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Here is a memo to the Miami Dolphins: Avoid drafting quarterbacks in the second round this year.

I'm not very superstitious, but I know a trend when I see one. For Miami, picking three quarterbacks in the second round since 2007 has been nothing short of disastrous.

Lets start in '07 with the first second-round pick: John Beck. This was former Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron's quarterback of the future. Beck was taken in the second round (No. 40 overall) out of BYU and showed nothing in his two years in Miami. He threw one touchdown, three interceptions and had a 62.0 passer rating before being traded to Baltimore, where Cameron landed after getting fired in Miami after one season.

The next year, new head coach Tony Sparano was looking for his long-term solution at quarterback. In '08 the Dolphins selected Chad Henne in the second round (No. 57 overall). Sparano backed Henne all the way to the bitter end, when Sparano was fired in 2011 and Henne suffered a season-ending injury. Henne will be let go by Miami this offseason.

Finally, in '09 Miami drafted Pat White in the second round (No. 44 overall) with hopes of adding a dynamic element to the Wildcat offense. The Dolphins were criticized for this pick, because it was clear that White would struggle in the NFL as a conventional quarterback. His only potential impact would be for gimmick plays, and Miami wasted a second-round choice on that possibility. White made just five pass attempts in his one year in the NFL.

It's no secret the Dolphins will look at free-agent options first, such as Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn. But when it comes to the draft, they should avoid second-round quarterbacks. They simply don't pan out in Miami.

Here are the most interesting stories Monday morning in the AFC East:

• The New England Patriots handed the New York Jets their third consecutive defeat, which drops New York below .500 for the first time this season.

Morning take: The Jets played better this week. But expectations are too high for this team to accept moral victories. New York has a good chance to get back on track next Monday against the Miami Dolphins.

• Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (five receptions, 56 yards) looked good in his return from a knee injury.

Morning take: Hernandez’s numbers are a little deceiving. He drew two penalties that gave New England additional yards. His only mistake was a drop in the end zone before halftime that led to a Jets interception.

• What grade would you give the Buffalo Bills after their victory over the Philadelphia Eagles?

Morning take: I give the Bills a B+. Buffalo could have played better in the fourth quarter and allowed fewer yards defensively. But the Bills controlled most of the game against a team that, on paper, has a lot more star power.

• Poor drafts have led to the Dolphins' struggles.

Morning take: Ted Ginn Jr., John Beck and Pat White are among the recent draft busts in Miami. The Dolphins have missed on enough first- and second-round picks to where it's caught up to the organization.

Buffalo Bills

Here is a look at what each Bills draft pick from the 2010 class needs to do to improve himself on the field this fall.

Miami Dolphins

Receiver Brandon Marshall has taken a vow of silence (no tweeting, no interviews) and dedicated this summer to regaining his 4.4 speed. To do so, he’s returned to the training program he had coming into the 2006 draft.

Former Dolphins quarterback Pat White signed with the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League.

New England Patriots

Here is a look at how some prominent Patriots have remained busy during the lockout.

New York Jets

Safety Eric Smith has moved back in with his parents in Ohio.

Veteran running back LaDainian Tomlinson has no problem with being primarily a third-down back at this stage of his career.

Former Miami Dolphins and West Virginia quarterback Pat White has signed with the United Football League's Virginia Destroyers.

White says his "blood is boiling" to return to football. He'll compete with Chris Greisen, who led the Florida Tuskers to last season's UFL title game.

FoxSports.com writer Adam Caplan broke down all the factors facing Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor's transition to the NFL.

Caplan quotes an unnamed scout who says of Pryor: "You need to get him with a team willing to be very patient. Heck, I'm not so sure he's even a quarterback at this point. He's far away from being able to handle what's going to come at him at our level. You don't really see him being asked to make a lot of tough throws. That won't be the case going forward."

With that in mind, Caplan gave five appropriate places for Pryor to play quarterback. Two of the locales are in the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills: "While journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played fairly well last season, he’s in the final year of his contract. It also remains to be seen if Levi Brown, whom the Bills selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft, has a future with the team. And keep in mind, head coach Chan Gailey likes to develop mobile quarterbacks. He did a nice job of developing former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart."

