The Dolphins' search for a worthy successor to Dan Marino should have ended as February turned to March in 2001. They had their man. A deal had been struck. Then, fatefully, Miami general manager Rick Spielman hesitated, said he needed two hours.

He who hesitates is not always lost, but in this case the Dolphins had lost. Big.

Not quite five years later, the search labors on here for a worthy successor to No. 13, for a better-than-just-OK starting quarterback. For a leader.

And Matt Hasselbeck -- the one who got away -- is a blossomed star in the far corner of the country, a Pro Bowl QB leading Seattle into a Super Bowl for the first time in its 30-year history.

'Miami had made a firm offer, and I said, `OK, we'll do the deal.' But for some reason they had to wait a couple hours and get back to me,'' former Green Bay Packers GM Ron Wolf, now retired, recalled Thursday from his winter home just north in Jupiter. ``Had they said OK right at that moment, Hasselbeck would have been a Dolphin.''

All of that potential was buried behind Brett Favre in Green Bay, and Hasselbeck was about to become a free agent. The Packers wanted something for him. Miami and Seattle were gunning hardest as Green Bay simultaneously negotiated with both.

When Wolf, who was about to retire, told coach Mike Sherman (who by then had personnel say) that the Dolphins had balked, an exasperated Sherman phoned back Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and told him, ``You've got your quarterback.''

Seattle got Hasselbeck and Green Bay's first-round pick (17th overall).

The Packers got Seattle's first pick (10th overall) and a third-rounder.

Miami would have gotten Hasselbeck in exchange for its first pick (26th overall), plus ''we were swapping picks'' in the lower rounds, as Wolf recalled.

Instead, after seeing their coveted QB go to Seattle, Miami would waste its top pick on failed defensive back Jamar Fletcher.

They continue to this moment looking for a quarterback better than Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, A.J. Feeley, Sage Rosenfels and Gus Frerotte.

''I'm not telling Miami how to or what to do,'' said Wolf, the man who traded to acquire Favre, ``but I'm from the school that says if you don't have a quality quarterback, you aren't going far.''

Pittsburgh has a young phenom in 23-year-old Ben Roethlisberger (first round, 2004) and is favored to win its first Super Bowl since the 1979 season.

Seattle has an unearthed gem of the slow-blooming variety in the 30-year-old Hasselbeck (sixth round, 1998) piloting its first-ever title shot.

The contrast in the two accentuates the options out there as Miami mulls how to upgrade at the premier position.

The Dolphins would have to trade up from the 16th overall pick to at least around where the Steelers drafted Roethlisberger (11th) for a chance at Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler. But is a trade for a proven veteran QB a safer answer?

Or is there another Hasselbeck out there -- a young, buried talent needing only a break? (Hasselbeck had zero pro starts and 29 career passes) when Miami and Seattle were angling hard to acquire him.

You wonder how the past five years might have been different had the ill-fated, since-departed Spielman squeezed that trigger instead of hesitating.

For sure, what Hasselbeck has become is the kind of dream from which coach Nick Saban surely wakes up smiling.

Consider:

Hasselbeck had a 98.2 passer rating this season; Marino topped that only once in his illustrious career, in 1984.

Hasselbeck had 24 touchdown passes, a total last bettered by a Dolphin (Marino, of course) in '94.

No Miami arm has matched the Seahawk's three consecutive 3,000-yard seasons since Marino did it in 1990-92.

Hasselbeck's 65.5 completion percentage? That would be a Dolphins record.

The two Pro Bowls in the past three years? No Dolphins QB has won that honor since (guess who?) in '95.

Frerotte keeps protesting he did pretty well and deserves another season. He didn't -- and doesn't, unless every other attempt at an upgrade is exhausted. His 71.9 rating slotted 29th of 34 full-time QBs in '05.

So forgive a Dolfans' imagination running bittersweet at the sight of Matt Hasselbeck, in his prime, in the Super Bowl.

''I thought we had a deal,'' says Wolf, to this day.

If only.

Wow.

 

 

Rick's brother is probably the worst arena coach of all-time, so it's a family thing.

If Hasselback came to Miami there is no gaurantee that he wouldve "blossmed" into the QB he has become. Remember that Holmgren is a QB genius, Dave Wannstache couldve easily ruined Hasselback's career. Im happy that Wannstache turned out to be utter crap, the Dolphins now have the best coach in the NFL.

If Hasselback came to Miami there is no gaurantee that he wouldve "blossmed" into the QB he has become. Remember that Holmgren is a QB genius, Dave Wannstache couldve easily ruined Hasselback's career. Im happy that Wannstache turned out to be utter crap, the Dolphins now have the best coach in the NFL.

 

 

Whoa, don't go that far, I love Saban but he hasn't won 3 championships like Belechick or had incredible consistency for 13 years like Cowher, Saban still has a ways to go.

If Hasselback came to Miami there is no gaurantee that he wouldve "blossmed" into the QB he has become. Remember that Holmgren is a QB genius, Dave Wannstache couldve easily ruined Hasselback's career. Im happy that Wannstache turned out to be utter crap, the Dolphins now have the best coach in the NFL.

 

That would be your premature comment of the day.

If Hasselback came to Miami there is no gaurantee that he wouldve "blossmed" into the QB he has become. Remember that Holmgren is a QB genius, Dave Wannstache couldve easily ruined Hasselback's career. Im happy that Wannstache turned out to be utter crap, the Dolphins now have the best coach in the NFL.

 

That would be your premature comment of the day.

What can I say...Im from the future.

I like saban too and think he has a bright future ahead of him. He even reminds me alot of Shula, but I would take a few coaches ahead of him like parcells, bellichek, and shanahan (sp on all three names lol).

 

 

But Saban I think is going to end up being a top 10 coach in the NFL which is fine for me. The dolphins deserve another championship.

I hate Rick Speilman, but that Matt Hasselbeck thing is just a hindsight 20/20 thing which I can't really blame him for. I just hate that tool for ruining our team.