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Over the weekend, there was a lot of coverage on Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill discussing one of his first throwing sessions with wide receiver Mike Wallace, who joined the team in free agency this year, started by a report from the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. Tannehill and the receivers were going at half speed during the first part of the session, but Wallace appeared to be running full speed.
After one of the plays, Tannehill told Wallace that he should slow down to half speed. Wallace replied, "I am going half speed."
It was then that Tannehill realized he had something special in his new target. "Everything I heard about him coming in has proved to be true - he's as advertised," Tannehill said. "He's the fastest guy I've ever thrown to. It's exciting."
Tannehill also talked to Jackson about the addition of wide receiver Brandon Gibson this offseason. "I really like Brandon," Tannehill said. "He moves well. He's a really natural pass catcher, catches with his hands. Smooth in and out of routes. I'm excited we got him."
While the anecdotal stories are awesome, and Tannehill and the receivers starting to develop their chemistry is a great sign of how this offense will come together, it's something else from Jackson's story that jumps out. Tannehill recently completed a study of every single snap he took last year.
Jeff Darlington: 'This is Ryan Tannehill's team'
Former Miami Dolphins beat writer and current NFL.com and NFL Network reporter Jeff Darlington joined Jess Agler on the Dolphins' radio show The Finsiders this week.
"There were a lot of throws where my feet were not set, fundamentally not sound, and the ball isn't as accurate as you want it to be," he said. "You look at the reasons for that and I hope to correct it, so it's not an issue going forward."
Tannehill struggled on third down last season, and his overall completion percentage as 23rd in the league. Those are numbers that have to change for Tannehill to make use of his new toys. And, the second year signal caller seems to know it.
Of course, recognizing the problem, and even talking about it, is one thing. The only thing that really matters is what happens on Sundays this fall. Hopefully, with the new weapons around him, Tannehill can make the corrections he needs, and this team will be ready to succeed.