Camp questions: What to expect from Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill in Year 2 This is the second in a 13-part series examining key Lebron X Id as team training camps get closer. What to expect from Miami Dolphins second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill Does Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly still trust Michael Vick Miami Dolphins fans have been waiting a long time for a worthy successor to Hall of Famer Dan Marino at quarterback. The wait is almost finished. They just need to be a little more patient, and at this point, whats another year There are great expectations for Ryan Tannehill in Year 2. The Dolphins are hoping to break out a much needed explosive passing offense, and with it, sneak back into AFC playoff contention. Beyond the size (6-4), arm, athleticism and accuracy that impressed scouts and made Tannehill a first-round pick in 2012, you can add in more experience, better leadership skills and an improved supporting cast. That adds up to a significant leap in development in 13, but its asking too much for him to catch up with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson Nike KD 6 New Shoes big-winning young QBs. While that trio broke out as rookies with some eye-popping numbers to go with playoff-caliber records, Tannehill, through starting every game, balanced a modest 14 total touchdowns with 17 total turnovers. For what that statistic is worth, his low 76.1 passer rating was less than a point less than Lucks (76.5). When you see what Tannehill did in handling the pass rush and passing in blitz situations, he wasnt too far off from Luck. The separation between those other quarterbacks and Tannehill was executing big pass plays, especially on third down. Tannehills 6.8 yards per attempt was near the bottom of the league, and thats the number that must shoot up to get more Luck-like individual and team results.Ryan Tannehill started all 16 games for the Dolphins last season. (AP Photo) The Dolphins worked to facilitate that by adding a top-flight deep receiver in former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Wallace. They also brought in a field-stretching tight end, former New York Jet Dustin Keller. Brian Hartline returns as his most comfortable go-to guy, and dont be deceivedHartline, a former track star, is no possession receiver. Thats speed to burn, and the goal will be getting Tannehill to hit better on his downfield connections. Its important to remember it hasnt been too long since Tannehill himself played wide receiver. He has only two and a half years playing quarterback from his last two seasons at Texas A&M through his rookie season in the NFL. He is benefiting from offensive brain trust from his former Aggies coach, Mike Sherman, and his current, Joe Philbin. Even with that pair of great QB history with the Packers, Tannehill is still in project mode. Hes a smart player who continues to absorb everything well, but hes also a raw player. While Tannehill gained the receiving corps, the Dolphins had to re-sort other parts of his support system, as both left tackle Jake Long (St. Louis Rams) and Reggie Bush (Detroit Lions) are gone. That leaves him with young, developing players at both blindside pass protector (Jonathan Martin) and feature back (Lamar Miller). Sherman and Philbin will help Tannehill be more effective in letting his arm loose. The schedule, however, will mean he needs to be ready to win some shootouts right away, which wasnt part of the rookie resume. Before their Week 6 bye, the Dolphins will match up against Lucks Indianapolis Colts, Matt Ryans Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees New Orleans Saints and Joe Flaccos Baltimore Ravens. Those are lot of big arms and big-play offenses to duel against. That means the chemistry with Wallace must start off the charts. Tannehill is ready to get an A in Quarterbacking 201 as his NFL indoctrination feels like less of crash course through his second camp and second season. Given his teams schedule, it will be hard to carry a team the way Luck did as a rookie. The key for the Dolphins is that the different lumps and challenges Tannehill faces sets him up for a bigger breakout season in 2014.
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