Adrian Fedkiw
Each day leading up to the official start of the NFL football season, I will be providing you with player rankings, team previews, analysis, predictions, opinions and a whole lot more.
Can the quarterback whisperer take Ryan Tannehill’s career to the next level?
The former first-rounder Tannehill, who signed a $96 million extension with $45 million guaranteed over five years last offseason, didn’t take that necessary leap last season and was inconsistent.
It’s Adam Gase’s job to make sure Tannehill’s career hasn’t plateaued. He’s done wonders in the past with Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow and Jay Cutler, we’ll see how he’ll tailor-make the offense for Tannehill.
The 38-year-old is the youngest head coach in the league, taking over for interim headman Dan Campbell, who replaced Joe Philbin during the season. Despite the age, Gase has been in the NFL since he was 18 and has a tough task of turning around an offense which ranked 27th in points per game a year ago.
Miami has made some head-scratching moves during prior offseasons and were a gasmask away from a horrendous trade in this one, swapping first-round picks with the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Byron Maxwell and his hefty contract and linebacker Kiko Alonso. Good thing Laremy Tunsil fell to them. Those past discretions led to the team not being able to bring back Lamar Miller, Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby.
Grading the Roster
QBs- Ryan Tannehill (7.5), Matt Moore (7.2)
RBs- Jay Ajayi (7.4), Arian Foster (7.3), Damien Williams (7.3)
WRs- Jarvis Landry (7.9), DeVante Parker (7.4), Kenny Stills (7.3), Leonte Carroo (7.2)
TEs- Jordan Cameron (7.3), Dion Sims (7.2)
Ts- Branden Albert (7.5), Ja’Wuan James (7.3), Sam Young (7.2)
Gs- Laremy Tunsil (7.5), Billy Turner (7.2), Jermon Bushrod (7.2)
Cs- Mike Pouncey (7.5), Kraig Urbik (7.2)
DEs- Cameron Wake (7.9), Mario Williams (7.5), Andre Branch (7.3), Jason Jones (7.2)
DTs- Ndamukong Suh (8.5), Earl Mitchell (7.3), Jordan Phillips (7.2), DeAndre Coleman (7.1)
OLBs- Koe Misi (7.5), Jelani Jenkins (7.4), Spencer Paysinger (7.2), Neville Hewitt (7.2)
MLBs- Kiko Alonso (7.2), Zach Vigil (7.1)
CBs- Byron Maxwell (7.3), Xavien Howard (7.2), Bobby McCain (7.2), Tony Lippett (7.1)
Ss- ReShad Jones (8.1), Isa Abdul-Quddus (7.3), Michael Thomas (7.2)
K- Andrew Franks (7.3)
P- Matt Darr (7.3)
KR- Damien Williams (7.3)
PR- Jarvis Landry (7.4)
Team Rankings
Team- 7.341 (30/32)
Offense- 7.348 (24/32)
Defense- 7.349 (21/32)
Quarterbacks- 7.35 (23/32)
Running Backs- 7.33 (16/32)
Receivers- 7.38 (17/32)
Offensive Line- 7.33 (20/32)
Defensive Line- 7.44 (11/16)
Linebackers- 7.27 (13/16)
Secondary- 7.34 (22/32)
Special Teams- 7.33
Coaches- 7.3
PREDICTION– 5-11 (4th AFC East)
QUARTERBACKS
Tannehill had been progressing each and every season until last year and seemed to always shrink away from the moment. He completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 4,208 yards with 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passes rating of 88.7. He was 23rd in third-down efficiency and 24th in the fourth quarter department.
The former college wide receiver has a huge arm with a quick release and can make all the throws, but lacks consistency with his accuracy. He can fit the ball into the tightest window on one play, but then be off the mark on an easy pitch-and-catch on the very next snap. His decision making is fine, but I do believe him now being in his third system in five years has impacted his growth a bit.
Matt Moore is a journeyman back-up that has the potential to win some games if Tannehill goes down for any period of time and I’m a fan of the rookie Brandon Doughty of Western Kentucky.
RUNNING BACKS
The Dolphins will attempt to make up for the loss of Miller with second-year Boise State product Jay Ajayi, former Houston Texan Arian Foster, Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake.
Ajayi had flashes as a rookie, but his knees may limit his workload. He had iffy knees coming out of college and was the reason why he fell to the fifth round of the draft. He has solid vision is thickly built and gets yards after contact. He’s also a solid pass catcher coming out of the backfield.
