There was Brilliance in Drafting Ryan Tannehill

In an NFL dominated by the QB position, a GM is defined by his ability to find pro bowl talent at this critical position. Ireland was in the Tuna sized shadow of Bill Parcells and Miami fans will never know whether it was Parcells pulling the strings when Matt Ryan ended up with the Falcons and the decade long search for Dan Marino’s predecessor continued.

Ireland is well aware of the leap of faith he made in the selection of Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill critics used the 19 starts, 12 – 7 win/loss record and 12.5% completion percentage on passes over 25 yards to paint the picture of Ireland making desperate leap with the 8th pick in the draft. Dolphin fans have learned over the last five years that Ireland is not impetuous with his draft picks and does not allow fans to dictate the decisions he makes on draft day.

Ireland was convinced Tannehill was worthy of pick, but to say he was staking his career on what many thought was a reach, is a fallacy. The economics of the NFL have changed the definition of a reach when it comes to the QB position.

It is important to understand, Ireland was not alone in picking Tannehill. Joe Philbin had seen his share of pro bowl QBs in Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Mike Sherman not only coached Tannehill at Texas A&M, but was head coach at Green Bay when Brett Favre built his legend.

This collective brain trust has seen a lot of QB play over the years and these same men turned down the likes Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn to get to Tannehill. Manning may say he felt comfort in the open arms of John Elway, but those arms were willing to give away the team’s future for instant success that may, or may not come to fruition. The Broncos unceremoniously traded Tim Tebow to the Jets because the organization was unwilling to step on Manning’s toes.

It was truly a stroke of luck when Manning ran into Elway’s open arms. Miami does not need a QB whose legacy was made with a horseshoe on his helmet. Manning will never relive the success he had at Indy and Miami was the beneficiary of Elway’s love affair.

Joe Philbin groomed Matt Flynn for four years and it’s obvious he did not see the makings of a pro bowl QB. Flynn will turn out to be a good QB, but the chances of him evolving into a franchise QB are slim. The same coach saw something much different in Ryan Tannehill because it is doubtful Philbin would agree to the draft selection if there was doubt in the decision.

All of this seems to place the future of Ireland, Philbin and Sherman, squarely on the shoulders of Ryan Tannehill. Nothing could be further from the truth, Ireland has done his job and now he must allow Philbin and Sherman to do theirs. Tannehill’s draft status should not be a driving reason to rush him on the field.

The rookie salary cap does not place the same onus on teams to put their investments on the field. It’s the same reason Jake Locker and Christian Ponder were drafted last year, picking them does not financially strap a team as it would under the old CBA. It makes Jeff Ireland a little more of a fox than the GMs and critics still living in the past.

The reality is, even if Tannehill does not become a great QB it is not the critical mistake it would have been in previous years. Simply comparing Matt Ryan’s contract, to the contract Tannehill is likely to sign, allows Miami to take as much time as possible to groom Tannehill and fans need to be aware of these economics.

The Dolphins could sign Matt Barkley next and a QB the year after and still not pay as much as the Falcons paid for Matt Ryan. Jeff Ireland is well aware of these economics and that means drafting Ryan Tannehill was not only the right thing to do but a coup when placed in the proper perspective.

From this point forward every QB that a coach or GM has even an inkling of a pro bowl future will be drafted early and often. Whether the NFL brain trust is shrewd enough to have planned for the QB bonanza we are likely to see is questionable, but in light of the NFL’s penchant for QB play, it was a brilliant move.

Ireland caught the tip of the craze and many are sure to follow. Whether Tannehill becomes a great QB will not mean the end of Ireland’s career and many may eventually realize... He’s not the idiot they believe.

Love Him or Leave Him !!!

Since it is a bit slow in Dolphin Land I thought I would ask what everyone thinks about Roger Goodell.  Do you think he went to far in suspending the Coaching Staff and the Players ?

I look at Roger Goodell as the Daddy of the NFL.  Some times a Daddy must do things he doesn't like to do, but because he feels it is best for his Family he must act.  It isn't a great position to be in I might add.  He will be dammed by the players and coaches if does something, but if he sits by and does nothing,  Then nothing will change, and the behavior will not change.

The last year of Pete Rozelle rule there were 70 off field transgressions in the NFL.  Last year under Roger Goodell there were 16.  Folks !!  Roger may not be liked but he is doing something right !!!  Some people may not like him, but you can't argue with those numbers.

Now I also am a Daddy, and one of the rules I had for myself in being a Parent was this.  If you expect nothing from your Child that is exactly what you will get. 
" Nothing "  Roger Goodell is being a good Daddy in my eyes.  He expects his players to act in a professional manner while they are under his watch, and if they don't then be prepared to pay the price.

Who's Your Man?!!!

I thought I would deviate from the draft talk to give everyone a break. Every now and then something pops into my head that gets me thinking about everyone who reads the Dolphin Shout. This is one of those moments. With all the players that have graced the field for the Miami Dolphins.

Who has been your favorite player? Has or is it someone that is obscure as mine is? Is it someone that was an absolute stud on the field, or a player that overcame get odds to make the big show? Is it a player that did something for the Community, or a charity that is near and dear to your heart? Maybe it is someone that you know personally. What ever the reason, I would like to hear about it.

I will give you my favorite player. I lived down in Broward County when the Dolphins came to life. In all the years I lived down there I never once met a player, but one sticks out in my mind. He wasn't what I would call a star on the team. Oh, he had his share of starting assignments and he was an important part of the team.

My Man was Howard Twilly. If a few of you are thinking to yourself WHO??? Don't feel left out, because that is what I thought when the Dolphins drafted him out of Tulsa. I knew about him, he owned all the receiving records at Tulsa, but I thought why select him in the draft? I mean he was S-L-O-W even in that era, when there were no combines to measure the variables as there is today.

All Howard Twilly did was make plays for the Dolphins. Every year Coach Shula was trying to upgrade his position, selecting a WR opposite of Paul Warfield to replace Twilly. Shula finally found a replacement for him in Marlin Briscoe in a trade with the Bills. The following year Briscoe was successful in dislodging Twilly from the starting line up. It really didn't matter though. Twilly continued to do what always did. Make that first down catch or TD catch when it was really needed. He had no speed to stretch the field, but what he did he did better than anyone they had on the team was he made plays and he had the knack of making them at the most important time in the game.

Howard Twilly was undersized and slow, but he was a gamer, and I like players that produce when they are not the best athlete on the field.