterback to light a fire in his ***
Every team passes on a great player in a draft. Yes, we have been remarkably good on passing on that player, but its still all old news. It only hurts to think of Dolphin Brees.
I wanted him coming out of college, it sucks. The free agent situation was tough, not sure if satan had enough to make the right decision, it was a medical decision to some degree ya know.
Brees would have been terrible hear. Why? Because we don't have antonio gates or Marques colston. Hell, we don't even have devery henderson. Not saying these players make Brees the great QB that he is, but we have never given our QBs anything to throw to.
What about when we passed on Randy Moss for John Avery---OMG THE "HUGE-MANATEE" Seriously, theres tons of woulda, coulda, shoulda's throughout history. Look at the 84 draft. We got lucky then, nows gods idea of karma making sure we dont get lucky twice.
It's better to not think about this and just to root for Nick Saban's failure. I hate that man for not bringing Brees into Miami. It's much worse than Wanny passing because we already knew Brees was good when Saban said no thanks.
Thank you. No quarterback will do squat without legit weapons. Our luck has sucked with drafted receivers lately. Our two best receivers are undrafted. I do wish the best for Brees, it's hard not to pull for that guy.
You're just assuming every other roster move afterwards would have been identical. You can't do that. Drew Brees absolutely could have made plays with Chris Chambers and Marty Booker. I guarantee you the 06 season would have been better than 6-10. That could have led to Saban sticking to the pros, whether that's a good thing or bad who knows. Who's to say he wouldn't have picked up a weapon for the new franchise QB in the offseason? Based on character I'm glad he left but he probably would have eventually left anyway so I sure wish the idiot would have signed Drew Brees.
He would play at this level anywhere. Drew Brees is an elite QB. If it comforts you to think he would have sucked in Miami, good for you I guess. The reality is we said no thanks to an elite QB who wanted to play for the Dolphins.
I blame Wanny far more than Saban regarding Brees. In the draft, everybody outside of the Dolphin coaching staff knew we needed a QB. Brees was penciled in on every mock. Even our own scouting department was sure he was the pick. They loved him and even told the Purdue coach Brees was their guy if he was there. Wanny and his staff shot it down. They, in their capacity as talent evaluators, said "we just don't think he's better than "Fiedler". Saban, on the other hand, wanted Brees. The only question was his health. They sent Brees to six independent doctors, who by all accounts were the best in the world. Those doctors all agreed that Brees' chance of recovery was about 10%. They sent him to so many different doctors b/c they were hoping somebody would say what they wanted to hear. I preferred Brees as well but I can't blame Saban for passing on the guy with a 10% chance for Culpepper who was given a 90% chance of recovery. Sometimes the odds go against you, but its usually the smarter call to play the odds.
Although it sucks that we could have had Drew, there really isn't any use in crying over spilled milk. Buckle up and pray Henne becomes our very own Drew Brees.
While you are completely right about Brees, you have to let it go. I have, and it's tough. Just let it go. They were bad decisions made by some dumb people. Let it go, man, let it go. If it helps, do what I've done. While I would love to have seen Brees in a Dolphins uniform (I truly believe we would have won 11-12 games in '06 with the defense we had if we had him under center), I've come to rationalize it like this. He had a greater calling in helping the city of New Orleans get its mojo back - give it something to cheer about after Katrina. And now look - instead of their team moving out of New Orleans, as was rumored at the time, they look like they just might be the best team in football, with a legit chance at 19-0. Why? In large part to Drew Brees. There were greater powers at work here I'm afraid. Brees, in some ways, is helping New Orleans far beyond football. Just accept that and it will help you get over the "pain" of having him be passed over twice by us. Besides, it was meant for the Tuna to come here and that likely would not have happened, w/out 1-15, and 1-15 would never have happened with Brees, etc.
As usual, rafael.....very well put. And aside from his influence on this franchise, passing on him also sent two coaches back to the college ranks.
I also think passing on Drew Brees (Twice) was something that we all will look back upon and wonder "What if..." But we also have not had the wide receivers that Brees has had in New Orleans. Brees has at least 5 receivers/tight ends to go to. I still think Brees would have been better then anyone we have had since Dan Marino. What is also bothersome is how many wasted picks we have used in trying to bring in a franchise QB, along with wasted trades and other transactions we have been forced to make because we didn't have a QB. Nothing we can do now except look forward.
OMG, why do we torture ourselves thinking about these things. Got to admit though that lineup would have been very impressive with Drew at the helm.
I try to ignore these types of things. Who knows what would have happened. Maybe Brees takes the hit that Pennington took that put him out of commission, or any number of other situations and he suddenly became a bust. While it's fun to think of Drew Brees as a Dolphin, or that he could have been, it's hardly an assurance he'd be the same guy he is right now.