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As the Sports Xchange framed it over the weekend: "A.J. Feeley may be on a short leash when it comes to keeping his spot as Miami's starting quarterback. ..." Sure, incoming head coach Nick Saban said last week that he planned to give Feeley "every chance" to keep the spot he earned midway through last season under interim coach Jim Bates.

But as the Sporting News suggested Monday, Saban is making the competition at quarterback sound a little closer than he first indicated after the team signed veteran backup Gus Frerotte.

Saban still says Feeley is first in line for the job, but he has promised Frerotte a "fair shot" and has implied even more strongly in the past week that he's ready to take a long look at Frerotte, who has a close relationship with Dolphins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan from their days in Minnesota.

"We want to work very hard to develop [Feeley]," Saban said at last NFL owner's meeting. "But at every position, it's kind of their responsibility to prove they can play winning football. Then you want to put yourself in position to have someone else in competition for that position who can do it if it doesn't work."

Asked how he can try to help Feeley overcome Frerotte's superior understanding of Linehan's scheme, Saban said, "We want to give him every opportunity to give him what he needs to do, but he's got to be responsible for his own self-determination, too. ...

"We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to [win]. Both guys have a responsibility and obligation to learn the offense, to prove that they can do it."

As anybody who remembers his work in relief of Daunte Culpepper two years ago knows, Frerotte already has. For those who don't, I'll remind you that Frerotte played nearly flawless football in 2003 while leading the Vikings to wins in a pair of starts with Culpepper recovering from broken bones in his back.

How sharp was he?

Well, in a 35-7 drubbing of the 49ers that season, Frerotte completed 76 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He wound up tossing seven TDs before Culpepper returned.

And while he only attempted one pass last season (with Culpepper making all 16 starts), Frerotte's understanding of Linehan's system and his own abilities leave the former Pro Bowler confident he'll bet out Feeley.

"I don't know if it'll be equal because I'm sure A.J. will get the first shot being the starter last year, but I don't think anything is set in stone," Frerotte told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel upon arrival in Miami. "Hopefully, with my work ethic, practice habits and my ability to throw the ball, I can convince them that I can start for them."

Meanwhile, Pro Football Weekly advised readers last week that some Dolphins observers are questioning the wisdom of bringing Frerotte on board to compete for the starting job since it is eerily reminiscent to last year's fiasco that pitted newcomer Feeley versus veteran Jay Fiedler in a one-sided competition due to Fiedler's experience running the Dolphins' offense.

As PFW summed up: "At a time when the young Feeley needs all the reps he can get to realize the promise he showed in flashes last season, being thrown into an open competition for the starter's job would appear to be a setback in his development. ..."

Hard to argue that point. ...

In a related note. ... Carrying three quarterbacks on the roster would not preclude Miami from drafting one. And according to the Xchange, Saban didn't discount the possibility of selecting a quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection in April's draft even though tailback is a more pressing need.

Saban personally attended the pre-draft workouts of Utah's Alex Smith and California's Aaron Rodgers, who are considered the top two quarterbacks in the draft.

"Both guys were very impressive," Saban said. "We had meetings with them and they're both impressive guys. They're both intelligent guys. And with what they've been asked to do in their particular systems, they've been very productive and successful in terms of their ability to win games.

"I'm not sure everybody would be in agreement with what I'm saying about these guys. Maybe some teams don't like one of them or don't think they're good or whatever. And the other thing is the history of drafting (successful) quarterbacks in the first round is a 30-percent hit. I don't know what the odds are on a craps table in Vegas, but I know about that one."

Nonetheless, Palm Beach Post staffer Joe Schad wrote last week that two general managers with high first-round picks said they believed the Dolphins would select Auburn running back Ronnie Brown with the No. 2 pick. Saban said he wouldn't be opposed to trading the pick, although he hasn't had any discussions about it.

"We have quite a few needs right now," Saban said. "To have the second pick in the draft and then not a pick until whenever it is in the third round doesn't give us the opportunity that I would like to have to solve several problems in the draft. ..."

Also according to Schad, Saban explained why he cut wide receiver David Boston, although he wanted him to be on the team. "Based on his history and production, and most of it had to do with injuries," Saban said, "it had to be a favorable business situation for us."

Recent reports have strongly hinted that Boston will return to Miami if he is unable to secure a better deal elsewhere.