I've known Brian Griese for a while, and he's a good quarterback. But last season, he looked like someone who didn't even like playing the game. The first thing he needs to do, is prove to his new teammates that he can be trusted and that he'll play with passion.

As a rookie, Griese had the opportunity to play behind John Elway and under coaches Gary Kubiak and Mike Shanahan. His first year as a starter was promising and by year two, in 2000, he was a Pro Bowler. But somewhere along the line -- between getting nicked up and working with a team not quite as good as he was used to -- he lost his confidence.

I think Griese will have a renewed passion in Miami. Instead of sitting on the bench by himself, he needs to win over his teammates and have them rally around him. If you're Joe Montana or you have four Super Bowl rings, then you can be a "loner." But Griese is not there yet, and at the quarterback position, I'd take a guy with decent talent and great leadership qualities over a guy with great talent and poor leadership any day.

These days, it's rare for a quarterback to start and finish a complete season, so every team needs two. And as the backup for Jay Fiedler, Griese will be Miami's insurance policy. He'll give them a chance. He's played in a lot of big games and has proven he can win ball games -- not just not lose them. Remember, when Ray Lucas stepped in for Fielder last season, the Dolphins were poised for home-field-advantage in the playoffs at 5-1 and proceeded to lose three straight. Nothing against Ray, but he just did not play well.

If Griese is the starter, he won't have to win games by himself. Playing under Norv Turner, who I consider the best offensive coordinator in the game, he'll be asked to hand it off to Ricky Williams, make smart plays, and compete with Fiedler -- which in turn, will make Fiedler a better player. Competition is healthy. This isn't about hurting Fielder's feelings; it's about winning games and championships.

Change will be good for Griese, who was in Shanahan's dog house, and Miami is a good fit. He'll be comfortable back at home where he'll quickly learn that being a passionate leader is by far the most important aspect of the quarterback position.

Former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury is an analyst on "NFL 2Night," broadcasts on "The Dan Patrick Show" on ESPN Radio and contributes each week to ESPN.com during the NFL season.