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I could be wrong, but, I think there are strong indications that not only does the FO and the Coaches want RT to be the opening day starter, but I really feel that they BELIEVE he will be the starter. I think Jeff Ireland and Coach Philbin are truly infatuated with Ryan and feel he is the real deal. Ireland already said he felt RT was on the same level with RG3, and Washington wasted no time in naming RG3 the starter.

Now, I do believe there will be a true competition. I also feel they will give Gerrard and Moore a fair chance. But all indications show that our leaders want RT to be the guy. Here is some further references to the indication:


@ESPN760
AM Headlines - #NFL - #Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland says Ryan Tannehill will "look like he's ready pretty quickly" doesn't rule out starting him

Of course they want him to be the QB, but that doesn't mean it's going to influence their decision. I don't think they really feel it necessary to start him week 1, in fact I think they would prefer that he sits for a while and they get a chance to see how the season unfolds even if it looks like he will be ready in week 1. If they start him week 1 and the team doesn't do well, then it will be ALL on Ryan Tannehill and they do NOT want that. However if Moore or Garrard start week 1 and the team doesn't do well, then they can bring him in at anytime and there won't be much expectations placed on him. Now it's true that if started week 1 and the team does well that would be fantastic, but I think that's a bit much to expect from the team considering there's a completely new coaching staff with matching new offense and defense. Most likely the team is gonna have a few growing pains the first couple weeks of the season no matter who starts.

So basically there's too much risk to starting him week 1 and probably not enough reward. This year isn't about winning the AFC East, everyone including the Dolphins staff knows that. This year is about building something or rebuilding it if you prefer and that means that RT will have to wait till the time is right and that's not week 1. Personally I think around week 8 or 9 with team around 4-5 or 3-6 and the fans antsy to see RT, he'll come off the bench for a quarter or a half to see how he does. If he does well, then maybe the next week or maybe 2 weeks later, when the Dolphins chances of making the playoffs are on life support you'll see a start from him. Best case he starts about the last 4 or 5 games and doesn't look like a rookie, then it's all RT in 2013.

Echoing the above really...there is no need to start him week one unless you feel like you're making the difference between an also ran and a playoff team.

Let Moore get the team loosened up in the first few games, get all the new players synched a bit and throw RT on in garbage time to get him used to the bright lights and pace to build some confidence.

Then manage him, if our OL is struggling there's little value throwing him to the wolves to get the confidence beaten out of him, let him sit the rest of the year and beef up the OL next year to support him better.

I keep hearing the pre-draft reports that Tannehill will "get eaten alive" if he starts at ANY point this year. No chance he's starting week one unless the team bus gets in some sort of accident and Moore, Garrard, and Devlin all get injured. -EK

WAAAYYY to early to determine if he would be ready to start week #1.  Even if they think he is on an equal level with Moore and Garrard I would prefer they not start him til about week #4.  The newly constituted O-line could use a couple full speed games to get their timing down, so there is a higher potential for injuries in the first few weeks.  Not to mention Miami opens with a soft schedule, Moore or Garrard ought to be able to lead the Fins to victories in these games.

Regarding the Oline- just read an article on Phinsider (I think it was 10 Bold Predictions for 2012) that touted Long, Pouncey, and Martin to all make the Pro Bowl this year. If that happens, I could see a Wild Card spot for Miami. -EK

I don't gamble, but my money would be against him starting week 1.  I don't think he cracks the first half of the season without an injury to either Moore or Garrard and then a midiocre showing by the healthy one.

His best shot at starting is to earn the #2 spot and if he gets play time do something good with it.  I see a lot of parallels to how the Titans handled Locker last year.

Wouldn't be shocked if he starts Week 1. I think more realistic though is they let Moore/Gararrd start for a month or so then come mid-October they hand the keys to Tannehill and let him take over.

To me Tannehill is the #2 QB to start the season. Moore or Gararrd won't be on the opening day roster, one will be cut at some point in camp.  The other will start for a month or so then it gets handed over to Tannehill.

