Dolphins owner Stephen Ross may have hinted at which quarterback will begin this season as his team's starter.
While at the league's spring meeting, Ross spoke candidly with the NFL Network's Jeff Darlington about his team's quarterback competition.
"I don't think they're going to rush (Ryan Tannehill) into anything," Ross said. "He's going to have to win the starting job. I think Matt Moore will probably be the starter, and I wish him the best."
Matt Moore performed impressively in relief duties last season and earned a right to fight for the job. He will be going up against No. 8 overall pick Ryan Tannehill and seasoned veteran David Garrard in an open training camp competition.
Tannehill is clearly expected to be the quarterback of the future, but his development is more important than forcing their shiny new first round pick onto the field.
So, Moore might just get a chance to pick up where he left off last season.
Ross also expressed that it wasn't important who was his team's franchise quarterback, as long as they deserve that distinction.
"Whenever he's ready," Ross said, when asked when he would like to see Tannehill start. "And if Matt Moore develops, so be it. We want a franchise quarterback."
Ross' comments are more interesting because of the implications for Garrard than for Moore. The former Jaguar has much more starting experience and is by far the most accomplished of the bunch.
It is also believed that Garrard's skill set and mobility gives him an advantage in the west coast offense that Miami is adopting.
If Moore is able to create some distance in the QB competition, then there's a possibility that Garrard finds himself on the outs before playing in a game for the Dolphins.
No matter how the competition is actually going, we have an idea what the boss thinks about it.
It's tough to tell if Ross is truly divulging clues to the Dolphins' plans or if it's just his way of praising Moore for his solid play down the stretch. He is a little notorious for his off-the-cuff comments and sometimes they are best taken with a grain of salt.
Follow Sean @seanldonovan
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily
