One of the saddest sights I have ever seen in a lifetime of sports, as fan or writer, was battered Dan Marino hobbling off a field in Jacksonville after a humiliating 62-7 Dolphins defeat in the 1999 playoffs -- hurt, hearing calls of derision and never to play in a football game again.

Ten years later, Miami's unending search for Marino's replacement continues with the first NFL career start of Chad Henne on Sunday vs. Buffalo.

So much is made of Henne's coronation -- of whether he'll turn out to be the long-awaited next franchise quarterback -- because so many missteps have preceded him.

Any chronology must start with the fact Miami went the last nine years of Marino's career drafting only one QB, and a sixth-rounder at that. The club failed year after year to groom a replacement, as if Marino would never grow old.

The chronology of dubious choices and what-ifs at the most important position since No. 13's departure:

• 2000: Dolphins decide Damon Huard isn't the future but think Jay Fiedler might be. A late draft pick is wasted to acquire Jim Druckenmiller. Meantime, after Miami has made five draft picks (none a QB) and traded two others, the Patriots select Tom Brady.

• 2001: Ray Lucas rotates in as Fiedler's backup. Miami drafts cornerback Jamar Fletcher 26th overall. Then, at No. 32, San Diego drafts Drew Brees. The Dolphins passing on Brees still haunts the club, eight years later. Later in that same draft, Miami wastes a pick on QB Josh Heupel.

• 2002: Traded-for Sage Rosenfels is the newest answer-who-wasn't. Team gets zero dividend from a trade with Chicago for QB Cade McNown.

• 2003: Brian Griese is the latest in the parade of guys they hope might be better than Fiedler.

• 2004: Dolphins send a valuable second-round draft pick (in 2005) to Philadelphia for A.J. Feeley in the hope he might be a franchise QB. (He isn't).

• 2005: The Fiedler experiment peters out and journeyman Gus Frerotte is imported to start. Miami drafts running back Ronnie Brown second overall. Selected 24th in that first round by Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers.

• 2006: Team spends another valuable second-round pick for Daunte Culpepper and also brings in fellow reclamation project Joey Harrington, who costs a fifth-round pick. Cleo Lemon arrives, too, by trade. None prove worth the time or effort. (In the draft, Miami selects defensive back Jason Allen 16th overall, inviting retroactive speculation whether a trade-up might have been possible to get the man chosen 11th, Jay Cutler).

• 2007: The revolving door welcomes by trade aging journeyman Trent Green. In the draft, Miami wastes a second-round pick on John Beck and burns a lower pick on the '06 acquisition of Harrington. Josh McCown came and went.

• 2008: Chad Pennington is acquired, the only post-Marino QB decision Miami made that worked out, albeit temporarily. Henne is drafted late in the second round. A later pick is burned over the earlier trade for Green. Meanwhile, as good as tackle Jake Long might be, two spots lower, Atlanta nabbed a franchise QB in Matt Ryan.

• 2009: Team spends a second-round pick on Pat White, who was brought in to run the Wildcat but isn't running the Wildcat. Pennington's season- and perhaps career-ending shoulder injury shoves Henne to center stage, ready or not.

What might have been for this franchise, post-Marino -- from Brees to Ryan -- dissolves now into the only question that matters 10 years later:

How good is Chad Henne?

Let's find out together.

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