What now: Miami Dolphins find a backup QB, needs a starting RB
First the news: A league source confirmed this evening the Dolphins had reached a contract agreement with Matt Moore to be the backup quarterback. No contract details were available overnight. That comes on the heels of the Dolphins losing running back C.J. Anderson to the Denver Broncos, who matched Miami's offer sheet to the restricted free agent.
So what does all this mean?
First the running back issue...The Dolphins need one. They need a back capable of sharing the 400 or so carries the Dolphins will have in 2016, either as the starter (1A) or the other back (1B) who can share carries with second-year back Jay Ajayi.
I know many Dolphins fans were disappointed their team isn't getting Anderson. I'm told the reaction within the Dolphins building was a collective shrug of the shoulders. It was not good news. But it wasn't devastating.
So are the Dolphins headed full bore into the third or fourth tier of free agency to find a ball carrier? I'm told no. I'm told the team will likely study the field, keep in touch with a couple of veteran possibilities and perhaps even bring one or two in before the draft. But the team will look at adding a running back in the draft .No panic, which is counter-intuitive considering Miami lost its starting running back in free agency and needs to find a new one.
Now to the QB situation...It is good news on multiple levels that Moore returns.The Dolphins have a good teammate in the quarterback room, now. Again. Moore is a good man and having him on the team is a net plus on an intangible level.
He also is a veteran who has experience if he's called upon to play. So he checks that box.
But (you knew that was coming, right?) he's not going to be any sort of legitimate competition to starter Ryan Tannehill. No matter what the Dolphins say, no matter how many reps Moore gets in training camp, he is not going to be the starter.
So he's not really competing for the starting job. And why does this matter? Well, the coaching staff at the end of last year came to the conclusion that Tannehill might benefit by being pushed on the field more. They felt Tannehill might benefit from competition.
I don't know how this new coaching staff felt but most coaches want competition all around their roster and new coach Adam Gase is simply not getting that at quarterback in 2016.
The only way competition is possible is if the Dolphins draft a quarterback high in the coming draft -- which seems unlikely now.
So that idea passes away.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolp...ins-find-a-backup-qb-needs-a-starting-rb.html
