During a recent evening spent with his staff, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano began running down the list of young players on Miami's roster, while noting the duties being handled by each of them.

By the end of the meeting, when Sparano thought he had touched on everyone, the coach realized he left off the name of one rather important first-year starter: quarterback Chad Henne.

``I never mentioned Chad,'' Sparano said. ``You just kind of forget that's where he is. You're thinking this guy is like a four- or five-year guy. Those are the responsibilities on his plate, and he handles them really well.''

As Henne's quietly orchestrated season continues to progress, there is no question he continues to look more and more like a viable veteran.

Under Henne, the Dolphins are 5-2. During five of those starts, he didn't throw any interceptions. And during three of those games, he helped orchestrate game-winning drives during the final five minutes.

Have seven starts been enough to evaluate Henne or to consider him the long-term answer at quarterback for the Dolphins? Maybe not, but the early indications are positive.

``Obviously, I know there is a lot to learn,'' Henne said. ``In my mind, if I keep doing what I am doing -- taking care of the ball, leading the team down the field and making plays when they present themselves -- I can be here for a long time and help this team win.''

RIGHT DIRECTION

Compared to other young quarterbacks, Henne appears headed in the right direction.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who was drafted in the same class and has had a solid start to his career, put up similar numbers in his first seven starts last year.

Flacco had a higher completion percentage (60 percent to 58.8 percent) than Henne during his first seven starts, but Henne has thrown three more touchdown passes (six) and four less interceptions (three).

As a result of his play, Henne has continued to gain the confidence of a coaching staff that already believed in his ability before he took over the job.

``I have a lot more confidence now than at the beginning,'' Sparano said. ``Until you get the guy out there and you put him into the games, the real games, and see him handle some of these situations, I think that is where confidence grows on any player.''

Henne still has plenty of growing before he can vault himself into the company of some of the league's top young guns.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, for instance, completed an impressive 66.2 percent of his passes during his first seven starts, while throwing nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Still, not bad, especially considering Rivers spent a full training camp as the team's starter before taking over the reins at the beginning of the season.

``Good things are happening,'' Henne said. ``I feel myself improving at practice. I feel the game kind of slowing down for me a little bit. I feel comfortable out there. I understand our offense and what we are trying to accomplish, which is the best thing for a quarterback to feel.''

Judging from his first seven starts, with the exceptions of a few blunders, Henne is proving to be a skilled and confident quarterback. He also is showing another important quality: the ability to learn and improve.

And after taking 13 sacks during his first four starts, Henne has decreased that number to two during the past three games.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES

``You talk to him about something and you get an immediate response and an immediate reaction on the field,'' offensive coordinator Dan Henning said. ``I think the more he plays, the better he'll get.''

Seven starts aren't enough. They aren't enough to prove a quarterback is capable of achieving Pro Bowl success -- and they aren't enough to prove that same player has avoided a career destined for disappointment.

But as the Dolphins continue to wait for Henne to provide a more thorough body of work before they begin evaluating his long-term potential, the returns in the mean time can be gauged very simply. With the quarterback as the starter, the Dolphins are 5-2.

That's a statistic this organization is certainly willing to accept.

``I think Chad would tell you that this 5-2 has been done a lot of ways,'' Sparano said. ``He understands that he doesn't have to make every play that is out there. He can let those guys make some of the plays. I think is pretty important. I think a lot of things go into that, but Chad certainly deserves some of the credit.''