Training Camp Battles: Tannehill vs Garrard vs Moore

     Our final installment for training camp battles is rewarded to the Miami Dolphins, and quite possibly the most competitive battle in training camps as of right now. NFL newcomer Ryan Tannehill appears to be in third place for this competition, but remains a viable candidate. As a senior at Texas A&M, Tannehill  put up decent numbers; 3,744 passing yards, 33 total TDs, and 15 INTs. His leadership came in to question though when guiding his team to a 7-6 record in 2011. Luckily, the rookie showed his skills during a training camp scrimmage, keeping him in the race. The second quarterback on this Miami roster is Matt Moore. Moore was the Dolphins starter for 12 games last season, and was just 3 yards away from 2,500 passing yards. After a slow start (0-4 in his first four games), Moore and the Miami Dolphins went on a hot streak, going 6-3 after his first few games. Obviosuly his role as starter was doubted by Miami personal, for they went out and signed two quarterbacks in the offseason. One of those quarterbacks was David Garrard, Jacksonville's starter in 2010. Garrard suffered a herniated disk, and decided to skip the 2011 season to prepare for 2012. Throughout Jacksonville's struggles, Garrard managed great staistics, where he even surpassed the 100 passer rating mark (102.2). In 2010, he posted a career best in passing touchdowns (23), rushing touchdowns (5), and total touchdowns (28). The fact that he missed last year hurts his stock, but his statistics might just put him in the lead.

Bottom Line: Mobility, accuracy, and leadership are all apparent attributes when Garrard is at his best, which is why he deserves top-dog over last year's starter, Matt Moore.

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Credit: Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel

Training Camp Battles: Hasselbeck vs Locker

     The Tennessee Titans are dealing with the classic quarterback battle, where they must choose between youth and experience. Matt Hasselbeck is on the wrong side of 30, only a few years out of retirement. What once was Seattle's biggest star is now fighting for the starting job in Tennessee. The future HOF had one of his best seasons last year, passing for 3,571 yards, 18 TDs, and a completion percentage of 61.6%. His performance in 2011 was by far his best since '07, and will make it extremely difficult for Locker to win over the starting job. On the other hand, we have 24 year old sophomore quarterback Jake Locker. As a junior in college, Locker threw for 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns, leaving many to speculate wether he is the favorite to win the Heisman as a senior. However, after a disappointing senior season, not only did he miss out on Heisman honers, but he fell to 8th overall in the 2011 Draft. Locker had an uneventful rookie season, playing in 5 games with 542 passing yards, 4 passing TDs and 1 rushing TD. The Washington-alum appears to be dead even with Hasselbeck in this year's quarterback competition, for they both seem to get an equal amount of snaps throughout the duration of training camp.

Bottom Line: Hasselbeck deserves the starting job, but if age were to catch up with this veteran, Locker should finish out the season.

Credit: Jae S. Lee, The Tennessean

Training Camp Battles: Flynn vs Jackson vs Wilson

     Seven months ago, Matt Flynn was a nothing; just a second-string quarterback with a successful college career and one pro start under his belt. However, by the time Week 17 rolled around on New Year's Day, the Packers were assured to have a first round bye, and therefore safe to bench their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Flynn ended up throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns, while breaking two separate records in the process. He may not have gotten any more playing time, but Flynn was on everyone's radar. One of those watching was Seahawks head coach Pete Caroll. Once the LSU-alum became a free agent, Carroll quickly scooped him up, signing him to a 3-year, $26 million contract. As for Tarvaris Jackson, this ex-Viking had by far his best season in 2011, throwing for 3,098 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs, and a passing percentage of 60.2. He may have disappointed many due to his poor play from 2006 to 2010, but in 2011, Jackson finally showed what he is capable of. Sadly, Jackson was unsuccessful in raising his team's record, which stayed at a mere 7-9. The final nomination goes to the rookie out of Wisconsin, quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson led the Badgers to an 11-2 record, a Big Ten Title, and a spot in the Rose Bowl. By the end of the regular season, his 3,175 passing yards and 40 total touchdowns ranked him ninth in the Heisman voting. The third round pick might not be the favorite in this competition, but he is not a bad number three option.

Bottom Line: Flynn appears to be the leader and rightfully so. If the newly acquired free agent were to cool off, and Seattle begins to struggle, Pete Carroll will return to Jackson as head-honcho,

Training Camp Battles: Kolb vs Skelton

     Once again, the Arizona Cardinals face a tough decision on what quarterback they want to start; John Skelton or Kevin Kolb. Kolb played in 11 games last season before suffering a season ending concussion. In that span, the 27 year old threw for 1,955 yards with 9 TDs and 8 INTs, as well as leading Arizona to a 2-6 record. Sadly, Kolb is prone to serious injuries, having suffered two concussions and a toe injury within the past two years. When Kolb was sidelined in Week 7 due to turf toe, Skelton stepped up in the next game against St. Louis, leading them to an overtime victory. From there, Skelton went 2-1, defeating the highly talented Eagles, and the St. Louis Rams, both games on the road. The next time Skelton got the start was when Kolb suffered yet another concussion against San Francisco. The back-up ended up defeating the highly favored 49ers, 21-19. By the end of 2011, Arizona was 6-2 when Skelton was at the helm, and gave the Cardinals a shot at contention. Kolb may have better statistics, but Skelton had a much better record when starting. Interestingly enough, though, the offense when under Kolb scored more points than when under Skelton. Kolb has the nod to start in the Arizona's first pre-season game, but many Arizona players have supposedly said they prefer Skelton as the starter.

Bottom Line: Kolb should start the first few games, and the Cardinals can make a decision based on his style of play. If things do not go well, they should waste no time in starting Skelton.

Training Camp Battles

     Now that training camp is upon is, we will here many reports talking about the ongoing position battles. Though this blog post will only be talking about quarterback battles, that does not mean other players are not fighting for a starting job on the team. There will be four battles in particular that shall be highlighted within the next four posts; Miami, Arizona, Seattle, and Tennessee. In most cases, organizations will have to choose between experience and youth, where one is on the rise, the other's career spiraling downwards. Choosing the right quarterback can be the difference between a shot at contention, or yet another season under .500. Please be sure to comment, subscribe, or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thenflreport! Also, if you wish to set up a link exchange with The NFL Report, email me at ledzepfan09@gmail.com!