I would shocked if Tannehill sits all year and doesn't get a few starts. I think he gets more than a few but he dam sure isn't going to be 3rd on the depth chart that is a waste and he will get lots of playing time if not half of the starts this year.

I've been thinking the same thing with the idea that Moore beats out Garrard.

Moore and Garrard are equal to me. Both on their best days aren't very good. If Garrard beat out Moore or if Moore beat out Gararrd it wouldn't make much difference on this team. 

Moore showed he can play last year, granted he's no Tom Brady.  It's Garrard who has to show something in camp, otherwise he's #3 or headed to some other teams' bench.

The only way I see Tannehill starts anytime this season, is when the dolphins are mathematically out of the playoffs. Or of course, injury. You don't upset the balance during a playoff run.

Something to remember. Tannehill holds all tiebreakers if its close. If he actually is the best QB in training camp or its close between he and Moore or he and Garrard, Tannehill will get the job! He is young, he is the future, he will be the highest paid QB on the roster, he is a Top 10 pick, so if he is the best QB on the team or its so close its a coin toss... he gets the job!

I take NOTHING away from rookie mini-camp. I mean he is playing against a bunch of guys who will be slicing meat at a deli or working for UPS in like 5 months. It's rookie mini-camp where most of the guys he lined up against are scrubs. So lets see how training camp plays out, but to make a blanket statement that...."he won't start till.." and attach a date to it is silly. If he is the BEST QB, let him play from day 1.  If he isn't fine, he won't.  But if by Week 3 or 5 or whatever, if he becomes the best QB on the roster you play him.

That's true of any position. The better man should start. The problem is, he's not the better man. Yes, he's the highest paid. Doesn't mean anything. He's a project. Does that mean that he won't develop? No. Is it a crime to sit behind Moore? No. Could he blow away the competition in training camp? Possibly. Doubt it. He has a leg up by knowing the system. Moore has a leg up with experience. But I still have my money on the over in this.

How do you know? Let's let training camp play out first! Tannehill could blow away Garrard and Moore. It's not like he is sitting behind Montana and Young. It's David Garrard and Matt Moore. Both marginal NFL QB's at best at this stage in their carerrs!


It means everything! This is also a business!

MikeO, I presume you see no value to letting Tannehill sit back and observe the NFL game for a bit?

Remember, this is a guy who didn't get a lot of starts in college.  Regardless of how well he looks on the practice field, game speed is a different matter.  Tannehill, more than any QB Miami has acquired in the last 10 years, is a prime candidate for someone who can be ruined by rushing him out too soon.

I would say that Matt Moore doesn't even need to touch a ball in the offseason and he's already shown enough to say that he should start over Tannehill.  Let the rookie get some time holding the clipboard, and give him a chance to watch objectively and think about what he would do differently against real defenses.

There is value in it  but if he is also ready then he is ready. That's the point. I don't know if he is ready, I am just saying let training camp play out before making these bold, set in stone statements. Like he shouldn't start a game all year or shouldn't start till they are eliminated from the playoffs....etc. If after training camp Tannehill clearly outplays Moore/Garrard then start Tannehill. If he doesn't, fine sit him. If its a close battle between Tannehill and Moore/Garrard then the tiebreaker does go to Tannehill.

He had more college starts than Newton and Sanchez and both of those guys started from day 1. That college starts thing is really overrated and has been totally over blown.

I think there's a fundamental difference in APPROACH when you are comparing "getting the rookie ready to start NOW" and "preparing the rookie to learn behind a starter". If you KNOW you have time, you can build more things up from the ground (everything from reads to footwork) instead of just tweaking from where he is. Of course, the underlying assumption is that the player actually has elements of his game that need to be reworked (as opposed to just gradually improved).

Tannehill is a young guy without a lot of starts (or even time at quarterback), so he's a prime candidate for reworking, but I don't know if he has aspects of his game that need it.