Miami Dolphins: "Starter Chad Henne is in the final year of his rookie deal, and Miami doesn’t have a true developmental quarterback on its roster. Tom Brandstater, who was signed as a free agent last season, was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the Denver Broncos."

I agree with Caplan about the Bills. They do have a void at backup quarterback and would like to develop one for the future. Brown doesn't seem to be that guy. He wasn't good enough to make the team out of training camp or even be signed to the practice squad. The Bills didn't bring back Brown until they waived Trent Edwards in-season. Last season's primary backup, the disappointing Brian Brohm, is a free agent.

As for the Dolphins, it's hard to imagine them grabbing a player like Pryor after their experience with Pat White. The Dolphins didn't have the patience to wait around for him to develop NFL passing skills. Also consider that on the Dolphins' depth chart are Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen. Both are free agents, and while Pennington is recovering from knee surgery, either could be back.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper explains why Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be hurt by not going through the usual draft process of playing in the Senior Bowl, going to the combine and holding pro days.

Kiper says Pryor will be no better than a third- or fourth-round draft choice in the supplemental draft. Kiper calls Pryor's athletic ability "top notch," but adds he "throws some bad balls, makes some bad reads, some bad decisions. ... The pure passing skills you need are not there yet."

Aftershocks from Jim Tressel's resignation at Ohio State could cause star quarterback Terrelle Pryor to petition for the NFL's supplemental draft.

ESPN's Adam Schefter, citing an unnamed NFL source, reported Tuesday that the league plans to hold a July supplemental draft if they have applicants.

Pryor is the subject of his own investigation for improper benefits and probably doesn't have anything to gain hanging around Columbus another autumn.

The supplemental draft is set up for prospects with circumstances that've changed since the filing deadline for the regular draft. Teams bid a round they'd be willing to draft a prospect. If they have the best bid, then they get the player and lose the corresponding pick in next year's draft.

Would an AFC East club be interested in taking a shot at Pryor?

Pryor is a tremendous athlete, but not a polished passer. He would be an NFL project. In March, Mel Kiper rated Pryor the fifth-best quarterback in next year's draft, but dropped him out of his top five in subsequent lists. And that factored in another year of college seasoning for Pryor.

Maybe Pryor would be worth a fourth- or fifth-round pick for a team willing to gamble. Or he could be had for a sixth- or seventh-round pick.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills have room for a developmental quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the incumbent starter. Last year's second-stringer, Brian Brohm, is a free agent. Third-string quarterback Levi Brown was a seventh-round pick who couldn't make the roster out of training camp. General manager Buddy Nix has stated the Bills will sign a free-agent quarterback, too.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins also have spot on their depth chart -- for now. But would they have the patience? The Dolphins didn't want to invest any longer than one season in Pat White, and they used a second-round pick on him. Chad Henne is the only known quantity. The Dolphins didn't draft a quarterback, and last year's backups, Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen, are free agents. Pennington also is recovering from a knee injury.

New England Patriots: There appears to be no room at the inn. Tom Brady was the MVP last season. Top backup Brian Hoyer is back. They also drafted Arkansas passer Ryan Mallett. Pryor would waste a roster spot unless the Patriots wanted to convert him to receiver or tight end.

New York Jets: The Jets still list six quarterbacks on their roster and a seventh on their inactive list. Mark Sanchez, Mark Brunell, Kellen Clemens, Kevin O'Connell, Erik Ainge, Drew Willy and rookie Greg McElroy. No need to go fishing with Pryor.

Miami Dolphins fans are shaking their heads over all this John Beck talk.

The quarterback who failed in Miami and haplessly produced some of the signature moments of the 1-15 season apparently is Mike Shanahan's choice to start for the Washington Redskins.

"NFL Live" took a look at Beck's rise to prominence. ESPN's Adam Schefter, who has a close working relationship with Shanahan, reported Beck "will go into camp as the Washington Redskins' quarterback, barring the unforeseen."

The Dolphins drafted Beck 40th overall in 2007. He was considered their quarterback of the future and was supposed to develop behind Trent Green and Cleo Lemon. Injuries and ineptitude eventually forced Beck into the starting lineup. He went 0-4. He threw one touchdown and three interceptions.

Bill Parcells formed a new front office and the Dolphins dumped Beck after the 2008 season.

