So where do you say Tannehill goes

[Ice1]

Sure it does: handful of college starts a la Russel leading to some bizarro over hype machine kicking into gear. And speaking of bizarro he's the bizarro Matt Jones, only instead of being a qb converted to Wr it's the other way around.

 

So he's over hyped and not playing his natural position (Wr). Russel and Jones. Pretty simple.

 

 

1st of all he went to A&M on scholarship as a QB. The QB's at the time had Stephan McGee, who is a QB now with the Cowboys, and Jerrod Johnson, who is a QB with the Steelers.

 

Tannehill moved to WR due to his talent as a player, he played DB and QB in high school. While he did start at WR and led the team one season he still worked at QB and finally beat out Johnson during the Kansas game in 2010.

 

He has steadily progressed as a QB and it is obvious given both of the other QB's are currently in the NFL the competition was pretty fierce. His talents now have surpassed both of them as he continues to mature and develop.

 

Not sure where you are getting his natural position is WR? Based on history it sure looks like he is a talented football player that not only understands defense but also knows a lot about WR which should only help going forward.

[stevegrab]

See Johnson's professional career info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerrod_Johnson or on NFL.com http://www.nfl.com/player/jerrodjohnson/2495181/profile, he doesn't even have a single NFL stat. He was signed by the Steelers on Jan 13, 2012, which means during the playoffs, as an insurance QB (3rd string or lower). Not even sure if he was on their active roster after he was signed. Other than that he bounced around a few teams (including non NFL) during training camp and played some (I guess I didn't find any stats).

 

Stephen McGee, started ONE games (and played in 3 total in 3 years) for the Cowboys, replacing an injured Romo (or Kitna).

http://www.nfl.com/player/stephenmcgee/81296/profile

 

 

Those two guys are hardly what I'd call "fierce competition" based on their NFL experience. If Tannehill couldn't beat out McGee, and barely beat out Johnson, he isn't such a great QB IMHO. One has bounced around a few teams, the other was drafted and was 2nd/3rd string with very limited action.

[Ice1]

See Johnson's professional career info here http://en.wikipedia..../Jerrod_Johnson or on NFL.com http://www.nfl.com/p...2495181/profile, he doesn't even have a single NFL stat. He was signed by the Steelers on Jan 13, 2012, which means during the playoffs, as an insurance QB (3rd string or lower). Not even sure if he was on their active roster after he was signed. Other than that he bounced around a few teams (including non NFL) during training camp and played some (I guess I didn't find any stats).

 

Stephen McGee, started ONE games (and played in 3 total in 3 years) for the Cowboys, replacing an injured Romo (or Kitna).

http://www.nfl.com/p...e/81296/profile

 

 

Those two guys are hardly what I'd call "fierce competition" based on their NFL experience. If Tannehill couldn't beat out McGee, and barely beat out Johnson, he isn't such a great QB IMHO. One has bounced around a few teams, the other was drafted and was 2nd/3rd string with very limited action.

 

Come on man, How many college QB's are there in the country vs how many make it to the NFL. If you don't think that was not tough competition for a young kid coming into college then I can't help you.

 

Want to know another QB that tracked very similarly back in the day....Tom Brady.

 

While neither has done anything at the Pro level, the simple fact they are even on teams should give you an indication they could really play. Johnson BTW, was a preseason Heisman hopeful the year Tannehill beat him out mid season, McGee had already moved on.

 

The point of the post was to demonstrate he did have serious competition as young kid and any that know the position knows it takes a while for the cream to rise. Not every single player is a major stud at 19. Players like Romo were not even drafted, Brady was a 6th rounder. This kid is simply excelling earlier then those two but not as fast Luck or RGIII.

 

The difference between college and pro is vast so the simple fact that now 3 straight A&M QB's have made it or will make it to the next level is saying something. Obviously the two mentioned are miles away given Romo, and Big Ben but thinking they couldn't play at the college level would be very wrong.

 

Tannehill is obviously a much better prospect than those two for good reason but the maturity that comes with age differs with every single individual.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Ice1

[delusions of grandeur]

See Johnson's professional career info here http://en.wikipedia..../Jerrod_Johnson or on NFL.com http://www.nfl.com/p...2495181/profile, he doesn't even have a single NFL stat. He was signed by the Steelers on Jan 13, 2012, which means during the playoffs, as an insurance QB (3rd string or lower). Not even sure if he was on their active roster after he was signed. Other than that he bounced around a few teams (including non NFL) during training camp and played some (I guess I didn't find any stats).

 

Stephen McGee, started ONE games (and played in 3 total in 3 years) for the Cowboys, replacing an injured Romo (or Kitna).

http://www.nfl.com/p...e/81296/profile

 

 

Those two guys are hardly what I'd call "fierce competition" based on their NFL experience. If Tannehill couldn't beat out McGee, and barely beat out Johnson, he isn't such a great QB IMHO. One has bounced around a few teams, the other was drafted and was 2nd/3rd string with very limited action.