Even if Tannehill is the best QB going into week one, unless they have a realistic idea that the team is going to have a shot at making the playoffs this year (and FWIW, no one in their right mind believes this to be the case), there's no upside to starting Tannehill. If you don't believe you have a contender right now, THIS YEAR, what do you gain by allowing a guy with such limited experience to get thrown to the wolves? Let him learn a year. Take a look at what Jax and Tenn did last year. Gabbert seemed to get as much praise as Tannehill coming out of college, but he wasn't ready to start. I think everybody knew that, but for whatever reason they put him in on a horrible team in the midst of a losing season and he looked just terrible. Tennessee was in a similar situation with Locker but they didn't let him start even when there were people who believed he was a much better option than Hasselbeck. That was the smarter move. There's nothing wrong with letting a guy sit for a year. Miami's not winning more than 7-8 games this year irrespective of who's under center. What's the rush? Since Garrard and Moorw are both free agents at the end of the year, let them fight it out for who we keep. -EK

Exactly. Nobody knows. That's my entire point! Maybe he will sit a few games, or a month, or he should sit all year. Nobody knows, let's just let training camp play out and if he is the best QB in camp, he wins the job and starts day 1. I don't see what harm there is letting training camp play out and having an open competition for the job. How is that a bad thing? Why don't people want that? If he isn't ready or doesn't win the job, so be it and its Garrard or Moore.  That's fine too! But to make an blanket statement on May 12th that Tannehill needs to ride the bench all year "just because" when there is no justifiable "just because" is foolish and silly.

To sit here on May 12th and to make outlandish statements that Tannehill shouldn't start this year no matter what, or that they won't make the playoffs and give up on that in MAY is lunacy. The NFL is a league where teams go from worst to first all the time and make playoffs runs. SF did it last year with Alex friggin Smith at QB! Cincy went from 4-12 to a Wild Card team with a rookie 2nd round QB under center! Denver went from last place in the AFC West to division champs with god awful Tim "can't throw a forward pass further than 15 yards to save his life" Tebow at QB. Hell the Dolphins franchise just did it in 2008 from 1-15 to 11-5 running a wildcat!!! I'm not saying Miami will do that this year, not by any means. BUT, if they did it wouldn't be shocking or some rare feat that never happens. It happens all the time. So for fans to say, bench him, don't start him no matter even if he is the best QB in training camp, just let him ride the pine, we suck anyway (without playing a game yet) so keep him on the bench; with that logic why even have training camp? And what does training camp mean if the QB's play and results in camp don't matter but every other position does? That's silly.

There are positive and negative reviews for going both ways. Having guys sit and not rushing them out and having guys thrown out there and play. Not EVERY QB who is rushed out there is the next Blaine Gabbert. Andy Dalton wasn't, he led a team to the playoffs in probably the toughest division in the NFL!!! So for those who say Tannehill if he plays from Day 1 is the next Gabbert....well he could also be the next Dalton too! Works both ways!

Every situation is unique and different. With Tannehill having his college coaches and essentially most of his college playbook in front of him on the NFL level in Miami it makes it even a more unique situation. And to make blanket statements on May 12th to me is foolish. They hold training camp for a reason, just let it play out. Just like there is NO RUSH to play the guy, there is also NO RUSH to bench the guy all year for no good reason!

And yet, nearly EVERY scout, former coaches in the media, and NFL guy you hear from says he's not anywhere near ready to start for at least a year- some say more. Are they all wrong?? -EK

Agreed. 

I personally really want to see Garrard round back into form.  I have nothing against Moore (actually like the kid a lot), but there Garrard is only a couple years removed from a really nice run.  Now, of course, he also had weapons people seem to forget (Stewart and Taylor at RB, WRs we could only dream of)...but he still needed to deliver the ball.  He has a strong arm, he reads defenses well.  I would love to see Tannehill sit his rookie butt on the sidelines for the entire year with a clip board, for more than one reason - most of which EK outlined above & there is no reason to repeat. 

