The Kerry Campaign; a Kurt Recommendation
By Conor L. Bolton
April 27th, 2004
I’d like to take time out to reassure all the people reading this article that I am, indeed, talking about Kerry Collins, and not Democratic Presidential Hopeful John Kerry. While Collins’ contract may be too large for Miami, a restructured deal with incentives (ala Thomas, Taylor, Madison, et all…) could lower his cap number considerably, which would allow Miami a year or two to assess his value.
I’ll be frank; Jay Fiedler and AJ Feeley are simply not going to get it done. We need a quarterback to resurrect our stale and staggering offense. Kerry is inconsistent, he’s error prone and he has had alcohol problems, but none of those concerns rival the concerns I have about seeing one of the best core groups of players on one of the most storied franchises in NFL history continue to miss out on the playoffs.
Kerry Collins is an excellent quarterback, when you protect him and have a solid running game to back him up. Imagine Kerry in an offense with Ricky Williams, David Boston, Chris Chambers and Randy McMichael. In New York, he had Jeremy Shockey and Tiki Barber. That was the extent of the high level offensive talents. Kerry went to the big dance with minimal help, relying on his team’s defensive ability and some unexpected offensive fireworks…sounds like a great formula for success in Miami. I can’t begin to wonder what would be possible for Collins on a team with twice as many stars and a better pass blocking system. He might not be as good as the Mannings and the McNairs, but he’s certainly on the second tier of signal callers in the league, and he is still relatively young.
Another option would be Kurt Warner. Though he may still re-sign for a smaller contract as the back-up in St. Louis, Warner’s talents (when not injured) fit in well with a good pass blocking team that runs well. He’s used to throwing to substandard tight ends, so McMichael will be a welcomed upgrade for Kurt. He has championship experience and is a vocal leader in the locker room, something Miami badly needs. He is a class guy and a disciplined player; his attitude would rub off on the other members of the team.
There are contract issues, and some other concerns, which exist as much with Warner as with Collins. Firstly, he wears #13, which (I believe, if I remember correctly) is the number of another great QB that played for Miami from 1982-1998. Secondly, he is injury prone and not getting any younger. He also won a championship and lost his job, so complacency and a personal crisis of confidence (see Drew Bledsoe) are also worries.
His wife may be a bit noisy, but she’d settle down with Kurt headed back to a winning team as the #1 guy. I think Miami needs a veteran with experiences in post season success to guide the city’s love of the team back from the brink of cynicism. Miami is quickly becoming the team everyone loves to despise, and it’s ruining the wonderful history of the team. Someone needs to restore playoff glory and true championship contention to the franchise, and Warner may just be the guy.
The bottom line is, when the June 1st cuts go down, Miami should be rearing its head to sift through the available talent. Among the positions that need to be addressed (if we hope to get back to playing in January) are Quarterback and Receiver. I believe Dennis Northcutt, Curtis Conway, Kurt Warner and Kerry Collins are the best options for Miami, but since I am not the GM, what do I know? I know Miami needs to get back to basics with free agent signings. No more defensive players at already deep positions. No More special-teamers with little or nothing to offer at their positions. No more overpaid old guys trying to make one last paycheck on their way to retirement. I realize Florida is the retirement destination of the country, but I didn’t think that extended to football.
We need young blood, Fresh faces and some quality reserves on the line. A new style of offense is also a crucial need, maybe even the order of the day. Miami has become stagnant and predictable, and it’s making a normally dominant team into a vulnerable laughing stock. I’m tired of feeling like a bandwagon fan that gets his just desserts, because I am not a Miami fan for their potential, but for their existence. I am a fan for life, so I’d like this temporary abyss of failure, finger pointing, distress, indecision, doom and gloom to come to an end. I await the results of this season, ever watchful with a fixed eye on the future. I sit patiently, biding my time for the right moment to once again realistically proclaim that Miami is my pick for the Super Bowl.
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