It only took 29 years, but the Miami Dolphins finally grew a pair and used a first round pick to select a quarterback. And that quarterback is Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M.
After getting stiffed by Peyton Manning during the offseason, and feeling pretty meh about Matt Flynn, the Dolphins went ahead a grabbed a dude hardly anyone has ever heard of up until this offseason, and decided to take a chance on him. And while Dolphins fans seem to have mixed feelings about Tannehill, the consensus is his wife is pretty smokin'. So, there's that!
Tannehill became the Aggie's quarterback in 2010 after converting from wide receiver. He led the team in receptions in 2008 and 2009, which means the Dolphins' new quarterback is also probably their best receiver.
At 6'3, Tannehill has prototypical size, is a great athlete, has a strong arm and throws it with good accuracy. As a pre-med student, Tannehill is also pretty damn smart, and has been praised for his work ethic and leadership. But mostly, he can sling the fucking rock.
However, with only 19 career starts under his belt, he's not very experienced. Scouts have questioned his mechanics and release point, because scouts are paid to be contrarian dickholes. But the concerns are valid. Tannehill is going to be a project and has boom-or-bust written all over him. Dolphins new offensive coordinator Mike Sherman coached Tannehill at Texas A&M, so there's some familiarity there.
Our thoughts on Tannehill: We like him. The potential is there. And the fact that he's a smart, engaging kid and not a goddamn mumbling checkdown throwing robot is enough to get us excited. But then again, that could just be us starving for a QB and settling for whoever walked through the door. We just signed David Garrard to compete for the starting job for shitsake! Holy flying monkey dicks do we need hope at that position!
So, that's what Tannehill is at the moment. Hope.
Of course, upon arrival, the media bombarded him with questions about how he feels to be the new quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, what he expects to achieve from day one, when he thinks he can start, and by all that we mean they asked him how it feels to have Dan Marino's shadow looming over him the minute he walks through the door.
"I don't think I'm trying to fill his shoes," Tannehill told the local media after being drafted. "I'm my own player. I don't think there's any pressure or anything like that from that connection to Marino."
But, being the brainy pre-med student that he is, Tannehill added, "I, for sure, want to learn from him as much as I can. I want to give him a call, reach out to him and learn from his experience."
Welcome to the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill, where if you're not Dan Marino, you suck!
Rounds Two and Three of the draft kick off at 7 p.m. tonight; the Dolphins have the 42nd and 72nd picks.
Follow Short Order on Facebook and Twitter @Short_Order.