How Ryan Tannehill is quietly putting together an “Elite” career
It’s that time of the year when we have run out of Dolphins stuff to talk about. Training camp is about two weeks away and any news we hear at this time of year about our players would probably be bad news. (Injuries, arrests, scandals, etc) No news is good news during this period but that doesn’t create interest on this board so I decided to try my hand at stirring the pot a little.
No subject seems to generate as many posts and responses on here and other Dolphins sites as the performance of Ryan Tannehill. Fans seem to either like him or hate him with very few in between.
The “Haters” and “Tanne-shills” have been at it going on 6 years now with little or no movement towards the middle ground. Because I am a shameless homer and Kool-aid junky I am going to attempt to show how Tannehill is currently on par with some of the “greats” up to this point in their careers. A few years from now when the Dolphins have seen more TEAM success and have a couple of Rings this will all be generally accepted.
As we all know Ryan Tannehill came into the league as a fist round draft pick but had very little starting experience as a QB in college, having elected to play wide receiver rather than sit behind the QB’s already on the roster so he could, you know, play football. He started off his career playing average to below average football as might be expected from a QB with so little experience in college. His detractors pointing out his flaws relentlessly. He couldn’t throw a deep pass, he couldn’t read defenses, he had no pocket presence, he was a terrible red-zone passer, etc. etc.
Then something happened. He started getting better, every year, at things that were is weaknesses in previous seasons. Go figure! A young player actually developing? His deep ball improved greatly,
his red-zone play improved, his ability to read defenses and beat the blitz increased, to the point where he is among the top 5-10 QB’s in the league at these things.
He keeps getting better. This brings me to the comparison to “elite” Quarterbacks in the league. The Tom Brady’s, Peyton Manning’s, Ben Roethlisburger’s (and argued by many) Matt Ryan’s & Andrew Luck’s of the NFL did not start out as “elite” players. They started out as “average to below average” players. They just continued to get better at their trade as time went along until one day they were considered “elite”. If you look at the chart below you will see that Tannehill’s stats are on par or better in some cases than those of these players at this point in their careers (5 seasons)
Player Att Comp Pct Yds Avg TD TD% Int Rating
Ryan Tannehill 527.40 330.60 62.82 3,691.00 7.06 21.20 4.04 13.20 86.56
Big Rape 381.00 237.80 62.80 2,994.80 8.02 20.20 5.48 13.80 91.26
Matt Ryan 527.40 330.80 62.36 3,791.40 7.20 25.40 4.76 12.00 90.18
Peyton Manning 563.40 349.80 62.06 4,123.60 7.34 27.60 4.92 20.00 85.90
Tom Brady 509.00 315.20 62.00 3,605.80 7.14 24.60 4.86 13.20 88.60
Drew Brees 361.80 225.00 60.82 2,469.60 7.08 16.00 4.32 10.60 86.64
Andrew Luck 530.20 314.00 58.96 3,815.60 7.12 26.40 5.00 13.60 86.26
** Note: Average stats have not been adjusted for missed games due to sitting or Injury
The chart above shows the AVERAGES of the first five years in the league for Ryan Tannehill and 6 other quarterbacks who many argue are the “Elite” of the NFL; Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisburger, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan. Here is what I see when I look at these stats;
- Ryan Tannehill is the MOST accurate passer of the bunch through the first five years.
- He has the third least Interceptions per year and 3rd lowest Interception percentage
- He has thrown for the 4th most yards per year of the bunch. (Average)
- He has thrown the 3rd most completions per year (Average)
These numbers are not compared to rank and file of the NFL. These are comparisons with the so-called “Elite” of the league and in this company he stacks up pretty well.
The most encouraging part of this comparison is this: Ryan Tannehill keeps getting better and better. Just like these other “Elite” QB’s have.
Ryan Tannehill has accomplished this with a lesser supporting cast than many of these other quarterbacks while being one of the most sacked QB’s in his first 5 years. Imagine if he wasn’t throwing all those passes from his back!