All of that said, it won't shock me if Miami rushes this kid into the line up.  It will greatly disappoint me, however, unless he is more ready than I know.

Anyone else think this whole scenerio makes the upcoming preseason more interesting?  I have a genuinely high level of anticipation for it this year!

I'm saying that outplaying them in training camp doesn't particularly matter, because in training camp you are wearing a red jersey.  No matter what happens in training camp or the preseason, I think Tannehill should get a chance to observe at least 3 full-speed regular-season games from the sidelines.

Perhaps if Sanchez had sat a year behind Pennington, he would have made some real year-over-year progression by now.

The playoffs this year has nothing to do with it.  The point of starting Tannehill in 2012 would be to prepare him for 2013, where the expectations might be somewhere along the line of a wild-card berth.

If Tannehill does not start at all in 2012, it is unreasonable to expect the Dolphins to hit the ground running with him in 2013 and make the playoffs that year.

It's not about rushing a guy out there. But if he clearly is better than Moore or Garrard in training camp there is little to no damage done in playing him.

And you said it yourself with your last line...."unless he is more ready than I know." That is my entire point, that  none of us know! That's why we need to let it play out in training camp. This doesn't have to be decided on May 12th! They hold training camp for a reason, let's see how everyone does and if Tannehill happens to be more ready than any of us know, then great and he is the guy who should start! If he isn't ready and needs a year to sit, that's fine too. Let him sit! We have Moore and/or Garrard to play. I still don't understand why that's a bad thing and why letting the actual play on the field in training camp decide things is the wrong way to go. Let the play speak. Let the results on the field speak. Nothing else matters!

Completely disagree. If they go 8-8 this year without him and he is that much of an upgrade in 2013, 9-7 or 10-6 is reasonable, and that's a playoff spot. -EK

Close but not quite. It is further in his favor than that.

Unless one of the other QBs are clearly and undeniably superior to Tannehill, than Tannehill will start.   He doesn't have to be the best QB, the others have to be OBVIOUSLY and UNDENIABLY better to get the starting gig. 

I would agree with that

Possibly. They ARE only guessing aren't they? Or do they have some kind of crystal ball that predicts the future? Those guys have not seen him play a single snap on an NFL team. If they were saying that after having watched him all training camp and pre-season, then maybe you have a good case, but MikeO is right about that. You don't know what's going to happen in training camp. Maybe Tannehill proves all those guys wrong. They aren't right yet, it's only their best guess.

Mike Mayock last year said Cam Newton should sit a year and not play in 2011. How did that turn out..lol

Here is the combine notes from Newton last year
Not proficient at going through his progressions or making NFL reads. Doesn't anticipate receivers getting open, must see them in a window. Inconsistent accuracy due to poor footwork and falling away to avoid a big hit. Despite athleticism, needs to improve his drop mechanics and the finer points of pocket mobility. Numerous off the field issues worth investigating.

Another NFC Scout on Newton
• What about Cam?
"He's so gifted athletically and there are not many guys like him,'' the NFC scout said. "But he's going to need some time, too. You're doing a disservice to him to throw him right into the fire. He's used to playing in the spread, doing the zone-read stuff, and he's pretty much waiting for a guy to come open before he throws it. He has to see him come open before he lets it go. He doesn't see the whole field yet.

Bottom line, we hold training camp for a reason. Let's just see how everything plays out. There is no rush to start/play Tannehill but there is also no reason to bench him if he is the best QB on the team. Why people are trying to decide this on May 12th is beside me.

To add on, Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reports that Troy Aikman had dinner with Tannehill TWICE recently and Aikman came away with high praise for Tannehill. He went on WQAM and said..

He’s a “great pick” for Miami and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t start as a rookie if he wins the job. He is “no-nonsense, a leader, a guy who will put in the time.Very athletic guy. The familiarity with Mike Sherman's [offense] is going to help him a lot.”