Yes, but the guys are still on NFL rosters... I can think of quite a few guys who aren't NFL caliber starters who still would have been very difficult to leap-frog in college.

 

Moreover, they were using Tannehill as a reciever up until his junior year.... Maybe that does give you concern about how raw he still is, but I don't think it was because he "couldn't beat them out" talent-wise... That's kind of like saying that a team that drafts a talented rookie, goes with a veteran for his first year because the vet is more talented... That's almost never the case, it's because the rookie QB isn't ready yet, not that he's not as talented.... It stands to reason that Tannehill didn't "beat out" the other guys because he was still being groomed at QB. The fact that he's even in the first-round, let alone with top 5-10 consideration, should show that he clearly has far more upside.

Edited April 26, 2012 by delusions of granduer

[Kris N]

is tannehill most likely our pick at #8? yes. sherman was his coach, philbin had the inside info on flynn so we passed, and ireland whiffed on peyton. we NEED a qb to base our future on. matt moore is a decent NFL QB (no way garrard beats him out) and is only 27 (younger than weeden), but isn't going to lead us to the promised land anytime soon. great backup and capable starter. tannehill has all the measurables and is more athletic than 95% of the QBs in the NFL right now. with a year to learn the position and get reps against NFL defense, I think 2013 is not overly optimistic to see him start and do well. If he blossoms like i hope he will, then we have our first REAL QB since dan the man retired 12 years ago. its been a rough decade++, but here's to hoping ireland takes tannehill and he lives up to the promise. when your franchise is this desperate for a QB, then the #8 pick is NOT too high to pay for a lottery ticket like tannehill that looks like a winner. only time will tell. ireland messed everything else up this offseason free agency and coaching search, so i hope he at least continues his recent success in the draft cuz its the only thing he does well.

[delusions of grandeur]

is tannehill most likely our pick at #8? yes. sherman was his coach, philbin had the inside info on flynn so we passed, and ireland whiffed on peyton. we NEED a qb to base our future on. matt moore is a decent NFL QB (no way garrard beats him out) and is only 27 (younger than weeden), but isn't going to lead us to the promised land anytime soon. great backup and capable starter. tannehill has all the measurables and is more athletic than 95% of the QBs in the NFL right now. with a year to learn the position and get reps against NFL defense, I think 2013 is not overly optimistic to see him start and do well. If he blossoms like i hope he will, then we have our first REAL QB since dan the man retired 12 years ago. its been a rough decade++, but here's to hoping ireland takes tannehill and he lives up to the promise. when your franchise is this desperate for a QB, then the #8 pick is NOT too high to pay for a lottery ticket like tannehill that looks like a winner. only time will tell. ireland messed everything else up this offseason free agency and coaching search, so i hope he at least continues his recent success in the draft cuz its the only thing he does well.

And you can't underestimate the effect of the rookie wage-scale, when at worst you declare the pick a bust and move on, without being handcuffed by an absurd amount of guaranteed money.

 

No doubt this was what drove all the early QBs last year, though I'm hesitant to think that anyone is so in love with the kid (who like you said is probably gonna need a year to sit and learn), that they leap-frog Miami at 8. If he falls past there, I think you could see some dark-horses emerge, but I think it'd be a mistake (and hard to imagine) for someone to trade up above 8 for him.

 

No matter whether he's the real deal or not, Miami remains the one spot where he just makes too much sense.

[flemingd]

he didn't win the starting qb gig until his sr season, unable to beat out anyone

And Tom Brady couldn't beat out Drew Henson when Henson was a freshman and Brady was a senior. What does this have to do with apples rolling down the street in London? These guys are KIDS out there, and they constantly grow and improve.

 

So he's over hyped and not playing his natural position (Wr).

You realize Tannehill was a QB in high school, and his redshirt year at A&M right? That he only played 2.5 season as a WR? That he was offered scholarships by multiple FBS schools to play QB, not WR? It's more accurate to say he'd be a reach to play WR in the NFL, with a better chance at his natural position of QB.

[stevegrab]

ice1 & delusionsofgranduer

 

I'll have to accept that you both probably know college football better than I do, have seen Tannehill play and see something special there.

 

I'm strictly going off the facts of his college career, and how there's suddenly all this hype surrounding him. He goes from a second round pick, to first, and now top 10. Some saying as high as 3 or 4, which just seems crazy to me.

 

My only hope as a Browns fan is that we don't draft him, because I don't think another young QB (especially one as raw as he is who needs a year or two to grow) helps our team. So if Richardson isn't there (rumors continue now with TB talking to MIN to move up for Richardson) I hope they go with Blackmon, Clairborne or even Kalil.