Now that he is working with a Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator who understand his strengths and weaknesses and know how to maximize the first and correct the second, the SKY IS THE LIMIT! GO DOLPHINS! GO TANNEHILL!
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I know this article will not sway anyone one way or the other, but it will generate discussion, which is what most of us come here for. We will have to wait until all is said and done before we can say for certain that Ryan Tannehill is an Elite QB, but based upon the evidence he is on the right track.
Let the discussion (arguments & ridicule) begin!
Get your ice cold Homeraide heeeeyaaaarrreee!!!
Rockphin
Thank you, Rockphin we appreciate your submission. Camp starts soon!
Finsmob Unleashed 
I’m sad for Misi. He will likely retire for long term health in life. Best wishes Koa, thanks for your service as a Dolphin. I was always a fan.
You’re too kind. lol
I feel for him, but man, I think it’s way past overdue that we stop counting on him though.
You’re a meany! LOL
I’m with ya, Tim. There aren’t too many blue-collar, lunch-pail players like Koa anymore. I don’t care that he never made a Pro-Bowl… that dude has the heart of a champ and I wish him the very best in the future.
^
Never had a problem with Misi the person….and seems the coaches never did as well.
I think we’ll see a lot of Alonso and Timmons obviously and Hewitt and McMillan will rotate as well. People seem to want to somehow downplay Hewitt when he is a young ascending player in his 3rd year at just 24 years old.
I see Verner was brought in to compete with Bobby McCain. The article i read said he was released, because he didnt live up to his contract, but hes a pretty good get.
So you didn’t believe me when I said it? lol
Why would I believe anything you say 😛 I was actually looking to see if he was anything more than camp fodder, and it seems he should beat out Bobby.
Beat Bobby Flay?
mf13ss says:
July 25, 2017 at 4:44 pm (Edit)
I’m with ya, Tim. There aren’t too many blue-collar, lunch-pail players like Koa anymore.
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Problem is, he was almost always at lunch.
Not by his choice, of course. IF Jordan Phillips has even HALF the work ethic of Koa, he’s going to BEAST this year.
I get that, but he’s like Chris Chandler. Teams kept buying into the talent, but they couldn’t stay on the field, and therefore, the team got burned year after year. Honestly, I was never impressed with his game, he was always just an average player. Not even sure I get the “heart” angle. When I think of heart and desire, I think of Zach Thomas, not Koa Misi, but that’s just me.
per Rock’s question above.
The Cowboys lose millions by practicing in Oxnard, but it makes them think they are reinforcing the “America’s Team” brand.
Tim – LOL, I’m seriously tired of counting on guys who can’t come through. It’s not just Misi, you should hear me rant about David Wright. I think finally that ship has sailed too, but if Wright wants to give it a go next season, I’m sure the Mets will allow him to try again.
The Verner signing is just the latest move this offseason,that shows Gase wasn’t kidding when he said “you can have too many CBs.” And he seems to think that about dbs in general as well.
When you’re trying to beat the cheats its a must.
Mike, Misi played so physical and reckless that his body couldn’t hold up so we never saw his upside. He could collapse the pocket off the edge as a rusher even though he wasn’t always a “finisher” for sacks but he did apply pressure. He would stop the guy with the ball in his tracks once he hit them, and he was okay in coverage, not great but not bad either. There’s a reason he survived Sparano, Philbin and Gase since 2010. That should tell you something about his game. They know what it looks like on the field. It just didn’t work out for him long term.
Mike E. says:
July 25, 2017 at 5:11 pm
I get that, but he’s like Chris Chandler. Teams kept buying into the talent, but they couldn’t stay on the field, and therefore, the team got burned year after year. Honestly, I was never impressed with his game, he was always just an average player. Not even sure I get the “heart” angle. When I think of heart and desire, I think of Zach Thomas, not Koa Misi, but that’s just me.
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I think you miss my (and Tim’s) point regarding Koa’s “heart”… he’s a RARE player in his dedication to a ‘team-first’ approach. There’s a VERY good reason why he’s been LOVED through three HCing changes. Dude is ALL about the game, and it’s deeply saddening that the game messed up his neck.
