Tannehill signs Extension through 2020

[Brian Fein]

If leaving him out of both groups was intended, my head-scratching would be loud enough to hear over the internet...

I was wondering what that sound was...

[BuccaneerBrad]

Have to assume that leaving Andrew Luck out of that first group was an unintended slip?

If leaving him out of both groups was intended, my head-scratching would be loud enough to hear over the internet...

You assumed correctly in that I left him out of both groups unintentionally.   Now that I've had time to think about it, I'd have to place him in between both groups, as his body of work isn't big enough to put him in the first group.  However, if he has another season like the last one, that should be enough to label him as elite.  Anything less than an AFC Championship appearance would be a failure on the part of the Colts. 

As for Ryan Tannehill, I'd say he's in between the second group and the next lower one, as he hasn't had a body of work big enough to read much into either.  Although a playoff appearance for the Dolphins would land him in the second group.

[Sunstroke]

You assumed correctly in that I left him out of both groups unintentionally.   Now that I've had time to think about it, I'd have to place him in between both groups, as his body of work isn't big enough to put him in the first group.  However, if he has another season like the last one, that should be enough to label him as elite.  Anything less than an AFC Championship appearance would be a failure on the part of the Colts. 

I think that if you were grouping by total body of work so far, then OK, I can understand that. If you are ranking by straight talent, how good they are "right now," then I think you might have to bump him into that first group.

[BuccaneerBrad]

I think that if you were grouping by total body of work so far, then OK, I can understand that. If you are ranking by straight talent, how good they are "right now," then I think you might have to bump him into that first group.

I see where you're coming from.  I remember there being another thread where if you had to have a new "expansion draft" with current players and your team had the top pick, you would take Luck because he's got a better future ahead of him because of his youth. 

But the reason why I'm factoring in total body of work is because what if something happens like he gets seriously injured and the injury has a profound effect on his production/capability going forward?  Then you can't really label him as elite. 

A perfect example of this is Carson Palmer.  Who knows what would've happened with that guy had he not gotten hurt in that playoff game agianst Pittsburgh early in his career.

[Sunstroke]

I see where you're coming from.  I remember there being another thread where if you had to have a new "expansion draft" with current players and your team had the top pick, you would take Luck because he's got a better future ahead of him because of his youth. 

It's not even so much "his potential for the future" as it is the "right now, 1 game, do I think he has elite talent and capabilities."  The only way I could leave him off any listing of elite QBs is if elite is directly tied to total body of work in the past, and even then, only because he hasn't been around as long.

Still, if I am playing a game tomorrow, and I can have any QB in the NFL for that game, Luck doesn't slip outside my top-5, which I feel makes him an elite QB.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think this contract reflects more what the Dolphins hope Tannehill will become than what he has done so far. 

Tannehill is a good solid quarterback but not great.  His greatest asset is consistency.  His is consistently okay.   

Very rarely will Tannehill win a game for you, but rarely will he lose a game for you either.  In comparison a guy like Romo or Eli, will at times look like Peyton Manning and at other times look like Ryan Leaf.  Your guy is never that good nor ever that bad.