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I've watched 30 years of football and I've never, ever, heard of the best guy not getting the job.

Why? Because the question came out on May 9. That's why. If the same question comes out on September 9th, you may or may not get a different answer. Based on what I've seen, he's got a way to go in order to be "better" than the two vets on the roster. In my opinion, he should sit this year. But, I don't call the shots for the Dolphins. The guy who says he's as good as RG3 is. Really?
Tannehill isn't Newton. Newton has a better arm and is more athletic. Cam also doesn't play in a WCO.

That's a very weak point. Cam played in a spread offense in college which doesn't prepare one for the NFL at all. While Tannehill played in a WCO in college and has almost the same exact offense in the NFL with his same coach.

You're only half right here.  Tannehill has a much better arm than Newton and is much more accurate with the deep ball.

Yep! Tannehill has an elite NFL arm. Can throw outside the numbers with accuracy and zip. Not many QB's can do that. Some HALL OF FAME QB's could never do that. Now, an elite arm doesn't make an elite QB. Lots of QB's with elite arms were busts and never made it, with that said it is a nice thing to have..lol

In honor of this thread, I have named my fantasy football team this year, "Saving Private Ryan Tannehill" That is all. -EK

Exhibit A-  Russell, Jamarcus.  Top overall pick in 2007 draft.

Exhibit B-  Leaf, Ryan.  Second overall pick in 1998 draft.

Exhibit C- Couch, Timothy.  Top overall pick in 1999 draft. 

Exhibit D- Carr, David.  Top overall pick in 2002 draft.

Exhibit E-  Henne, Chad.  Dolphins second round pick in 2008 draft.

Really? That's especially funny on a Dolphins board, since Marino sat the first 5 games, even though he was CLEARLY the better QB on that team. There's no way to defend your statement in light of that. But having said that, do you really believe Hasselbeck is better than Locker? How about Eli? Number one overall pick and he didn't start until late November his rookie year. And Big Ben? He was 13-0 his rookie season- pretty obviously the best QB Pittsburgh had, and yet he was listed THIRD on their depth chart to start the season. Those are just the ones off the top of my head! So, no... The best guy doesn't always start. -EK

I have.  If the best guy is a late round draft pick or aging journeyman and the team used a first round draft pick on the guy that was not quite as good. 

I've watched 30+ years of football and I've seen it happen quite a few times, including in Miami.

I had a better arm than Carr or Couch.  This stance works better with Jeff George.

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Did Don tell you why Marino didnt start from Day 1? Did Marino know the playbook? Was he partying in South Beach? Did Don tell you the norm back in those days were to sit the Rookie QB for some games?


Im just wondering what kind of info you got from Mr. Shula.

BTW, I said 30 years, and you had to go all the way back to 30 years to give an example.

Not to mention the year Marino came into the league as a rookie the QB in front of him on the depth chart just led the team to the Super Bowl the year before

Way to ignore the THREE other examples I gave you and the TWO other people who told you that you were wrong. Consistency? Negative. -EK

I am not worried about Tannehill's knowledge of the playbook, mobility or ability to throw the ball.  I am worried about turnovers, the speed of the game and fan/media ignorance.

Corners and safeties in this league will bait you into bad throws.  They cover ground faster and the windows are much smaller.  If Tannehill doesn't start well, our fans are going to associate him with every other unsuccessful QB this team has had since Marino.  Only a small percent will understand the growing pains.  It is a risky scenerio for his long term success with little to gain.

I would rather Tannehill be prepared for the differences he will face than to throw him in there with the overated "learn on the job" philosophy.  Moore and Garrard both know what they would be facing, let them hold down the fort for a year.  Let Tannehill get some experience on the practice field and preseason games.

^^^I get what you are saying, but you can only learn so much from the sidelines and in practice.  I don't think he should start the season, but he better be in there by week 9.

