Dolphin Saturday Talking Points: Is this it for Pat White?

A couple of Pats — Pat White and Patrick Turner — could be spending their last hours as Dolphins with today’s cutdown to 53 players looming. That’s where we begin our Saturday talking points: 1. High-profile players could be on the way out with today’s cut to 53 players. White is the fourth quarterback and Turner arguably is no better than the sixth receiver on the Dolphin roster. If both are cut that means Miami is getting rid of a second- and third-round pick from last year’s draft, an admission that both players were wasted picks. But how do you get around it? Any way you break down the roster, there’s no room for four quarterbacks, so White has to go. And the Dallas game Thursday night offered clear evidence that both Marlon Moore and Roberto Wallace have moved ahead of Turner, though Wallace could be put on the practice squad and Turner retained. We’ll know soon enough; the cuts will be announced late this afternoon. 2. Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall still haven’t forged the chemistry you’d like to see. In averaging more than 100 receptions the last three seasons, Marshall was grabbing more than seven passes per game. He had only eight catches in preseason, one less than free-agent rookie Marlon Moore. Yes, none of that

stuff matters now that the regular season is a week away. But whatever attempts offensive coordinator Dan Henning has been making to build a connection between Henne and Marshall so far has fallen short of expectations. Can they flip a switch next week and start clicking in Buffalo? It’s possible. But it just doesn’t seem it works that way. This remains a relationship worth watching, and worrying about. 3. Friday’s trade for Dallas O-lineman Pat McQuistan is bad news for backup tackles. Yes, coach Tony Sparano knows McQuistan, having coached him in Dallas. And yes, he brings needed depth. But the deal that brought him to Miami is a clear sign that guys like Lydon Murtha and Andrew Hartline have not performed well enough to be trusted in game situations this season. It’s highly likely McQuistan was about to be cut by the Cowboys, and the deal figures to only surrender a low-round pick if he sticks around and plays meaningful minutes this season. But coaches hate to spend several months grooming players – as has been the case with Murtha and Hartline – only to reach the conclusion they can’t make it in the NFL. That appears to be the case here.

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Dolphin Saturday Talking Points: Is this it for Pat White?

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