No Henne: Dolphins Vote Dansby, Long Team Captains
Long, Dansby, Bell and Cobbs named team captains
AP
Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne (7) is helped up by Lousaka Polite (36) and Jake Long (77) after Henne was sacked by the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Russell)
Jake Long is a pretty intimidating man, so when he tells you not to be late for practice or a team meeting, more than likely you are going to listen.
But he's not going to be the guy in command of the huddle when the game is on the line for the Dolphins. That will be Chad Henne, or at least that's what the Miami Dolphins hope.
Yet, Henne was not voted a team captain by the men he will lead into battle every Sunday. Instead, Long, newcomer Karlos Dansby, Yeremiah Bell and Patrick Cobbs will be the men to throw down the gauntlet at midfield during the coin toss.
So a day after Bill Parcells says he no longer wants to be the Dolphins leader, the team votes that they don't want Henne to be their leader either.
We don't have a vote tabulation, but it's doubtful it was much of a close call between Long and Henne, which may be more of an indictment on the second-year starting quarterback than praise to the leadership skills of the Pro Bowl offensive lineman.
"I don't see why people dog him," Long said in a recent ESPN interview about Henne. "Chad's going to go out there and prove to everybody that he's going to be a great quarterback in this league. I have no doubt in that."
"He's the rock of our offense, the leader of our offense. Everybody here has total faith in him."
That's what the QB's blindside protector is supposed to say. But clearly, his teammates aren't 100 percent sold on the great Henne.
The team might as well named Brandon Marshall a captain and it would have sent the same message: the players on the team are not so confident Henne is ready to lead.
Sure, team captain is a figurative title that doesn't equate to wins or losses. More often than not, the captain's role is delegated to a special teams overachiever or a has-been veteran still trying to hold on to a roster spot.
But on the Dolphins, particularly this year, it means a little bite more.
Coming off an average season that was sabotaged a bit by injury, the players could have issued a vote of confidence in Henne that could possibly springboard him into a break-out season. About the only thing that could have been a worse confidence killer for Henne would have been the team voting backup QBs Chad Pennington or Tyler Thigpen the captain.
This team has all the pieces on offense to be a juggernaut. And the defense is much improved on paper.
But make no mistake, if the Dolphins are going to reach their potential and make the playoffs, it will be because of Henne's play on the field and his ability to get the troops to believe in him off it.
Posted Wednesday, Sep 8, 2010 - 4:57 PM EST
