The Dolphins spent a good portion of the offseason trying to replace Matt Moore.
When that failed, they signed to a quarterback who didn’t play a snap in the 2011 regular season and created an open competition. Given the fact that Moore didn’t play all that badly in 2011, it seems like that might rub him the wrong way. In a phone interview with Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, Moore said that wasn’t the case.
“I didn’t feel disrespected at all,” Moore said. “I spoke with Jeff Ireland a month ago, and he basically told me that they’re obviously in the market for a quarterback and it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Who’s not going to go after Peyton Manning?”
Moore also said he liked how straightforward Joe Philbin was when he spoke to him about competing with David Garrard, but, really, what else would you expect him to say? Although he played a decent 12 games last season, Moore wasn’t exactly coming from a place of great leverage on a team with a new coaching staff and a seemingly never-ending search for a franchise quarterback. And, as Moore points out, he isn’t Peyton Manning.
On top of all that, things didn’t work out all that badly for Moore. He may have to compete for the starting job, but it’s a competition he can win against a player who is coming off back surgery. From his perspective, that’s a lot better than backing up Manning or fighting it out with Matt Flynn, who played for Philbin in Green Bay.