Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross pointed to quarterback Matt Moore as the team's likely starter heading into the season.
Popular thinking suggests Moore's top competition will come from rookie Ryan Tannehill, but another quarterback showed promise during Tuesday's gathering.
"I've consulted with the jury, and we're giving today's OTA session to David Garrard. Decision-making is quick. Tannehill is slow," wrote Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Darlington: Dolphins unified at QB
Owners tend to overstep their bounds at times, but Jeff Darlington applauds Stephen Ross' remarks on Miami's QB race. **More ...**
After months of theorizing on quarterback battles league-wide, we're finally seeing action on the field, but snapshots in May beg for perspective. These are practices, largely against South Florida's atmosphere, when it comes to the Dolphins, and little more. If Tannehill looked anything but slow Tuesday, we'd be surprised.
"It's faster," Tannehill told reporters. "I mean it kind of is what I thought it would be. It's faster. Guys are faster. The play happens faster. But I was expecting it. You know, I wasn't in a situation where I kind of sat back and said, 'Wow, so fast.' It is what it is. It's ... just about getting adjusted to it."
Tannehill was asked to respond to the owner's theory that Moore would start Week 1: "I'm going to go out and compete every day," Tannehill said. "Whatever the situation is, I'm here to compete. I'm here to one day play, so I'm going to go out and give my best every day, and whatever the decision is at the end of camp, then that's what it is."
Miami's quarterback battle remains intriguing, primarily because of Tannehill. Garrard spoke again Tuesday about the rookie's grasp of the offense, suggesting Tannehill doesn't have "starry eyes," but is instead "giving us tips on things." That is unusual for May, but we're not reading too much into what is seen or heard down in Miami. There are miles to go in the race for the team's starting role.
