The much hyped 2012 NFL draft has come and gone and it’s time for the newest professional football players to prove they were worth the pick. As expected, quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were taken No. 1 and 2, but another QB has captured the nation’s intrigue — Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill was drafted No. 17 overall by the Miami Dolphins. The former wide receiver only started in 19 college games at quarterback and is a risky move for the Dolphins, who desperately need someone to get the team going after years of disappointing performances.
While this is a risky move for Miami, it’s one it had to make. Since the departure of the great Dan Marino, the Dolphins have started 16 different quarterbacks with very little to show for it. They most recently placed their trust in Chad Henne and that didn’t turn out well either.
Fans in Miami are tired of losing and rightly so. They’re tired of mediocre quarterback play and they’re betting Tannehill is the guy to lead them to the future. As Fox Sports Alex Marvez said, Tannehill will at least give the fans hope.
“… the Dolphins finally have reason to feel good about the future at a position long their biggest weakness,” Marvez said. “That sure beats the despair that Miami fans would have felt had another top quarterback prospect slipped away in this draft.”
The fans finally have their quarterback, but will he deliver? There’s no doubt Tannehill has some exceptional qualities, but he definitely has some faults. His decision-making is questionable at best and his throwing release needs work. Some of that is due to the fact he’s only started 19 games at quarterback, which is why Miami needs to take the time to develop him before putting him on the field.
The Dolphins shouldn’t start Tannehill right away, but should put him behind Matt Moore or David Garrard for a year or two and let him get comfortable.
Bleacher Report’s Richard Langford agrees that starting Tannehill right away would be counterproductive to his future.
“If they throw Tannehill into the fire, he is going to struggle,” Langford said. “This will lead to him forgetting any new mechanics and further cementing the faulty ones. Essentially, it would only reinforce the bad habits that Miami is hoping he can evolve beyond.”
Miami fans may not like it, but Tannehill needs time. He has the advantage of being able to work under his former head coach at Texas A&M Mike Sherman, Miami’s offensive coordinator. Sherman knows Tannehill and he knows what a player needs to make it in the NFL. It’s an ideal situation for Tannehill, as long as doesn’t see the field before he’s ready.
Whether Tannehill is the long awaited heir to Marino is still up in the air, but there’s hope. Tannehill has shown flashes of brilliance in his short college career and has the features of a successful NFL quarterback, but he needs work. Miami fans just need to be patient. They may have to sit through another season or two of mediocre quarterback play, but if Tannehill lives up to his potential, it’ll be worth the wait.
Kevin Bingaman can be reached at [email protected]