Can we do better than Koa as a player? YES. Can we do better than Koa’s work ethic? Probably not. RESPECT the man, even if he was only a ‘good player’ and not GREAT.
Wait until you see McMillan, it will be like Jack Del Rio all over again.
Tim,
Damn, we’re on the same stuff here, this evening, Brother! 😀
Ya think? LOL
When the team and Misi restructured his contract, he obliged and I think the team gave him $1M guaranteed knowing this might happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up working for the org in some capacity. There seems to be a mutual respect here and it’s a wonderful thing.
Gase really likes Koa the man in the locker room and on the sideline. He might be kept around just for his inspiring presence. Maybe even coach a little.
You need 6 CBs these days. We now have 5 who’ve started games in the NFL and Tankersley.
Since there are 3 CB spots, having 6 is just one back-up at each spot.
M
I respect him, but I was never in love with him as a player. I felt he was relied upon one too many times, when I felt he wouldn’t be able to last. This year was different, they obviously knew there was a good chance he might not be able to come through, so they restructured. I’m just being honest man, that’s how I felt, and how I feel today. Now the fact he was relied upon wasn’t his fault, nor were the injuries, but bottom line was it hurt us a bunch of times.
All-Terrain Verner, good all-weather player
Sucks for Misi.
Let the McMillan era begin
Misi was an assignment sound, hard hitting, tough football player. Unfortunate his body couldn’t hold up….I wish him nothing, but the best in his future. He might be a coaching intern at some point.
Misi was average at best. I don’t like to see players get injured, but I’m happy because this virtually guarantees Raekwon the starting spot. He was a playmaker at OSU, let’s hope that translates to the NFL as well.
Man speak truth
With Misi out it reduces LB depth and doesn’t afford McMillan the luxury of a slow start. Ideally i’d start Misi, but play McMillan alot.
There’s some speculation Drake may get some PT in the slot.
That is both interesting and would make sense. Even if they never put in him there he’d be a better going into pass routes out of the backfield because of it….or could even let them switch to a spread without the chance for D substitution.
Now here is one from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert that I agree with about the third of his best ten remaining FAs and the possible best fit.
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3. Nick Mangold, center
Both Mangold and potential suitors have taken a patient approach as his rehabilitation from a foot injury has extended into the summer. There is rarely a rush to sign a 33-year-old center, and his market is likely to form after the first wave of training camp injuries. Most league observers believe he has at least another year left in the tank.
Best fit: The Miami Dolphins’ interest is understandable given the uncertain status of starter Mike Pouncey. Veterans such as Mangold, especially those who played in the AFC East, also have a funny way of ending up with the New England Patriots.
I agree that’s his best fit, but from our perspective it’s a little different. Why would we want to sign an injured player in case our injured player isnt ready? Probably why he hasn’t signed yet.
He’s coming off an ankle injury. Those are normally much easier to project medically than say a hip. And not like the Phins docs can’t check for themselves before signing and the coaches see what shape he is in. And even if both him and Pouncey were ready to rumble — whether opening game or later on — one could play G….biggest upgrade need for the team.
Ian Rapoport@RapSheet
#Dolphins C Mike Pouncey (hip) was cleared by a specialist Tues, source said. Team physical today & MIA will be cautious. But very good news
6:41 AM – 26 Jul 2017
Or you can just go by Poncey’s reaction…..he seemed real thrilled.
If our defense is bad, it won’t be because Raekwon McMillan is starting instead of Koa Misi. Let’s get that straight . . .
PREACH my brother!
Too bad you missed the Misi LOVEFEST yesterday. Love was in the air for the defensive version of Jordan Cameron. lol
I don’t remember anyone saying that it would.
steveccnv says:
July 26, 2017 at 9:59 am
With Misi out it reduces LB depth and doesn’t afford McMillan the luxury of a slow start. Ideally i’d start Misi, but play McMillan a lot.