[delusions of grandeur]

My only hope as a Browns fan is that we don't draft him, because I don't think another young QB (especially one as raw as he is who needs a year or two to grow) helps our team. So if Richardson isn't there (rumors continue now with TB talking to MIN to move up for Richardson) I hope they go with Blackmon, Clairborne or even Kalil.

To be fair, my perspective is not of someone who's watched a ton of the kid (I mean, youtube highlights can make anyone look like a stud), more just giving reasons that I don't see the red flags like I do the reasons for a team like the Dolphins to take a chance on him.

 

But I absolutely do not think he belongs above the top 8 with the elite talents (again, IMO, he's only there because of the rookie wage scale and Miami's massive need). The Browns would be absolutely foolish to pass on Richardson in particular for Tannehill.

 

If you feel okay with the state of the O-line and defense, I think the Browns would hit a homerun and cash in on the Julio deal with the first 3 picks by the 2.05 being Richardson, Wright (or whatever WR you like), Weeden.

Edited April 26, 2012 by delusions of granduer

[delusions of grandeur]

Interesting, I never used to take stock in these predraft rumors until the Falcons trade up rumors came true last year, but there were a couple articles on NFL.com, that the Browns are actually really interested in Weeden, and could potentially even trade back in the first to ensure that.

 

More realistically, I think they wait and nab him at 37 though, because I don't see any of the teams after 22 nabbing him (the teams that pick last all have QBs, and the ones picking before them in the second will then all have QBs too).

 

Mayock has a different opinion than most that they take Blackmon, and then Doug Martin at #22, but I dunno, I say give me the stud RB, a solid WR and potential franchise QB who won't take much to be an upgrade over McCoy, and feel like I made out like a bandit... All jsut more reasons I don't see Tannehill even on their radar anymore, unless he somehow fell to #22.

Edited April 26, 2012 by delusions of granduer

[Ice1]

ice1 & delusionsofgranduer

 

I'll have to accept that you both probably know college football better than I do, have seen Tannehill play and see something special there.

 

I'm strictly going off the facts of his college career, and how there's suddenly all this hype surrounding him. He goes from a second round pick, to first, and now top 10. Some saying as high as 3 or 4, which just seems crazy to me.

 

My only hope as a Browns fan is that we don't draft him, because I don't think another young QB (especially one as raw as he is who needs a year or two to grow) helps our team. So if Richardson isn't there (rumors continue now with TB talking to MIN to move up for Richardson) I hope they go with Blackmon, Clairborne or even Kalil.

 

Obviously, there is always hype about certain players entering the draft and QB's get more than most given how hard they are to project. The reason is the NFL is such a different game. No doubt some organizations may view him as a franchise type QB and others won't. I try not to put too much stock in the talking heads. We see players like Alex Smith going number 1 and most teams passing on Marino as an example.

 

After watching Tannehill and almost all of McCoy's games as an example, to my eye Tannehill looks to be a far superior QB prospect with the upside to truly be a star in a few years. Then again I like him better as a prospect than any QB drafted last year not named Newton. This is not say I don't like McCoy as he is a gamer but just don't think he is elite.

 

In the end, it only takes one team to believe he will be a Franchise Player. Coaches and GM's pay a serious price if they select a bust and the same price often times if they pass.

 

Cleveland as an example is in a division with very good QB's. If they believe Tannehill has what it takes to be a franchise player over McCoy they will take him. Not unlike the Panthers who just spent a high pick on a QB the year before. If not then Richardson probably is the pick or maybe Blackmon. No doubt though if they pass on him and becomes a stud and McCoy does not then heads will roll in a few short years unless their selection is a stud. Good news for Cleveland is there are several blue chip prospects.

 

Hype is a media thing, not a player thing. NFL teams may engage in it externally but ignore it in their draft rooms. Teams will also look far beyond a record in college and will focus on every single throw these players make. Tannehill played well with below average WR's. I do know they dropped some 60 balls which hurt his stats and I am certain several interceptions were due to WR errors.

 

By the same token some knock players like RGIII who burst onto the seen this year because he got the ball out late compared to Luck as an example. However, once one looks at the system it is obvious Luck's offense was more NFL based in timing routes while Griffen's offense was based off WR reads so his throws are post WR cut. Tannehill grades out outstanding while throwing on the move and less on pocket passing. All three of these players have vast amounts to learn every QB takes a few years to grow and learn. No team ever picks a QB to win year one. The position is way too complex.

 

Look at Rodgers and Brady. they sat behind players for a few years. Players like Manning and Aikman started year one and got killed. Luck will get killed this year and RGIII should have a better year due to team but both clubs are looking at year 3 in my view.

