MOBILE, Ala. – Steve Ross clearly felt his intelligence had been insulted.
Maybe it was the tone of the question, or the fact the Dolphins' owner has been repeatedly asked about upgrading the quarterback position since his 2010 declaration that Chad Henne would become the next Dan Marino did a belly flop.
Ross had heard enough.
"I'm not stupid!" Ross said, interrupting a reporter.
"I'm looking for a franchise quarterback," Ross said with an emphatic tone. "That's the highest thing on our agenda!"
He's referring to the Dolphins' offseason overhaul, which began last week when Joe Philbin was hired as the new head coach.
Along with the addition of Philbin, who orchestrated Green Bay's high-octane offense for the past five seasons, sources say the Dolphins have a master plan to upgrade the quarterback position. Plenty of research has gone into the plan, and it has "many levels" and contingency plans.
Ross isn't just looking for any quarterback. He's searching for "a franchise quarterback," someone the team is certain will do better than the 87.1 quarterback rating and 6-6 record Matt Moore delivered in his 12 starts.
The Dolphins are hunting for a quarterback who can elevate the franchise to elite status, and it appears Miami will have a couple avenues.
The buzz around the NFL is that Peyton Manning will be released from Indianapolis in the coming weeks, becoming a unrestricted free agent for the first time in his accomplished career.
Manning is owed a $28 million roster bonus March 8, five days before the start of the new league year. The Colts will be forced to either pay the bonus to a player who missed last season with a serious neck injury or cut him. ESPN reported last week that Manning, who will turn 36 in March, does not intend to push back the date of his bonus, which will force the Colts' hand.
The Dolphins are expected to be one of Manning's many suitors.