The Baltimore Ravens signed Beck, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, the Dolphins' head coach when they drafted Beck. The Ravens traded him to the Redskins last year.

But what if -- as Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero wondered Tuesday -- Beck performs well for Washington? The Dolphins have been hurting at quarterback for years. Chad Henne doesn't look like the answer. They used a second-round pick on Pat White and cut him a year later.

How much should the Dolphins dread the possibility of Beck proving them wrong?

While working on a feature about Tom Modrak's draft record as Buffalo Bills vice president of college scouting, ESPN researcher John Fisher dug up some interesting data.

The Bills actually were the AFC East's most efficient club when it came to drafting starters since Modrak came aboard in 2002.

Several factors certainly play into that from team to team. Importance of the position, holes that allow for immediate contributions and reliance on free agents to fill out a roster all make a difference. So do the number of players drafted.

But, in general, I thought it was an interesting snapshot to share. Because the research was done to put Modrak's tenure in perspective, numbers are from 2002 through the present.

Buffalo Bills

First through third rounds: 28 players; 804 starts (15th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 45 players; 417 starts (eighth)

Analysis: Among AFC East teams, only the New England Patriots generated more starts within the first three rounds. No other division opponent found more starts from the fourth round and beyond. The Bills have whiffed badly on some early picks, as noted in Thursday's story about Modrak. But they have done well in locating solid help in the later rounds, namely 1,000-yard receiver Steve Johnson (seventh round), Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kyle Williams (fifth round) and top cornerback and Pro Bowl kick returner Terrence McGee (fourth round).

Miami Dolphins

First through third rounds: 25 players; 599 starts (31st)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 43 players; 333 starts (16th)

Analysis: The Dolphins have done well with their recent first-round picks. Although receiver Ted Ginn with the ninth pick in 2007 was controversial, they found keepers with tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey and running back Ronnie Brown. But the second and third rounds have been a wasteland: quarterbacks John Beck and Pat White, running back Lorenzo Booker, receivers Patrick Turner and Derek Hagan, linebacker Eddie Moore. Miami's best later-round pickups since 2002 have been franchise-tagged nose tackle Paul Soliai (fourth round), Pro Bowl safety Yeremiah Bell (sixth round) and tight end Randy McMichael (fourth round).

New England Patriots

First through third rounds: 31 players; 823 starts (12th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 50 players; 379 starts (11th)

Analysis: The Patriots have found their share of gems in the later rounds, including four eventual Pro Bowlers. They picked up cornerback Asante Samuel and kicker Stephen Gostkowski in the fourth round, center Dan Koppen in the fifth and quarterback Matt Cassel in the seventh. They've also done incredibly well with their first-round selections. Five of their past six first-rounders have gone to the Pro Bowl. Where the Patriots have been shaky is in the second and third rounds. They've gotten receiver Deion Branch, tight end Rob Gronkowski, tackle Sebastian Vollmer and safety Patrick Chung there, for instance, but they've also misfired with quarterback Kevin O'Connell, receivers Chad Jackson and Bethel Johnson and cornerback Terrence Wheatley.

New York Jets

First through third rounds: 24 players; 766 starts (19th)

Fourth through seventh rounds: 32 players; 314 starts (18th)

Analysis: The Jets' start totals look worse because they haven't drafted as many players as the other AFC East teams. Their early round players average 32 starts, about 5 1/2 more than the Patriots. But the team that accumulated the most starts here -- the Jacksonville Jaguars with 1,172 -- averaged an extraordinary 43 per player. The Jets obviously failed with 2008 sixth overall pick Vernon Gholston and 2003 fourth overall pick Dewayne Robertson, but they've generally identified quality players inside the first three rounds, including All-Pros Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis and franchise quarterback Mark Sanchez.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: schemes and themes.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills went through a defensive overhaul last year under new head coach Chan Gailey and coordinator George Edwards. They morphed from Dick Jauron's 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme to a traditional 3-4 set. The Bills drafted accordingly, but as the season wore on and they failed to stop the run -- they ranked dead last in the league in rushing yards allowed per carry and per game -- they sunk back into a 4-3 mindset and frequently added another defender to the line. They've also hired Dave Wannstedt as assistant head coach and linebackers assistant. Wannstedt is a 4-3 devotee. All of this adds up to the Bills being interested in the best available defenders they can find, regardless of whether or not they fit into a preconceived scheme.

