Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore (8) throws on the field before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The Dolphins won 34-28. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins have one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL in Matt Moore, who averaged 7.2 yards per attempt with a TD:INT ratio near 2:1 when starting in 2011. So if (God forbid) anything were to happen to franchise QB Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins would definitely be in safe hands with Moore as the insurance policy.
But at the same time, it’s fair to ask if the Dolphins should try and get the 29-year-old Oregon State product to take a paycut from his $4 million salary. Entering the final year of the two-year deal he signed last offseason, the Dolphins could even extend Moore’s contract and help add more money to their $39 million in space by giving Moore less money per year in an extension.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have yet to ask Moore to take less pay this upcoming season. Jackson notes that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pursued Moore last year, so new Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey could be high on him as a result of the Bucs interest. That said, I think the ‘Fins should still at least approach Moore with the idea of paycut, especially if they can somehow get him to sign an extension to be their backup for a few more years. I say “somehow”, because the Dolphins had to pay Moore $4 million in order to prevent him from trying to look for a starting gig elsewhere. Of course, he may have also figured out that nobody really wants him as a starter, even if he would be a quality stopgap option (that seems to be his ceiling).