 

My personal take is the best fit for Tannehill are the Buffalo Bills. This is the team that should move up to get him. He could develop for a period but has a far higher skill set than Fitzpatrick. Hype aside, if another team really believes he is a Franchise quality player then that team may well move up to get him. If not then they may hope he falls to them.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Ice1

[flemingd]

Mayock has a different opinion than most that they take Blackmon, and then Doug Martin at #22, but I dunno, I say give me the stud RB, a solid WR

I agree all the way here. Richardson + any of a bunch of WR's would be preferable to Blackmon + Wilson. Jeffrey, Wright, Hill, Randle, all are no-brainers to me with Richardson.

 

because I don't see any of the teams after 22 nabbing him (the teams that pick last all have QBs, and the ones picking before them in the second will then all have QBs too).

I see this as even going a step further - I just don't see many teams using 1-3 round picks on a QB. There are 4 guys in that tier after Tannehill and none of them are world-beaters. If you're looking at these guys, it's either because you're desperate, of which there (by the time pick 37 comes) are only going to be 1 or 2, or are planning for longer term, which is pretty much just two teams. If I'm Cleveland, none of these donkeys are exciting enough to be passing up real upgrades for my roster just to compete with McCoy, who I don't even think has gotten a fair shake at a proper evaluation given the craptastic [airquote]weapons[/airquote] he has been given saddled with. I might draft a QB in the 3rd, but more likely I either wait until the 4th or try to get back into the late 3 with a next year's pick.

[Ice1]

Mayock has a different opinion than most that they take Blackmon, and then Doug Martin at #22, but I dunno, I say give me the stud RB, a solid WR and potential franchise QB who won't take much to be an upgrade over McCoy, and feel like I made out like a bandit... All jsut more reasons I don't see Tannehill even on their radar anymore, unless he somehow fell to #22.

 

I could see this playing out. It really depends on how they grade Martin vs the drop off at WR. I would think several teams would opt for the longevity of the WR. Coaches like Parcels would as many follow his mindset that RB is the most disposable position in the league. We are in a big time era of passing the football.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Ice1

[delusions of grandeur]

I could see this playing out. It really depends on how they grade Martin vs the drop off at WR. I would think several teams would opt for the longevity of the WR. Coaches like Parcels would as many follow his mindset that RB is the most disposable position in the league. We are in a big time era of passing the football.

That is true for most running-backs, but Richardson is well beyond most every running back that has or will come out for years. There likely isn't going to be another one of him for several years (when you might not be in a position to get him), whereas a WR of Blackmon's caliber can probably be had in any other year if Greg Little and the WR at 22 don't pan out.

 

I do agree that they have to evaluate whether there's more of a drop-off at RB or WR there, but you also have to evaluate who's the clearcut better player at the #4 spot too, and that's where you could make a good argument that Richardson is the best talent of anyone at any position, being able instantly come in and be tops at his position.

[stevegrab]

Interesting, I never used to take stock in these predraft rumors until the Falcons trade up rumors came true last year, but there were a couple articles on NFL.com, that the Browns are actually really interested in Weeden, and could potentially even trade back in the first to ensure that.

 

More realistically, I think they wait and nab him at 37 though, because I don't see any of the teams after 22 nabbing him (the teams that pick last all have QBs, and the ones picking before them in the second will then all have QBs too).

 

Mayock has a different opinion than most that they take Blackmon, and then Doug Martin at #22, but I dunno, I say give me the stud RB, a solid WR and potential franchise QB who won't take much to be an upgrade over McCoy, and feel like I made out like a bandit... All jsut more reasons I don't see Tannehill even on their radar anymore, unless he somehow fell to #22.

 

Funny thing about Mayock's mock is he says CLE takes Blackmon at 1.04, but he thinks they should take Richardson. I wonder what he is basing that on, as almost everybody else has CLE picking Richardson.

[delusions of grandeur]

Funny thing about Mayock's mock is he says CLE takes Blackmon at 1.04, but he thinks they should take Richardson. I wonder what he is basing that on, as almost everybody else has CLE picking Richardson.

He's basing that on the probability that they can nab Martin at 22, and so they might feel that makes better use of their first two picks.... But obviously I'm still of the mind that you take the best player on your board, especially when both needs are equally glaring.

 

Hell, I'm still not completely sold that Martin would really be a difference maker for them, and not just another dime-a-dozen above-average back. He's got the size, but not so much on the speed.... Richardson's speed per his BMI (that I based on pounds per inch), is off the charts, even better than MJD's absurd bulk/speed combo, that the only recent back I could find that was comparable was a young Michael Turner.

Edited April 26, 2012 by delusions of granduer

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

 

Really, you think they're going WR? They should get a QB, even if it is in later rounds. As a perennial Fitz fan, I would like to see Fitz with a competent QB and Weeden offers just that and they could get him in round 2. Round 1 they should get an O-lineman, imo.

 

 

Yep