One of the first orders of business for coach Adam Gase with the Dolphins is finding a way to get better results out of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, something that has been a frequent topic of conversation for Gase and others in the organization since Gase was named Joe Philbin’s successor last month.
It continued to be a topic when Gase spoke to the media from the Scouting Combine on Wednesday. Gase was asked about how much freedom Tannehill would have to change plays, something he didn’t enjoy under Philbin and something that’s been cited as working against Tannehill by wide receiver Greg Jennings and others. Gase said the quarterback would have the right to check out of plays, although how much would be determined over time and that “earlier it’s probably not going to be as much as it will be later.”
Progression was a recurring theme in Gase’s comments about getting Tannehill moving in a better direction on the field.
“It’s not going to be like all of a sudden in two weeks we’re going to be like, all right, I got it,” Gase said, via the Miami Herald. “It’s going to take the entire spring. It’s going to take training camp. It’s going to take regular-season games. This is not going to be one of those things where I’m going to have a great feel for him right away. We’re going to have to go through a little bit of a process. There’s going to be bumps in the road, but that’s football.”
Bumps in the road are nothing new for the Dolphins, but it’s been a long time since they’ve been able to get through them to flatter ground. If Gase can move Tannehill to a higher plane, smoother sailing should be ahead in Miami.