Reports last week indicated the Miami Dolphins "weren't 100 percent" committed to entering the season with three quarterbacks on the roster. With David Garrard officially listed Monday as "QB1" on the preseason depth chart, and Ryan Tannehill not going anywhere, that probably meant bad news for Matt Moore.
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However, as Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post noted Monday, Moore isn't on his way out. And he probably won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
For starters, there are no assurances that Garrard will make it through the season healthy. The 34-year-old missed the entire 2011 season with a back injury, and it's yet to be seen how he'll respond to being hit. As experienced as Tannehill is in Mike Sherman's offense, he enters the NFL with very little game experience at the position (19 starts at Texas A&M). The Dolphins also are unlikely to throw him to the wolves if Garrard goes down early in the season.
Secondly, Moore is not breaking the bank. His $2.75 million base salary is the same Shaun Hill will earn from the Detroit Lions to back up Matthew Stafford, and Moore's $3.025 million in cash (including $250,000 in incentives) compensation this season is far less than what former Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne will make from the Jacksonville Jaguars, or what Jason Campbell will make backing up Jay Cutler with the Chicago Bears.
Odds might be against Moore starting, but he's an experienced, capable backup in the NFL who is healthy and inexpensive. Given the uncertainty about Garrard and Tannehill, the Dolphins have to find a way to keep Moore on the 53-man roster.