Miami Dolphins

Rightly or wrongly, the Dolphins' offensive identity the past three seasons has been the Wildcat. Those days would appear to be over. Offensive coordinator Dan Henning and quarterbacks coach David Lee (the man who introduced the Wildcat) are gone. Wildcat trigger man Ronnie Brown and speed-motion back Ricky Williams don't have contracts, and both could be on other teams. The one player the Dolphins drafted specifically to enhance the Wildcat, quarterback Pat White, was released after one season. Miami's new offensive identity has yet to be determined under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Nobody can say for sure what he'll be looking for, but the run game must be strengthened. Head coach Tony Sparano said this week the Dolphins will remain a power rushing team. Brown and/or Williams will need to be replaced, and reliable interior linemen must be found.

New England Patriots

The Patriots are the NFL's most flexible club entering the draft. They own two picks in each of the first three rounds and in three of the top 33 slots. Bill Belichick can go any direction he chooses and certainly will have his staff working the phones for trade possibilities. The Patriots have a rich history of trading back to accumulate more picks, but they might be more open to trading up this year. They have decent youth on the roster, so when you consider the possibility of adding six more players drafted no later than the third round -- plus their picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds -- you have to wonder if there will be room for them all on the 53-man roster. The glut of picks also allows the Patriots to select the best available player and not fret about specific needs with any given pick.

New York Jets

The Jets made it to the AFC Championship Game again and will draft 30th. Head coach Rex Ryan has playfully groused about the late position and the fact the Jets will have to rummage for the best player still on the board. The Jets drafted cornerback Kyle Wilson 29th last year and immediately named him the team's starting nickelback and punt returner. That didn't work out. Wilson started six games, made 19 tackles, defensed five passes and returned 15 punts. While that negative experience could entice the Jets to return to their usual ways and move up in the draft for a prospect they truly covet -- as they did with cornerback Darrelle Revis, linebacker David Harris and quarterback Mark Sanchez -- an inability to trade players until there's a new collective bargaining agreement might make that difficult.

This week's edition of "Draft Watch" dealt with each club's best and worst picks of the past five years.

Some readers disagreed with two of my busts.

The first two comments pertained to my selection of defensive lineman John McCargo as the Buffalo Bills' worst pick.

Scottiewags wrote: "McCargo is not and will never be worse than Aaron Maybin."

Dgnfcnorthaz later added: "Maybin has been so invisible that Graham must have forgotten who he is."

Another reader contended I erred in calling quarterback Pat White the Miami Dolphins' worst pick over wide receiver Ted Ginn.

I considered both Maybin and Ginn as the biggest busts of the past half-decade, but I decided against them. I'll spell out why they were chosen.

As much as Maybin disgusts Bills fans, he has been in the NFL only two seasons. He has had two defensive coordinators and needed to learn two totally different schemes. He entered the league as an end, which he played at Penn State, and then last year switched to standup outside linebacker.

I'm willing to give Maybin another season before I can judge him against McCargo, a veteran with a fuller body of -- for lack of a better noun -- "work."

Maybin already has as many starts in two seasons as McCargo has in his career -- one. Maybin has played 27 games, eight more than McCargo has played the past three combined.

McCargo was a healthy scratch for 15 games last year. He's a veteran who can’t get on the field. Maybin played 11 games last year as a 22-year-old.

Ginn, meanwhile, is a knee-jerk response because he's such a pariah to Dolfans. But Ginn was a weapon defenses needed to account for on a weekly basis. He wasn't very effective, but opponents certainly had to game plan for him.

Ginn generated some highlights for the Dolphins. He led them with 56 catches and 790 yards in 2008. He was a scintillating return man, taking two kickoffs for touchdowns at the Meadowlands in 2009. Plus, the Dolphins were able to get draft compensation out of him.

White played one indigestible season and got cut. Ten months later, he retired from professional baseball. In less than two years after the Dolphins drafted White, he had failed at two sports. Ginn's still in the NFL.

But disagreement is what makes these kinds of conversations so much fun. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. I'll jump in later for some discussion.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: draft rewind -- examining the past five drafts.

