Report: QB Moore to sign with 'Fins following Panthers stint

Quarterback Matt Moore was headed to Miami on Friday to sign a two-year, $5 million contract with the Dolphins, according to The Oregonian.

La Canfora: Dolphins still want Orton Don’t read too much into the Dolphins signing Matt Moore as it relates to Kyle Orton, says Jason La Canfora. Miami still wants Orton, and know he could beat out both Chad Henne and Moore to become the starter. More ...

The newspaper reports that incentives could push to deal to $7.5 million for Moore, who leaves a crowded quarterback situation with the Panthers for a Dolphins team that was said to be in pursuit of Denver Broncos passer Kyle Orton.

Dophins owner Stephen Ross told the Sun-Sentinel Friday that the Orton deal "is dead."

If Orton is indeed out of the picture, Moore will compete with Chad Henne for a starting role with the Dolphins just one season after being named starter for the Panthers. Moore was unseated by rookie Jimmy Clausen as the season progressed after Moore completed just 55.2 percent of his passes, tossing five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Moore started 13 games in three seasons in Carolina, going 7-6. In 2009, Moore led the Panthers to four wins in its final five games, setting the table for his starting opportunity in 2010.

His future in Carolina grew cloudy after the team finished 2-14 and drafted Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick in April.

Moore was signed by the Panthers in 2007 as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State.

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Moore ready to move on, says Panthers won't re-sign him

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A year ago, Matt Moore was preparing to enter training camp as the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback.

Now he's looking for a job.

Moore arrived at Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday morning, but he exited less than 30 minutes later while fellow quarterbacks Cam Newton and Jimmy Clausen remained inside to go over the playbook with new quarterbacks coach Mike Shula. Even more telling for Moore's future: He left the stadium without a playbook in hand, while other players departed periodically carrying a three-inch binder.

Moore, an unrestricted free agent, seemed resigned that the Panthers have no intention of re-signing him come Friday. The Panthers previously said they're considering bringing in a more experienced quarterback to mentor Newton and Clausen.

"The main goal right now is to have a job and get in there and get your hands dirty and get to work," Moore said of his future.

When asked what jersey number rookie Cam Newton will wear because Clausen is already No. 2, Moore laughed and said, "He's probably going to wear No. 3."

That's the number Moore wore for the past four seasons with the Panthers, including last year when he entered training camp as the starter, only to be benched after two games. Moore later returned to a starting role, but he tore the labrum in his right shoulder against the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 and went on injured reserve.

Moore said he left the stadium Tuesday without talking to general manager Marty Hurney or any members of the coaching staff.

Moore said the purpose of his visit to the stadium was to get his shoulder checked out by the training staff. Moore added it's fully healed.

"Said hello and goodbye," Moore said.

Moore said he is a starting-caliber quarterback in the league.

"I think so given the right situation and the timing," Moore said. "A lot of things have to fall into place for that to happen, but yeah, I feel good. I feel like I can come in and compete."

Moore said he spent time this offseason working out with Newton, the team's No. 1 draft pick. Newton declined comment when he arrived at the stadium and as he left for a lunch break with running back Jonathan Stewart.

Clausen said he's eager to get going with the lockout over.

"We're grinding right now," Clausen said. "We have to get ready to go. Obviously we're a little behind because there is a new coaching staff and a new playbook. We just have to keep grinding each and every day."

Notes: Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson, considered the team's top free agent, said on Twitter he had a conversation with the team Tuesday and it "went great. Not good, but great!!" The team can't sign free agents until 6 p.m. ET Friday. ... The Panthers agreed to terms on a one-year contract with safety Kevin Payne, who previously was with St. Louis and Chicago.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Report: Panthers' Moore might fit into Dolphins' QB picture

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne acknowledged last week he will "still have to compete" for the starting job with an established veteran after the club declined to draft a quarterback in April's draft.

The Palm Beach Post speculated Tuesday that competitor could be the Carolina Panthers' Matt Moore.

The assertion is based on three factors:

First, Moore has ties to Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and general manager Jeff Ireland as both were on staff with the Cowboys when Dallas signed Moore as an undrafted free agent in 2007.

Second, Moore could come cheap because the Panthers also have quarterbacks Cam Newton -- the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike, both 2010 draft picks, and veteran Brian St. Pierre on their depth chart. Heading into his fifth season, Moore is an unrestricted free agent whom the Panthers could choose not to re-sign. Depending upon the free-agency rules in any collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players, Moore could become an unrestricted free agent.

Third, Moore has plenty of game experience -- a prerequisite for the Dolphins -- with 11 starts and 20 appearances during the three seasons he's been on the Panthers' active roster. He missed all of 2008 because of a broken leg. Plus, at 26, Moore is young enough to have some upside to develop further.

