NFL Player News

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings he has three things he wants to see from quarterback Ryan Tannehill in his third season in 2014. 

Philbin wants Tannehill to play faster, be more accurate and limit turnovers.

"Just continued development," Philbin said. "We want to see the play speed continue to get better. We think we saw the development from Year 1 to Year 2. We want to see the accuracy continue to get better. There was some progress in his completion percentage. And we want to see the interceptions go down."

Philbin said the addition of offensive coordinator Bill Lazor should help Tannehill improve based on Lazor's background, which includes working with Nick Foles in Philadelphia in 2013.

"He told me he would be at least the third-highest quarterback rating in history like Nick Foles," Philbin said of Lazor working with Tannehill. "That’s a joke. Anyway, Bill has a lot of experience working with quarterbacks. ... He’s been around a lot of different ways to do it. He’s played quarterback himself. He’s worked with a lot of different guys. What I’m interested in with Bill is increased play speed, increased accuracy and cut down on the turnovers."

Jets coach Rex Ryan said the starting quarterback job will be an open competition between Michael Vick and Geno Smith. "We want that competition," he said. "We'll let it all play out."

Ryan stressed he's seeking competition at every position, not just quarterback. He said Smith will be hard to beat out, but raved about Vick's mobility.

"He's an unusual guy," Ryan said of Vick. "He was unusual when he came out of the league because of how athletic he was but I think he's definitely still … you see all that athleticism he has. He can still run, moves well in the pocket, he's more accurate when throwing from the pocket than he used to be when he came into the league.

"He's got a big arm and can still run so very dangerous. I like the fact that both those guys give us the ability to run zone reads and all those types of things that help your running game. Having a guy, that mobile quarterback, is harder to defend then maybe a guy who's a stationary pocket guy.

"That being said, I'd probably rather defend a mobile quarterback than a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady."

Browns general manager Ray Farmer admitted the team considered trading for quarterback Matt Schaub before the Raiders acquired him, reports the Akron Beacon Journal. However, Farmer insisted he's "comfortable" with Brian Hoyer entering the season.

Cleveland still is expected to draft a quarterback at Nos. 4 or 26 overall.

Bengals president Mike Brown said the team will try to negotiate a contract extension with quarterback Andy Dalton, who's entering the final year of his rookie deal. "We are going to try to get something done but I don’t know if we are going to be able to or not," Brown told the team's website.

Dalton has led Cincy to three straight playoff berths before flopping in the postseason each time.

Jets quarterback Geno Smith called the team's signing of Michael Vick "awesome," reports the Associated Press. "We needed to find a guy that was legitimately a guy that could come in and play. I think that's what we did," Smith said. "Mission accomplished."

Smith said the competition will benefit everyone.

"It's just good to have a guy to compete with like Mike," Smith said. "We're going to compete. We're not going to say, 'Hey, you're the starter.' And we'll leave it at that. We want to get better.

"I love it. It's really making everyone work harder and keep you right on your toes because you don't have a moment to be satisfied or just say, 'I've arrived.' You've got to continue to work at it."

Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson likes new backup quarterback Jason Campbell, but he said Campbell isn't a threat to starter Andy Dalton's job.

Campbell was a starter for the Raiders when Jackson coached there.

"In no way is he supplanting Andy Dalton. I like our quarterback," Jackson said. "But Jason is a veteran guy who has played in a lot of offenses and has won a lot of games. I think he can help Andy with some of the knowledge that he's picked up. He's that kind of guy. You've got a guy in Jason where things haven't gone all that well for him lately and you've got a guy in Andy that has done well but is still trying to find a way to win in the playoffs. Between the two of them there can be some things gained there."

The Ravens talked to Brandon Weeden before he signed with the Cowboys as Baltimore looks to improve at backup quarterback, reports ESPN.com. The website says the Ravens should look at Ryan Fitzpatrick, just released by the Titans.

Current No. 2 quarteback Tyrod Taylor "can get the team through a game if [Joe] Flacco got hurt," the report said. "But, if Flacco had to miss a significant amount of time, the Ravens' season would be over because Taylor isn't an accurate passer."

The Titans have agreed to a two-year deal with quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, reports the Tennessean. The deal is worth up to $8 million.

Whitehurst is expected to back up Jake Locker. He was the backup in San Diego in 2013, so he's familiar with new Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers last season.

Former Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is visiting with the Titans Thursday, according to the Tennessean.

Whitehurst's signing could mean trouble for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is currently listed as second on the team's depth chart. Earlier in the offseason, the team's coaching staff gave Fitzpatrick a vote of confidence, making it seem like they would retain the veteran. 

Whitehurst has played in 13 games, including four starts, over his career. He's thrown three touchdowns to four interceptions in those appearances.

The Lions signed receiver Golden Tate to a five-year, $31 million contract Wednesday with more than $13 million in guaranteed money. I like this move for all the respective Fantasy parties involved.

Start with Tate, who is coming off a career year in 2013 with 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns in Seattle. He has been stifled by the Seahawks run-heavy offense the past two years with Russell Wilson, but all that is about to change.

Matthew Stafford has attempted 630-plus passes the past three seasons, and even with new head coach Jim Caldwell expected to dial it down, he'll still be throwing a lot. And Tate, playing opposite Calvin Johnson, should see single coverage on almost every play.

This should be his first chance for a 1,000-yard season, and he should score at least six touchdowns. I like Tate as a No. 3 receiver in all leagues with a mid-round pick.

As for Stafford, this gives him another playmaker, which is key. Johnson is the best receiver in the NFL, and Reggie Bush and Joique Bell are solid out of the backfield. Joseph Fauria is a sleeper tight end, but Tate adds another dimension to this passing game. 

Put Stafford back on your list as a Top 5 quarterback, and I would draft him as early as Round 4 after the Top 3 come off the board in Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.