As Dolphins quarterback Pat White continues to make the transition from spread offense quarterback in college to cameo Wildcat NFL quarterback, and maybe more at some point, he’s doing what he has to do to blend with the size and strength of other pro players.
Coach Tony Sparano said on Saturday that White has gained 18 pounds since arriving as a rookie, and his percentage of body fat has dropped.
“Pat has done a great job right now,” Sparano said. “His offseason has been outstanding. The guy has put an awful lot of time in, I mean he really has. I mean all of these quarterbacks have to their credit. But, I’m talking about time like second week of February, like kicking them out of here when Super Bowl teams are practicing and those kind of things. These guys been here that long.
“So, he’s put a lot of time in, watched a lot of tape, has done a lot of studying on his own and with [quarterbacks coach] David Lee. So, I think that you can start to see some of that right now. Just at the end of five practices, six practices wherever we’ve been right now, this guy is close to almost 68-69 percent completions out here right now. S o, he’s going the right places with the ball and he’s able to . . . you’re starting to see him hit some things a little bit quicker, get to some second and third progressions a little bit quicker, so I like where he has progressed.”
Asked whether White should have a “chip on his shoulder” due to a hit against the Steelers that nearly knocked his block off, Sparano initially agreed, but then he changed his mind.
“Oh yeah sure but I mean . . . well honestly, no,” Sparano said. “That was a heck of a hit. But it just happens, that’s part of the game. Sometimes those things happen. But this particular player, Pat White has gained 18 pounds since the day that he showed up here and lost body fat on a player that doesn’t have a whole lot. So, this guy has really gotten himself bigger, stronger. You can see it in the way he’s throwing the ball, the way he’s carrying himself right now. I mean, to put that kind of weight on that kind of frame, and to lose the body fat that he’s lost has been pretty impressive. So, he’s a bigger stronger player, and he’s got one of those big ol’ helmets on.”
Given the speculation that White may be on the roster bubble, some may think that Sparano is trying to build a trade market for last year’s second round pick.