Dolphins Should Shop QB Matt Moore
By Eric Roddy
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
In the past decade of the National Football League, Quarterback has arguably become the most important position. Teams with great QB’s make runs deep into the season, and those without good signal callers are separated from the elite. We find ourselves in the prime part of Free Agency, as teams are looking to fill holes before entering the 2014 NFL Draft. This year’s draft pales in comparison to the 2012 NFL Draft where we saw the likes of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill drafted. All are starting Quarterbacks in the NFL. So what’s the point? Well, I believe Miami has something that other teams are looking for, and that is a reliable and proven starter at the QB position. That something is backup Dolphin QB Matt Moore.
Moore is entering the final year of his two year contract extension, and is owed $4 million dollars this upcoming season. That is a lot of money for a backup QB, though I would argue Moore is worth it. That being said, I think the timing is right for the Dolphins to shop Moore. Third-string QB Pat Devlin not only impressed fans last summer and in the preseason, but he also impressed HC Joe Philbin. Philbin constantly praised Devlin’s growth and the Delaware product showed a tremendous upside. After another off season of hard work and more reps as the number two QB in camps and preseason, I think Devlin will be ready to take Moore’s spot as Tannehill’s backup. He would be millions of dollars cheaper too.
Couple Devlin’s progress with Moore’s $4 million owed next season, and I think Miami would be wrong to not test the waters and see what they could get for Matt Moore. There are plenty of teams that are looking for a player to come in and either compete for the starting job or be the starting QB (examples: Cleveland, Jacksonville, Arizona). It is very likely that teams would be interested as Moore as a stop-gap option until their future rookie QB’s are ready to start and play.
What is realistic compensation for Matt Moore?
I think the Dolphins could get a third or fourth round pick for the backup, not to mention $4 million dollars to spend elsewhere (assuming the team buys Moore’s contract). The worst case scenario is that no other team has interest in Moore, and Miami keeps one of the better backups in the league for one more year. It wouldn’t hurt anything for the Dolphins to test the waters and see if anyone is biting. Regardless, I hope the Dolphins will make the necessary moves to get this team back into the playoffs and return to football in January as a contender.
FINS UP!