Miami Dolphins OTA Day 1 Quarterback Comments II: David Garrard

The Miami Dolphins are started their first organized team activity (OTA) yesterday. It marked the first time the entire team, veterans and rookies, were on the practice field together, as well as the official start of the quarterback competition between Matt Moore, David Garrard, and Ryan Tannehill.

All three QBs spoke to the media after the practice, and we will post their comments throughout the day today. Following the post of Moore's comments earlier this morning, we now look at David Garrard's press conference:

(On how he feels about the offense) - "It's coming along nicely. We are still in the early stages of installing this offense. It's definitely different in respects to the tempo you are normally used to. It is basically like a two-minute drill the entire game. It is going to give the defense a lot of problems."

(On if he feels this offense fits his game) - "Yes. If you go back and look at my tape, a lot of my two minute drills and hurry up offense sequences...those series were very productive. I think it fits me just great."

(On if he was disappointed on comments that were made that Matt Moore would be the starter) - "That's just more fuel for me. It's somebody else I have to try and prove wrong. The owner is the owner. He can make all of the comments that he wants. I am never going to dispute him, but I'll just let my play on the field go out and show for it.

(On how weird it is that a rookie quarterback knows the offense so well) - "It's weird. (Rookie quarterbacks) usually come in with a question mark on his face. He has starry eyes trying to figure out what's going on, but this is the offense he ran in college, or a lot of it. A lot of times, he is giving us tips on things, but the quarterback position is more than learning your own plays. You have to know what the defense is out there doing each week and there's 16 weeks and you are going to get 16 looks at defenses with variations and some (that are) just completely different. That's a lot to put on a rookie quarterback. Some guys can do it and some guys have a tough time with it. Like I said, it is a lot more than knowing your own plays."

(On the biggest challenge for a young quarterback and the biggest adjustment they have to make) - "Usually, it's not knowing your plays. You have to think about your plays, so much (but) he doesn't have that problem. Everybody is covered tighter. Balls that you put on one number, it is deflected, you put it on another number it is complete. That is the big difference because we had to watch some of the (Texas) A&M film just to install some of the plays and you could see guys running free out there and you are not going to see that much (in the NFL). You might have a busted play. That is going to be the only time you are going to see guys running free."

(On what this process has been like for him personally) - "I think it is great. I didn't have to move far, my family didn't have to move far. Just being the older guy on the whole team pretty much, it gives me a great advantage with all of the guys because everybody is looking for that nugget to be better. Everyone is looking for knowledge to improve their game whether if it is a defensive back asking me questions on ‘what did you think on that play, why wasn't I able to make a play on that?' and it's for this reason. Things like that maybe a younger quarterback or younger player isn't able to....they haven't had the reps in games, throughout all of the different practices and training camp to be able to give that kind of knowledge."

(On if the fact that he is a more experienced player makes the transition easier) - "Actually yes and no. Especially somebody like me that was somewhere for nine to ten years. You get used to a lot of those things there and then now a year after that you are a somewhere else doing a totally different thing. You were in one place, one city, one team, one organization, one owner for nine years it can be tough, but it's still playing football. All of these guys have accepted me and made me feel welcome. I am very comfortable here. I am just doing everything I can to make myself the best quarterback out here as best I can, but then also help all of my other teammates and Matt (Moore) and Ryan (Tannehill) be better players for themselves too. I just always stress being a teammate first. That's the most important thing. I think the cream will rise to the top and the best guy will play. That's just how you've got to take it."