Buffalo Bills

Best choice: Defensive lineman Kyle Williams. Only three players in the Bills' past five draft classes have gone to a Pro Bowl. Two of them, Williams and safety Jairus Byrd, still are on the team. Williams was a 2006 fifth-round pick who has emerged as one of the NFL's top interior pass-rushers.

Worst choice: Defensive end John McCargo. The Bills traded up to select McCargo 26th overall in 2006. He has started one game since then. He was a healthy scratch for 15 games last year. The Bills tried to deal him to the Indianapolis Colts in 2009, but he failed his physical and was sent back.

Bubble player: Left tackle Demetrius Bell. On the surface, a starting left tackle from the seventh round sounds like a steal. But when you consider the Bills have banked on Bell and avoided drafting other tackles early enough to compete with him for three years, then you'd expect Bell to be an obvious franchise player. He has been OK, but far from a clear-cut solution.

Miami Dolphins

Best choice: Left tackle Jake Long. There's not much to discuss here aside from wondering how the Dolphins would be different had they drafted Matt Ryan No. 1 in 2008 instead. But Long undoubtedly has been their best draft choice of the past five years. He's an elite blocker and protector. He has been chosen for three Pro Bowls in three seasons.

Worst choice: Quarterback Pat White. The most regrettable pick of the Bill Parcells-Jeff Ireland regime was White at 44th overall in 2009. Not even former general manager Randy Mueller's fateful 2007 draft -- two of 10 picks still on the roster -- had a dud like White, who was cut after one season and retired from baseball seven months later.

Bubble player: Defensive end Jared Odrick. Last year's first-round draft choice is in a tough spot. Odrick played one game because of a hairline leg fracture. While the rookie was out, the Dolphins' three-man defensive front was cemented. Right end Randy Starks went to the Pro Bowl, while some thought left end Kendall Langford had the better season. And don't expect Starks to return to nose tackle to make way for Odrick. The Dolphins placed their franchise tag on nose tackle Paul Soliai.

New England Patriots

Best choice: Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo. Since the Patriots drafted Mayo 10th in 2008, he has led them in tackles all three years, won The Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, has been defensive captain the past two seasons, was named first-team All-Pro last year and went to the Pro Bowl.

Worst choice: Wide receiver Chad Jackson. The Patriots traded with the Green Bay Packers to move up 16 spots and select Jackson 36th overall in 2006. Who did the Packers get with the 52nd pick? Greg Jennings. Injuries and lack of commitment forced Jackson out of New England after two seasons and 13 catches.

Bubble player: Safety Brandon Meriweather. For the most part, Meriweather has been successful. The 24th pick in 2007 has been to a pair of Pro Bowls. But how they voted him a starter last year is a mystery. Bill Belichick removed him from the starting lineup for three games because of disappointing play. That plus Meriweather's presence at a recent multiple shooting in his hometown raises questions about which way his career is going.

New York Jets

Best choice: Cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets not only drafted him 14th in 2007, but also spent second- and fifth-round picks to move up 11 spots for the chance. He quickly established himself as an elite lockdown cornerback. As long as he stays healthy, he should remain in the conversation for defensive player of the year for a while.

Worst choice: Defensive end Vernon Gholston. He's one of the biggest busts in franchise history. The Jets used the sixth pick of the 2008 draft on a player they thought would terrorize quarterbacks. The Jets cut him after three seasons and zero sacks.

Bubble player: Running back Shonn Greene. The Jets traded up to make Greene, the reigning Doak Walker Award winner at the time, the first pick on the second day of the 2009 draft. Greene has been solid, but he has played a supporting role to Thomas Jones and then LaDainian Tomlinson. Will 2011 be the season he takes over the lead?

The dateline on the Associated Press story is Surprise, Ariz.

And who'd a thunk it?

In the span of less than two years, second-round draft choice Pat White not only couldn't stick with the Miami Dolphins, but also has dropped an entirely different sport.

White didn't show up for spring training with the Kansas City Royals and has informed the team he's retiring from baseball.

The Dolphins had big expectations when they drafted White 44th overall out of West Virginia in 2009. He was a dual-threat quarterback, brought in to augment their chic Wildcat offense. Only he wasn't a strong enough runner or an accurate enough passer in the NFL.

White played 13 games his rookie season. He ran 21 times for 81 yards. Take out his longest attempt of 33 yards and he averaged 2.4 yards a carry. White didn’t complete any of his five pass attempts and was sacked once.