Foster is on the wrong side of 30 and obviously has his fair share of injuries, so anything the Dolphins can get out of him will be a plus. Will the third running back on the roster go to the third-round rookie Drake or the veteran Williams? Both guys are proficient coming out of the backfield and possess good speed.
RECEIVERS
Jarvis Landry has quickly become one of the best possession receivers in the game and Tannehill’s security blanket. He’s hauled in a record-setting 194 passes over his first two years, including 110 receptions for 1,157 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Landry isn’t your typical slot receiver, relying on strength more than quickness, which is the status quo for most. He has huge hands, which helps him pluck nearly everything his way, including a couple via the one-handed variety like that ridiculous snag against the Indianapolis Colts. He’s also exceptional running after the catch despite not being the fastest receiver in the league.
DeVante Parker’s progression is key following the loss of Rishard Matthews. The first-round pick of Louisville has solid body control and is strong at the catch point. Kenny Stills is a deep threat, while rookie Leonte Carroo is a player to watch. Jordan Cameron has yet to flash the pass catching ability he had in Cleveland and Dion Sims is the better blocker of the two.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Branden Albert has battled injuries throughout his career, but when healthy, he’s one of the top pass blocking tackles in the league. He’s very athletic, plays with great balance and patience. He finishes off his blocks with power and has a good punch. Albert uses his athleticism in the run game and does well on the second level. He understands angles, but he does sometimes tend to come in too high. Ja’Wuan James will be the starter at right tackle after missing the second half of 2015 with a toe injury.
The guard spot was a huge liability in 2015 and the hope is that Tunsil can make the seamless transition to guard from tackle and fill the hole immediately. I don’t see why not, he has the skills to play there. Billy Turner, Jermon Bushrod and Kraig Urbik are fighting for the other starting job at guard.
Mike Pouncey might not be as good of a center as his brother Maurkice in Pittsburgh, but is still very solid. He’s mobile, explosive and strong.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
The second highest paid defensive player in the NFL Ndamukong Suh still hasn’t been able to match his career high sack total of 10 during his rookie season, but notching six for a defensive tackle is nothing to scoff at.
He’s the quickest off the snap of any defensive tackle in the league and if your blocker doesn’t have elite recovery speed, you can forget about stopping him. And not only can he beat you with his quickness off the snap, his immense power allows him to push the pocket. You have to double-team him every snap. If there is one thing that Suh’s learned since his impressive rookie season, it’s patience and awareness, especially in run defense. He would get upfield so quickly that opposing offenses would use this against him, but he’s grown more keen of that since. Earl Mitchell is a solid defensive tackle who will start alongside Suh, while Chris Jones and last year’s second rounder Jordan Phillips provide depth.
How much can the Dolphins get out of the aging Cameron Wake and Mario Williams, who was very disappointing in Buffalo last season. The 34-year-old Wake comes off an Achilles injury so we’ll see if he can remain elite. When healthy, Wake has a great bend and burst off the snap. His shoulder dip to get under the hands of a blocker is insane and once he gets past that right tackle, he turns on the jets to get to the quarterback. He plays with good leverage and has a non-stop motor. His run stuffing ability, however, is not a strength.
LINEBACKERS
What can the Dolphins expect out of Alonso, who looked liked a shell of himself in Philadelphia last season after shining as a rookie before his ACL tear. He appeared passive when running downhill and struggled to wrap up ballcarriers.
Jelani Jenkins and Koa Misi are both solid and overlooked at outside linebacker. Jenkins wasn’t as good last year, though, dealing with injuries after breaking out in 2014.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The cornerback situation in Miami is dire, but the safety spot is not.
The underrated ReShad Jones checks off every category in the stat columns. He posted106 tackles, fie interceptions, two of which were returned for scores, and a pair of sacks. At 6’1 210 Jones is a guy that likes to play in the box and lay the lumber. He can make tackles in space, pursuit and in traffic. In coverage, Jones sees a lot of action against opposing tight ends. He’s not exactly the most consistent in coverage, but evidenced by his pick-sixes, he makes splash plays. Isa Abdul-Quddus has always flashed as a backup in Detroit, but will finally get an opportunity to start in Miami.
If you don’t look at the money aspect, Maxwell is actually a solid corner, but the Dolphins are clearly lacking talent behind him. That includes Tony Lippett, Bobby McCain and Chimdi Chekwa.
TEAM PREVIEWS
NFL PLAYER RANKINGS
Top 50 NFL 4-3 Outside Linebackers