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Injuries claim Panthers QB Moore, LB Connor for season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers' miserable year took an even darker twist Monday when tests revealed starting quarterback Matt Moore has a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder and will require season-ending surgery.

Moore was injured when Sedrick Ellis drove his right shoulder into the turf on a sack in the second quarter of New Orleans' 34-3 rout on Sunday. In the last year of his contract and after failing to move the Panthers except in their lone victory this season, Moore may have played his last game in Carolina.

But coach John Fox's reluctance to commit to struggling Jimmy Clausen over fellow rookie Tony Pike as Moore's replacement further illustrated his predicament as the Panthers (1-7) flirt with being one of the lowest-scoring teams in NFL history.

"The two quarterbacks on the roster, we'll take a look at them this week and decide who gives us the best chance to win," Fox said.

To make matters worse, the only bright spot for the Panthers this season -- the defense -- took its own hits. Starting middle linebacker Dan Connor is lost for the season after breaking his hip Sunday, and the team has decided not to bring back weakside linebacker Thomas Davis this season from his second major knee surgery in a year.

Fox also confirmed Jonathan Stewart sustained a concussion Sunday and gave no timetable for fellow running back DeAngelo Williams' return from a foot injury.

The Panthers can't seem to hit bottom.

Moore's injury may end a stunning fall after he finished 4-1 as a replacement last season, leading to Carolina's decision to release seven-year starter Jake Delhomme. Moore threw five touchdowns, 10 interceptions, lost two fumbles and had a passer rating of 55.6 this season.

And he's been Carolina's best QB.

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Fox yanked Clausen, the second-round pick from Notre Dame, shortly after he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Jabari Greer Sunday. Clausen has one touchdown pass, four interceptions, two lost fumbles and a 48.0 passer rating.

Pike, a sixth-round pick from Cincinnati, took over and was 6-for-12 for 47 yards against the Saints.

None of the three QBs led the Panthers into the end zone Sunday, leaving them with 88 points at the halfway point of the season. Failing to reach double digits in points in half their games, they're on pace to score 176 points. That's not far off from the pace that would leave them in the top five for fewest points in a season since the 16-game schedule was adopted in 1978.

"We're just out of sorts a little bit," Fox said. "Whether it be somebody seeing the right read, turning the protection the right way, throwing the ball accurately. A variety of things that have occurred to us offensively, not just at the quarterback position."

While Fox said signing another quarterback is unlikely because "I'm not sure there's a huge list available right now," he's ready to experiment.

Fox said third-round pick Armanti Edwards, a college quarterback at Appalachian State who had been converted to receiver, would get some snaps at QB in practice this week.

"If we did not bring in another quarterback, he would be the next best emergency quarterback that we have," he said.

The embattled Fox also has problems at linebacker. Connor was playing well in his first full season as a starter. Davis, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in June, was hoping to come off the physically unable to perform list by Wednesday's deadline.

"It's been 5 ½ months and I think in his best interest I wouldn't want to rush that and risk another injury," Fox said on the decision to place Davis on IR.

Davis agreed with the assessment, and is confident Carolina will re-sign him.

"It was a joint decision and ultimately, and I appreciate them for this, they left it up to me," Davis said at halftime of Monday's San Antonio-Charlotte NBA game. "They left me the option of whether I wanted to do it and I made the decision to go ahead and shut it down."

The speedy weakside linebacker was having a breakout season in 2009 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in a November game against New Orleans. He was making a rapid recovery seven months later -- clocked at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash -- when he suffered the same injury in a June workout.

The Panthers didn't put him on IR and Davis had said he was determined to play this season despite Carolina (1-7) being in the midst of a terrible season. But Davis acknowledged his knee still isn't 100 percent.

"It's very tough. I know how much hard work I've put in," Davis said. "But even bigger than that, I know how much I want to be out there with my teammates week in and week out. I think of how much work we've put in to get this thing going and it's just not happening right now."

The move means Davis will enter free agency not only with the uncertainty surrounding the expiring collective bargaining agreement, but not having played in more than a year.

Davis believes he'll be in Carolina next season.

"That was a concern going in, but I know what I'm capable of," Davis said. "I have the utmost respect for the organization, and I feel like they're going to do a great job of handling the free agency situation. I've pretty much been assured by them that I'm going to be a Panther, so I hope that it all works out."

Asked if staying in Carolina was what he wanted, Davis didn't hesitate.

"Definitely," he said.

Fox indicated Jon Beason would likely move back to middle linebacker with Jordan Senn a candidate to start at weakside.

The roster shifting means more headaches for Fox, who tried to backtrack from a day earlier when he seemed to blame the front office for offseason moves that slashed payroll and left Carolina as the NFL's youngest team.

"That by no means is an indictment of our personnel by any stretch," Fox said. "I like our football team. I wish we were playing better."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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