Dolphins depth chart: Breaking down Miami's roster I - Quarterbacks

The Miami Dolphins are fairly close to being a completed team for 2016. There could be a couple of late free agent additions, and there will be some turnover at the bottom of the roster (not to mention the question of whether or not Dion Jordan will be reinstated), but overall, the 89 players currently on the roster (with room for one more addition without releasing anyone) will be the players heading into training camp in July. Over the course of the summer, the Dolphins will have to move from the 90-man roster limit current used by the NFL down to the 53-man limit used when the regular season starts. How does that impact the roster as it stands now?

The quarterback position, part one in our series of breaking down the depth chart, is perhaps the easiest position to predict. There are two guaranteed players to make the roster. After that, it is just a matter of whether or not the team decides to carry three quarterbacks on the active roster, or place one on the practice squad.

Starter

Ryan Tannehill - 5th year

Tannehill is obviously the starter for the Dolphins, and he should finally be in a position to put it all together. The offensive line, behind which Tannehill has been the most sacked quarterback over the last four years, appears to finally have the talent to keep Tannehill upright (assuming they stay healthy). He is heading into a season where the team has added a quarterback friendly coach, additional offensive weapons, and an elite offensive line prospect, in addition to having Dan Marino and Peyton Manning available to mentor him. Tannehill should be able to come out strong this year.

Reserve

Matt Moore - 9th year

Moore returns to the Dolphins this year, knowing his position is securely on the bench unless something dramatic happens to Tannehill. He is essentially locked into a roster spot, and he should be the veteran who is able to come in and keep the team afloat if necessary.

Practice Squad

Brandon Doughty - Rookie (7th round pick)

Doughty gets the nod ahead of two other quarterbacks because he was a draft pick this year. Miami could consider adding him to the roster, but he is a developmental quarterback who should be safe from poaching this year, meaning he can be stashed on the practice squad without using a roster spot. The Dolphins are likely looking to Doughty to eventually replace Moore as the backup behind Tannehill, but that is at least a year away.

The Rest

Logan Thomas - 3rd year
Zac Dysert - 2nd year

There does not seem to be much of a bubble around the quarterback position, unless Thomas or Dysert dominate in training camp and the Preseason. The previous coaching staff seemed to have hopes that Thomas would be the guy to eventually replace Moore, but there are no guarantees with the new staff in place. Drafting a quarterback, even in the seventh round, was not good news for either of these two, and they are likely playing to prove themselves worthy of a roster spot or practice squad position for another team.

53-man roster (2/53)

Quarterbacks (2)
Ryan Tannehill
Matt Moore

Practice squad (1/10)

Brandon Doughty - Quarterback