*
See my “average at best” comment. he can be replaced by another average LB, and it’s a wash.
Yeah, but not one we currently have on the roster. How’d that work out last year?
I think the reason Misi stuck around so long was his flexibility. He could play multiple positions and even though he didn’t play any of them really well, he didn’t screw up a lot either. So, if they wanted to coaches could move him around like a utility LB, and they could trust him. Aside from that, he was a pretty average LB.
That pretty much sums it up. On a team with better talent at LB, he would either never see the field, or be cut.
Or used as depth. After the crap we’ve fielded recently…
Reshad Jones tweaked something running and will start camp on NFI.
He better not tweak our season!
Any clue on what he tweaked? Who on D is more important than him…..answer is no one except Suh.
Well the team went 8-2 without him last year. That said he did have 51 tackles in 6 games. No doubt he makes us better but there are a lot of important players on defense.
Before he went down, I was thinking “breakout” and “for sure Pro Bowl.” But maybe I was giving him too much credit based on those few games.
Armando SalgueroVerified account @ArmandoSalguero 1h1 hour ago
Safety Reshad Jones will start camp on active NFI. He tweaked something running on his own. He’ll be fine but team guarded.
football is coming back soon. U guys know cbs4 has a daily evening segment of training camp updates for 10-15 minutes every night and I think you out of towner’s may be able to get this on the internet( world wideweb). CBS is the official dolphin station and it has Kim Bokamper and jim berry which are very knowledgeable about the Fins since they have been the official station for years. You might want to search the world wide web to see if you get this. CBS4 South florida
I bet ROKU probably has a specialized channel since they have over 5500 channels so far I looked up around 1000. I have sling blue 28 bucks a month step above basic because it carries all the local sport teams, air antenna that broadcasts to 5 tv’s and all receive 70 or more channels. I used Directv wiring so no wiring. 2 of my TV’s have 100’s of channels built into the OS3 thing whatever this is. It’s amazing and fun cutting the cord. Friday is last day and 2 year contract is up.
Damn guys. This piece of shit article is still up here ? Training camp started today. You guys home now trying to make me write another one didn’t I make you suffer enough? Although it looks really good. Good job again Son. LOL 😂
I thought it started Friday with vets reporting and first practice on Saturday?
Too bad about Misi.
It is well documented on here that I hated the fat tuna but he had a saying ( he had many sayings) that went something like this ” The most important ability in football is availability”.
I thought he was a very good player he did things the right way. He was more physically gifted and less injury prone he may have been great.
My brother has a saying as well “IF” our aunt had a dick she would be our uncle.
Good luck in the future: Missy
Missy because he missed so many games.
Tim I just checked and you are right camp starts tomorrow. I think they may have reported today and that’s where I got confused
Or it could be because I got up at 3:30 AM yesterday morning to fly to Texas go to a meeting and come back the same day except my flights were delayed and I actually got home at 1:30 am today and only got three hours of sleep before having to go to the office
NOT SO GOOD NEWS: My surgeon today said I had two acceptable (to me) options:
1) Have another cortisone shot in my lower lumbar region. –Since the first shot provided insufficient pain relief, I immediately rejected that.
2) Extensive lumbar surgery, which would involve a four day stay in the hospital I chose this option because I want to get well SOON! My wife needs help, help I can’t provide her right now. And my current status is VERY unacceptable TO ME.
Surgery is set for August 15. If anyone cancels, I could be moved up a few days. So far I’ve survived over 70 years without any surgery. Guess it’s time.
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EVERYBODY’s favorite owner, Jerry Jones, reacted to the latest results on CTE by saying “I don’t believe there is ANY correlation between playing football and CTE<" according to this morning's TAMPA BAY TIMES. –It's bad enough that Jones released former FAU star Lucky Whitehead based on a bogus report that Lucky was accused of being involved in a robbery (Dallas police admitted the original accusation was false). Now this idiotic statement on CTE!!
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Is THIS evidence that Jerry Jones has CTE?? —Stay tuned.
