Ryan Tannehill in a huge year for the Dolphins – and himself

Written by Matthew Cannata
It is a common perception throughout the NFL that year three for most players, especially quarterbacks, is the year where they truly blossom and break out as a player. 

Of course, there are exceptions to that rule where players make a huge impact right away such as Andrew Luck but there are also players who take longer than three years to truly break out, such as Drew Brees.

Tannehill is 15-17 as a starter in two years but anyone who has been following the Dolphins knows there have been tons of problems over that time. Whether it was Tannehill’s rookie year, no offensive line last year, no running game or something else, there always seemed to be an excuse. However, the Dolphins front office did everything they could in the offseason to help Tannehill succeed by adding Branden Albert, Shelley Smith, Ja’Wuan James and Jarvis Landry. In 2014, there should be no excuses.

A huge year for Tannehill will result in a huge contract. The Dolphins currently have about $16 million in salary-cap space heading into training camp and besides a few additions here and there, Miami will take most of that money into next season. The Dolphins will have one more season with Tannehill’s low cap number before his contract expires after the 2015 season.

Therefore, 2014 is a huge year for the Dolphins as it will help give them a glimpse at whether or not Tannehill is a franchise quarterback. In the same breath, it’s also a huge year for Tannehill – not only to help establish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the game but also to set up himself and his family for financial success for life.

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