The speed is the biggest thing he'll have to adjust to.  I don't see why you can't throw him in on day one if he's prepared.

They very well might. If he has the grasp of the offense down and is comfortable with the first team, and its just only a matter of getting used to NFL speed, then he will see the field if not day 1 then real soon! Training camp will tell us everything we need to know. It will play out and these coaches will do the right thing.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d829297d2/article/garrard-ryan-tannehill-knows-offense-better-than-vets?module=HP11_MYNFL

David Garrard admits that Tannehill knows the offense better than he and Moore. First time he has seen a rookie in a meeting know more than the Vets! lol

He has said this in at least two interviews I have heard, but he always follows it with Tannehill not knowing defenses or the speed of the game in the NFL.

In short, he may know the offense but he doesn't know NFL defenses.

And isn't this what it really comes down to?? All the predraft stuff was exactly this. No one said he didn't know the offense- EVERYONE said he would get eaten alive by the defenses. -EK

Wow! You mean there's more to being an NFL QB, than having an "elite" arm & knowing the playbook? I'm shocked!

^^^^ You also have to know how to say HUT! really good and use words like RED and EIGHTY >:D

Matt Moore named team MVP for 2011. He's also reportedly "very comfortable" with the offense and picking it up quicker than he thought he would, loving not feeling the pressure to hit "that one guy" and instead having so many options with the WCO. Seriously, guys, there's no chance Tannehill starts in week one. He may not see the field this year if the team plays over .500. -EK

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7956287/miami-dolphins-owner-stephen-ross-expects-matt-moore-start-qb

From ESPN.com:

Owner expects Matt Moore to start:

"Despite drafting a quarterback with Miami's first-round pick in April, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he expects incumbent Matt Moore to start the 2012 season under center.

Ross told NFL.com on Monday that rookie Ryan Tannehill, drafted out of Texas A&M with No. 8 overall pick, will not become the starter until he is ready.

"I don't think they're going to rush (Tannehill) into anything," Ross told the website. "He's going to have to win the starting job. I think Matt Moore will probably be the starter, and I wish him the best."

Moore exceeded expectations starting the final 12 games last year, when Miami went 6-10. Moore is also expected to compete with veteran newcomer David Garrard for the starting job, which will give new coach Joe Philbin time to groom Tannehill for the job.

On Monday, Ross refused to rule out Moore as the long-term starter despite the Tannehill selection.

"Whenever (Tannehill) is ready," Ross told NFL.com when asked when he expected Tannehill to start. "And if Matt Moore develops, so be it. We want a franchise quarterback."

Tannehill, the first QB selected in the opening round by the Dolphins since Dan Marino in 1983, might have been a reach at No. 8. He started just 19 games in college after switching from receiver to quarterback, and last year he threw 15 interceptions while going only 1-4 against Top 25 teams.

But the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Tannehill received favorable reviews from his college coach, Mike Sherman, the Dolphins' new offensive coordinator. General manager Jeff Ireland said that while Tannehill lacks experience, his size, arm strength, toughness, intelligence and overall athletic ability make him a top prospect.

"I didn't take him with the eighth pick in the draft for him to be a backup quarterback," Ireland said after drafting Tannehill in April. "I picked him to be a starting quarterback in this league at some point to have an impact on the team and help us win games and championships. That's the expectation."

Can we stop with the "Tannehill will start in week one" stuff now? It's not happening. -EK

While I agree that Tannehill will not be the opening day starter, this story didn't do anything to stop people from thinking he can. Ross says he doesn't expect it, he never said he won't. There is a big difference and even if they said he won't, who believes anything out of an NFL owner or GM or coach?

Ross also expected Harbaugh and Fisher to be his coach. And proclaimed Chad  Henne the next Dan Marino last year. Ross's track record on these proclamations have been 100% wrong.

With Ross saying this I expect Garrard to start Week 1, Tannehill as the #2 and Moore to be cut! lol