White's 2010 training camp began mysteriously. He showed up a day late. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel spoke to White's brother, who informed the paper he was dealing with a serious off-field issue that never came to light.

The Dolphins waived White as part of their final cuts, opting not to keep a fourth quarterback in addition to Chad Henne, Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen.

White turned to baseball, with the Royals assigning him to their Fall Instructional League.

He'd been selected in the Major League Baseball draft four times: fourth round by the Los Angeles Angels in 2006, 24th round by the Angels in 2007, seventh round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2008 and the 48th round by the New York Yankees in 2009.

The Miami Dolphins have been a lost franchise when it comes to quarterback.

Since Dan Marino's retirement, they've drafted duds (John Beck, Pat White), passed on studs (Drew Brees, Matt Ryan) and chased scuds (Daunte Culpepper, Trent Green).

Monday on the AFC East blog, I wondered where the Dolphins would be had they chosen Ryan first overall in 2008 instead of left tackle Jake Long.

Luis DeLoureiro of NFLStatsAnalysis.net also examined the Dolphins' ongoing quarterback woes for a piece on "The Fifth Down" blog at NYTimes.com.

Chad Henne certainly hasn't looked like the answer. The Dolphins this upcoming offseason probably will resume their decade-long search for the most important player on their roster.

DeLoureiro noted the Dolphins are one of only seven NFL teams to have avoided drafting a quarterback in the first round since 1998. The others are the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks. All except the Dolphins and Panthers have their man identified.

Counting on Tom Brady- or Tony Romo-type luck isn't a sound organizational strategy.

DeLoureiro pointed out the Dolphins have preferred to spend second-round picks on quarterbacks. They did so five straight drafts, trading for A.J. Feeley and Culpepper and then selecting Beck, Henne and White.

A dozen quarterbacks have been drafted in the second round since 2001. Henne and Jimmy Clausen are the only two starting for the teams that took them. Kordell Stewart and Jake Plummer are the only two second-round quarterbacks to have a degree of success since 1990.

DeLoureiro wrote:

For almost 20 years, Dan Marino was the face of the Dolphins. Although he didn’t win a title, he broke just about every significant single-season and career passing record. One would think that, more than anyone, the Dolphins would understand the value of a franchise quarterback. But the team has opted to avoid the risk involved with first-round quarterbacks. Unfortunately, they have also lost out on the reward that comes with first-round quarterbacks.

Miami quarterback Tyler Thigpen, suddenly the Dolphins' starter, isn't the average third-stringer.

Thigpen will make his 12th career start Thursday night, when the Dolphins host the Chicago Bears in Sun Life Stadium.

He started 11 games for the Kansas City Chiefs two seasons ago. Although he usually was listed as the Dolphins' third quarterback last year, he really was the top backup to Chad Henne, while rookie Pat White was kept active for supposed Wildcattiness.

The Dolphins' front office identified Thigpen as a player it wanted last year and traded for him after Chad Pennington went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 3.

Some within the organization have compared Thigpen to a quarterback they worked with in Dallas.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen noted "there has been a belief in the organization" Thigpen's long-shot background and improvisational skills remind head coach Tony Sparano and quarterbacks coach David Lee -- former Dallas Cowboys offensive assistants -- of Tony Romo.

Romo was undrafted out of Eastern Illinois in 2003. Thigpen was a seventh-round draft choice from Coastal Carolina in 2007.

"Thigpen's an athletic guy, has got some moxie, plays with instinct, is prone to mistakes like Tony Romo was early in his career," Mortensen said. "I think Tyler Thigpen was the best third-string quarterback in football, if you can say that. I think he's good enough to start in this league."

Bill Parcells was Romo's first head coach in Dallas and was in charge of Miami's football operations when it traded for Thigpen. Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland also came from the Cowboys.

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey was Thigpen's offensive coordinator with the Chiefs in 2008. Thigpen completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 2,608 yards and 18 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

"What we asked him to do at Kansas City, he handled extremely well," Gailey said this week. "He's a very good athlete to start with. He can run the ball as well as throw it. He's fearless. He doesn't mind throwing it in a crowd, expecting the guy to make a play for him.

"So I like Tyler. I think Tyler will do well, unfortunately."