After reading Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald three main points came to mind regarding Ryan Tannehill and his chances of being the quarterback this season.
First, Jackson mentions that because Ryan Tannehill did not receive enough reps during mini camp and went to both Offensive coordinator Mike Sherman and Coach Joe Philbin for an explanation and more reps.
The fact that Tannehill, as the article suggests went to both coaches shows that something already is not right as far as his fit as the QB of this franchise. Going to the coaches implies immaturity and a me-first mentality.
Next, Jackson mentions that even though Garrard is the clear favorite to be the starter in Miami, Matt Moore has a leg up in his rapport with the players on the team from last year. Barry outlines some new information that most Dolfans might not know in that Moore is a horrible practice player and therefore has never looked good to the media. However in games, Matt Moore can show a lot of guts and can lead a team. On the other hand, Garrard can win this job, but yet has had an erratic career and demonstrated a laissez faire attitude when it came to his days in Jacksonville after a huge contract. He was “fat and happy” according to various team sources with the Jaguars. Not to mention a surgically repaired back has not been battle tested and Garrard has to prove he is healed after taking a hit.
However, Jackson does give the edge to Garrard with a better 4th quarter completion percentage and TD-INT ratio than Matt Moore.
Lastly, the main point that stuck with me is that Tannehill does not have much experience and will not get that experience because in training camp there is not enough reps for three quarterbacks. Even Jackson takes quotes by the Dolphins running back Reggie Bush in that Tannehill will essentially learn from the vets before he steps on the field. The vets being both Moore and Garrard, who have to make an impact in the preseason to show that this team and coaching staff have gotten better with OTAs and mini camp.
So, there you have it. Tannehill bottom line is very green and inexperienced. He has no pull just because he knows coach Sherman and the offense and he appears to be the last resort when it comes to being the starter.
As a rookie, he should accept the challenge and not speak to the media about it nor react in such a way that makes him look selfish.
If there is anything that one would want to see from Tannehill in the preseason, it would be to have a rapport with those third string guys, handle the blitz, and earn that playing time by being accurate and ready to take the job when the time comes.
One thing I wonder about is why didn’t Tannehill take the initiative by having his own workouts like Andrew Luck has and Matt Ryan did in his first season? The reason is because there are already two QBs fighting him for the same spot and it would have looked deathly unprofessional.
The most obvious reason why the Dolphins don’t want to put Tannehill in the spotlight is that they are not in rebuilding mode and they want to win now with an experienced QB.
However, the coaching staff might not have a choice if Steve Ross decides that Tannehill plays sooner rather than later.
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