Miami Dolphins: Full Position Breakdown and Depth Chart Analysis at Quarterback

With any luck, the Miami Dolphins' $77 million investment will play every snap of every game this year. The Dolphins inked quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a four-year extension that makes him the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

But like Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect." The difference is that luck and circumstance can't be controlled as much as cause and effect. 

The Dolphins have covered their bases with not one, but two experienced backup quarterbacks who can help keep the team afloat for a short period of time if Tannehill is unable to play for one reason or another. But which of the two will be coming into the game in those moments when Tannehill is unable? 

Let's look at the full breadth of the depth chart to see if the Dolphins have covered their bases.

Ryan Tannehill

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Tannehill will be the Dolphins' starter for Week 1 and every week that he is healthy enough to be. If you believe otherwise, you probably also believe that bacon is not the most delicious food on the face of the planet. And if you believe that, we probably can't be friends.

The former first-round pick signed a contract extension that makes him the second-highest paid player on the roster behind only defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Whether you feel the deal was premature or not is irrelevant at this point, because until further notice, he's carrying the torch for the offense.

And it's not exactly without justification.

Season	Comp	Att	Comp %	Yds	YPA	TD	INT	Rate
2012	282	484	58.3	3294	6.8	12	13	76.1
2013	355	588	60.4	3913	6.7	24	17	81.7
2014	392	590	66.4	4045	6.9	27	12	92.8
Total	1029	1662	61.9	11252	6.8	63	42	84

On paper, Tannehill has improved each year he's been in the NFL. His completion percentage climbed 8.1 percentage points from his rookie year (2012) to 2014, and his passer rating climbed 16.7 points. He also threw more than twice as many touchdowns and accumulated 751 more passing yards on 106 more attempts. 

Basically, he has been given the reins more and more each year and has handled his responsibilities well. And now, surrounded by arguably the most talented group of skill position players he's ever had at his disposal, Tannehill could be poised for the best year of his career. 

Matt Moore

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Matt Moore may have one of the best jobs in America. He gets to live in Florida, where his salary is tax-free; he has a six-figure contract to sit on the bench and watch football; and he gets to stay healthy in a sport that is known for its violence and gruesome injuries.

Moore would probably rather be out there playing, and he's still working hard to keep himself in game shape and still studying hard to be ready to play at the drop of a hat, but he has a pretty sweet gig that pretty much defines the American dream.

Even with Tannehill earning a massive contract extension, there are probably still folks in Miami who believe Moore should be the starter, or at least be given a chance to start, but that's simply not going to happen anytime soon.

That being said, there's always the chance that Moore's services could be called upon if Tannehill is unable to play. With four years of experience in Miami and three years of experience in Joe Philbin's offensive system, it's safe to say Moore will be ready if and when his time comes. 

Josh Freeman

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As a former first-round pick, Josh Freeman's talent should go without saying. The real question marks lie with his ability and desire to improve.

Those were the concerns raised by NFL.com's Gil Brandt (via Peter King of TheMMQB.com) on the tail end of four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings, during which time Freeman never showed the clear positive trajectory you would expect from a franchise quarterback.

Freeman took a year off (not by choice) and has been signed by the Dolphins to be a backup to Tannehill. These days, he's taking a more aggressive approach to his improvement, working hard nearly everywhere he goes. 

Whatever he was able to show the Dolphins in his visit with the team, it was enough to convince them that he's the better backup option than Matt Barkley—though who knows if that's saying more about Freeman or Barkley. 

The most likely scenario involves Freeman and Moore battling for the No. 2 spot, a battle in which Moore has the upper hand thanks to his experience in Miami. This could be Freeman's last chance to prove himself in the NFL, and that's if he even gets a chance outside of practice reps and the second half of preseason games. 

McLeod Bethel-Thompson

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There's a lot to McLeod Bethel-Thompson's name, but not a lot to know about his game. He spent a good part of the 2014 season with the Dolphins on the practice squad, and has bounced around NFL practice squads for the better part of the past two seasons. 

He still has yet to make his first NFL start, though, and the Sacramento State product is looking like a prime candidate to join the practice squad once again. There are only 53 roster spots to go around, which makes it difficult to carry even three quarterbacks, much less four. 

Unless Bethel-Thompson finds a way to outperform Freeman or Moore in training camp, it looks like he's headed right back where he spent most of the 2014 season.