Ron Jaworski sees a dichotomy in the play of Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. According to the ESPN analyst, and former NFL quarterback, Tannehill is the 23rd best passer in the league, a ranking that places him in the bottom ten quarterbacks. He comes in just behind the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III (21st) and the Oakland Raiders' Matt Schaub (22nd), while being ahead of the St. Louis Rams' Sam Bradford (24th) and Josh McCown (25th) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It's the potential that Jaws sees in Tannehill that should excite Dolphins fans. Jaworski, in breaking down his rankings on ESPN, added that Tannehill could become a top ten quarterback in the league. If he is able to do that, the days of ranking him among the bottom ten should be quickly forgotten.
Of the current ranking, Jaws wrote:
I really expected more out of Tannehill last season. Like I did with RG III, I loved what I saw his rookie season and thought he was a potential superstar. In 2013 he held on to the ball too long and wasn't decisive with his reads. To be fair, he also had a historically bad offensive line blocking for him and was sacked 58 times (10 more than any other QB). That certainly had an impact. I think Bill Lazor will help him with an up-tempo offense, and Tannehill should be improved this season.
This is the make-or-break year for Tannehill. The NFL used to allow players, no matter what position but particularly for quarterbacks, three years to develop. In today's game, where rookies can come in and win immediately, that is the new expectation, with questions surrounding a player if they are not immediately successful. It still does, however, take three full seasons to know what you have in a player, and for Tannehill, that's this year. Can he become the Dolphins' franchise quarterback, taking the next step into stardom? Or, will Miami be back looking for a new quarterback when the Draft rolls around next year?
Hopefully it's the former. And, hopefully, by this time next year, Miami has a top ten quarterback in Jaws' rankings, and not a bottom ten.