Mr. Campbell,
I’m sorry to hear that the cortisone shot didn’t work for ya, man. I’m giving you my best wishes for a very successful back surgery. Hopefully you’re not out for long, so as to be able to help Mrs. Old Dolfan. My thoughts and prayers are with you both, and your daughter, my friend.
GET WELL SOON, ALL OF YOU!!!
OD — so sorry to hear that is how it turned out, but if anyone can handle that it is you. Including not surprised you took the more aggressive and get it done option. Way you work as you attack life in the best way there could be.
And best thing is that you didn’t mention your daughter…..and much as you are my friend….figure that means the surgery worked on an even bigger issue.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article163829868.html
Adam CaplanVerified account @caplannfl 8m8 minutes ago
More
New #Dolphins CB Alterraun Verner’s 1-year deal worth $900k.
Exceptional signing and deal. Well done.
Barry JacksonVerified account @flasportsbuzz 1m1 minute ago
More
Got my hands on Alterraun Verner’s Dolphins contract. It’s one year at $900,000 (minimum for players with his service time). Zero guaranteed
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And I like the ZERO GUARANTEED even better.
That’s a last chance contract for a guy like him. Did we catch why?
We’ll see… I’m not sure why either. Steal of a deal if you ask me.
Buffalo BillsVerified account @buffalobills 1m1 minute ago
More
We’ve traded QB Cardale Jones to the Los Angeles Chargers for a conditional draft pick.
Details: http://bufbills.co/3ymY0u
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WOW!
Fox NewsVerified account @FoxNews 53s53 seconds ago
More
WOW: A British diver caught a rare sight Tuesday when she spotted a megamouth “alien” shark near Indonesian island. http://fxn.ws/2uy13O2
That’s a VERY unique looking shark! Most intriguing…
It will be very interesting to see how these guys develop over the pre-season:
Raekwon
Asiata
Julius Thomas
Godchaux
training camp football is back just in time for the forecasted temp highs between 94-97 degrees over the weekend. Here’s a interesting fact for s.Florida the highest temp ever in S.Florida is 100 degrees and it only measured that for 10 minutes at opa locka airport.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR KIND WISHES!–It really means a lot to me and my family! –Gotta be ready for what I hope is ANOTHER playoff season for the Dolphins!
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SEE the JETS signed Lucky Whitehead!!! Hope New York plays Dallas this season! –Lucky lead Conference USA in receptions his senior year at FAU. And he’s also an ace kick returner.
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Y’all have a great day!
Here’s a interesting fact for s.Florida the highest temp ever in S.Florida is 100 degrees and it only measured that for 10 minutes at opa locka airport.
That must be an “official” stat because I have seen temps above 100 MANY MANY times. Mostly while on the highway or other similar areas with lots of asphalt to catch and radiate the heat.
yes, I have seen 100 plus on my porch many times but that’s not official temps which have certain requirements of temperature to be official. I have heard it before but they said it has never reached 100 degrees in S.Florida so the Opa-Locka airport reading must of been recently.
The last couple of days have been in the low 90’s and fri-sun they said 94-97 degrees with high humidity. That’s brutal on anyone, but these players are making millions a year so it’s fun watching them suffer through the hottest part of the year.
My FPL smart meter read yesterday, a low of 81 degrees. That’s unhealthy for anything. My dogs do their business and come inside immediately, some pretty smart dogs.
MF-13 It’s time for our annual water skiing trip at Seal Island, YOU FIRST!!!
Finally, a NEW BLOG IS UP! Thanks Rock for holding it down for so long!
Hal Habib ✔ @gunnerhal
Bushrod and Larsen open team drills at the guards.
25m
Adam Beasley ✔ @AdamHBeasley
Larsen and Urbik with the 1s to start.
Well guys, which is it?
Thank god someone finally took down that trash fluff piece on our mediocre QB!! LOL
FOOT BALL IS BACK BABY!
Armando Salguero ✔ @ArmandoSalguero
Another Tannehill to Parker TD. Yeah, this might become a thing this season.
Amen! hopefully a HUGE thing.