Rookie Ryan Tannehill is competing with Matt Moore and David Garrard for the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback job. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

The Miami Dolphins quarterback competition between reigning team MVP Matt Moore, veteran David Garrard and first-round pick Ryan Tannehill is still unresolved, coach Joe Philbin said in an interview with Joe Rose of WQAM, according to a report by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

“I think it’s very close,” Philbin told Rose. “I think it’s very close. I think they all bring different attributes to the table. I will say that the room itself, the quality of the individuals in the room, I think is excellent.

“I mean, as you know Matt came in here [and] was voted as the [team's] Most Valuable Player, really played well down the stretch, and he’s picked up the [new] offense very well.

“David Garrard, when you look at his last season that he was active, obviously he didn’t play last year, he played very well in 2010. And he’s been working his tail off.

“And then we’ve got a young guy (Tannehill) that has some familiarity with the offense but not a lot of familiarity with the NFL game. But he’s holding his own, very much so. So it’s been a good competition so far.”

Moore started 12 games for the Dolphins last season, going 6-6. He completed 60.5 percent of his passes and threw 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

In nine seasons, Garrard has thrown 89 touchdowns and 75 interceptions. In 2010, his last season as a starter, he led the Jaguars to an 8-6 record in his 14 starts.

Tannehill, the strong-armed rookie, knows the offense because Mike Sherman, his coach at Texas A&M, is now Miami’s offensive coordinator.

Philbin had previously said the team would pick a starter by the third week of the preseason.

Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore went 6-3 in his starts last season. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

The Miami Dolphins are far from settled in their quarterback battle, but new head coach Joe Philbin hopes someone will take control by the third preseason game, according to the Palm Beach Post.

“You’d love to have it done by after the second preseason game,” Philbin told ESPN’s NFL32. “Your third preseason game is when your first unit is going to get the vast majority of the snaps in terms of their preseason allocation.”

The Dolphins’ third preseason is against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 24.

Matt Moore starting nine games last season, going 6-3, and the Dolphins drafted Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the eighth-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Veteran David Garrard, who did not play last season, was also brought in to compete for the job.

“Hopefully, as we move through the OTAs and a portion of training camp and the preseason we can get a good feel as to who has the best leadership quality and who’s the best fit for the team moving forward,” Philbin told the paper.

Matt Moore burst onto the scene for the Tampa Bay Rays last September and had a dazzling month, helping them overtake the Boston Red Sox and win the American League wild card in 2011 — but in 2012, he’s still not guaranteed a spot in the Rays’ big-league rotation, according to MLB.com.

“I’d rather be in this position than not be in this position,” Moore said of competing for a job. “Everybody here can be, has been, and will be a major league starter. The fact of the matter is it’s between a couple of us for those other spots. And that’s all going to play itself out. There are 10 different things that could happen between here and the end of spring training. And either way, the squad’s going to be solid. And that’s what we all want.”

Moore made his debut on Sept. 14 of last year; he finished the season 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 9.1 innings of work. He was also impressive in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers. In December, he signed a five-year, $14 million contract to remain with the Rays long-term.

Whether he’s ready for a full major league season as a starter right away, though, remains a big question.

“There are always concerns when a guy is [as young as Moore] and getting into the grind of a major league season for the first time,” Rays GM Andrew Friedman said. “It’s definitely going to be something we’re very aware of. Whether he starts the season in the big leagues or Triple-A has yet to be determined.”

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed rookie starting pitcher Matt More to a five-year, $14 million deal, sources have told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

The deal includes several club options that could keep the hurler under club control for over eight years, according to Crasnick, with a value that could reach as high as $40 million. The team is expected to announce the contract this afternoon.

Moore, 22, has played in just three regular season Major League games for the Rays, however he is considered by many to be one of the top pitching prospects in the game. Moore pitched two games in the 2011 playoffs for the Rays, including a notable start in which he posted seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits en route to striking out six Rangers batters. In 10 postseason innings he posted a 0.70 ERA, eight strikeouts, and three hits.

In 27 starts between Double and Triple-A this season, Moore posted a 12-3 record with a 1.92 ERA. In 155 innings pitched, the lefthander struck out 210 batters while walking just 46. In 2011, Baseball America rated Moore the 15^th best prospect in baseball.