Miami parcelling up QB options, Beck taking step forward

Beck has impressed the new regime with his devotion to the game. Sparano, who said he would not pick a starter until the preseason, called Beck a "football head."

"He likes to be in the office," Sparano said.

Beck is also bigger and stronger than he was as a rookie last season. He's added muscle to his frame.

"I think fundamentally he is much better right now than when we walked in here," Sparano said. "His arm strength is better and he's bigger physically. We're starting to see a lot more velocity on his balls. With the fundamentals that we've tweaked a bit, it's helped him to throw the ball with a stronger arm, and that's important."

To say Beck was bad last season as a rookie would be kind. He made four starts, completed 56.1 percent of his passes and threw one touchdown and three interceptions. He fumbled seven times -- lost five -- and was sacked 10 times, showing immaturity in the pocket.

Rookie struggles for quarterbacks are common. It's how they handle adversity that defines them. Beck seems to be doing OK in that department, even though the stress of his poor rookie season caused him to drop 15 pounds.

"I took it as a learning experience," Beck said. "I knew things would happen that would be bad for me. One of the greatest people who prepared to play in the NFL was Peyton Manning. He came out of college and everybody raved about how he was the most NFL-ready rookie they had ever seen. And he struggled. I knew I wasn't going to go in and play flawlessly. I knew mistakes would come. I don't look it as devastating. I just kept thinking of how I was going to get through it."

When Cameron was fired, it meant more change. It meant learning a new system again, one that Beck said is more player-friendly. It also meant winning over a new staff. It's a staff that brought in veteran Josh McCown to challenge Beck. It's a staff that drafted Michigan quarterback Chad Henne in the second round of the April draft.

That's not exactly endorsing the incumbent. But it does appear Beck is doing a good job of winning them over. He is getting his reps with the first team and some think he's the favorite to start in the fall.

It makes sense for Beck to start. Henne is a rookie who didn't look all that sharp the days I watched him practice. McCown didn't either, and he's a veteran who is little more than a stopgap. He has 35 touchdowns and 40 interceptions in his career.

The Dolphins should open the season with Beck, find out if he's the guy, and if he's not move on to Henne. The problem with that type of scenario is that the starting quarterback will always be looking over his shoulder, thinking one mistake could force him to the bench. That could lead to tightness.

"I think we want to make the competition strong enough when we do pick a guy that we have confidence in him," Sparano said. "I'm not a big believer in the concept of a guy looking over his shoulder wondering when he is going to get the hook. But I have talked to the team about all of them playing better when they are a little uncomfortable. Some players can get lackadaisical and take it for granted when they get comfortable. Keeping that edge is important."

That's why Sparano had all the quarterbacks working with the first group as well as the third group during offseason drills. He wants them to get a feel for it all, using it as a way to judge them in different situations.

"All three of us want to be the guy," Beck said. "We're all competitive people. Just because things changed with our staff doesn't mean they have to change for me. It doesn't mean the plan that was here, the one that had me taking over as a starter, goes out the window. That's the business. Things change. You have to change. And I expect nothing different from myself because it did."