Experience deficit: 19 fewer college starts than Luck and RG3

[Penthos]

When we complain about RT's pocket awareness, decision making, timing and accuracy, these are all areas where experience plays a big part. It's easy to forget that this young man has only been playing QB for a little over 3 years. So while his development may be behind where you would want the #8 overall pick in his second year to be, when you consider he has almost two college seasons less experience than pretty much all other first round QBs, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Especially since he does seem to be improving in different areas from game to game:

• Pocket Awareness - he has been getting better at moving around in the pocket, feeling pressure, stepping up, using his legs more, keeping his eyes downfield and taking off when it's there... That's all good. I'm not saying he's there yet, (he's still making mistakes in the pocket) just that he seems to be getting better. Experience helps!

• Throwing Downfield - His down field attempts to Wallace are up. That is the most important thing to me. While they are still trying to get their timing down, RT IS making adjustments from game to game. If you recall, after several UNDER throws to Wallace in the Tampa game, RT told the press that Philbin said not to hold back... just let it fly (or something to that effect) and let Wallace run under it. Clearly that's what Tanny did against Carolina. The problem, if you want to call it that, is that RT has a freaking canon. A canon that is capable of out-throwing almost any receiver. Which is why his deep pass attempts being up is so important. Each attempt is another in-game rep experience that should help him fine tune that cannon. And let us not forget that it's only been the last few games that RT has even had the pass protection to throw down field more than one or twice a game.

• Snap Count - Defenses can no longer depend on the "Go-Go" to get the jump on what we are doing. Furthermore, in the last two games, Tanny has used the snap count to not just get defenders to tip their coverage, but he has TWICE pulled defenders offsides with the snap count. Again, an area that IS improving with experience and can still improve.

In closing, when you compare Tanny's numbers to those of the "Golden Boys" of the 2012 draft class, the gap between them seems like less than 19 starts to me. And thus I still believe RT can be an "elite" QB. It just might take him an extra season to get there ...

 

[bcsupratt]

Give me Tanny over RG3 all day!

 

[HoneyB]

I think you have to look at steady improvement, not "game to game" because he could do well one game, and not the other. That's where consistency comes in. I agree about Sunday's game. I saw clearly better pocket awareness. But from last year to this year, he has taken more sacks, and has made much less use of his feet, and seemed oblivious to pressure. We'll see how he does against the Jets.

 

[artdnj]

Tannehill may not be the next Marino but from what I've seen he's the best we've seen in a long time with room to grow. I'd love to see him behind a above average OL? And let's not forget that he's a great person and not a hint of RGIII thank god.

 

[mithga13]

Marino always had a good pass protecting offensive line, and the snap release didn't hurt. I suspect if RT is given more time on a more regular basis, he will be a top-10 QB....not top-5, and I'm not sure he will ever rise to that status(Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers, I'm not sure he ever gets quite that high)...but I think he will be more than fine if you put good/great talent around him. Which I don't trust Ireland to do. Particularly with the offensive line, its been Irelands biggest weakness for years.

And if we want to have a perenial contender, we need someone to draft consistently well year over year so we don't have to overpay free agents.

 

[Shouright]

I think if he can crank his QB rating and YPA up just a tad over these last five games, this season should be considered a smashing success in terms of the trajectory of his overall development.

Now of course it would help if Mike Sherman started running the ball, instead of placing so much of the offense on Ryan Tannehill's shoulders.

 

[vt_dolfan]

I think if he can crank his QB rating and YPA up just a tad over these last five games, this season should be considered a smashing success in terms of the trajectory of his overall development.

Now of course it would help if Mike Sherman started running the ball, instead of placing so much of the offense on Ryan Tannehill's shoulders.

I agree Shou. I enjoy reading your threads when they don't inlclude words like standard deviation..

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[Shouright]

I think if he can crank his QB rating and YPA up just a tad over these last five games, this season should be considered a smashing success in terms of the trajectory of his overall development.

Now of course it would help if Mike Sherman started running the ball, instead of placing so much of the offense on Ryan Tannehill's shoulders.

I agree Shou. I enjoy reading your threads when they don't inlclude words like standard deviation..

Of course, if I didn't understand and apply the concept of standard deviation, I couldn't tell you with any certainty that Mike Sherman was running the ball any less than the average team! :up:

 

[trojanma]

When we complain about RT's pocket awareness, decision making, timing and accuracy, these are all areas where experience plays a big part. It's easy to forget that this young man has only been playing QB for a little over 3 years. So while his development may be behind where you would want the #8 overall pick in his second year to be, when you consider he has almost two college seasons less experience than pretty much all other first round QBs, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Especially since he does seem to be improving in different areas from game to game:

• Pocket Awareness - he has been getting better at moving around in the pocket, feeling pressure, stepping up, using his legs more, keeping his eyes downfield and taking off when it's there... That's all good. I'm not saying he's there yet, (he's still making mistakes in the pocket) just that he seems to be getting better. Experience helps!

• Throwing Downfield - His down field attempts to Wallace are up. That is the most important thing to me. While they are still trying to get their timing down, RT IS making adjustments from game to game. If you recall, after several UNDER throws to Wallace in the Tampa game, RT told the press that Philbin said not to hold back... just let it fly (or something to that effect) and let Wallace run under it. Clearly that's what Tanny did against Carolina. The problem, if you want to call it that, is that RT has a freaking canon. A canon that is capable of out-throwing almost any receiver. Which is why his deep pass attempts being up is so important. Each attempt is another in-game rep experience that should help him fine tune that cannon. And let us not forget that it's only been the last few games that RT has even had the pass protection to throw down field more than one or twice a game.

• Snap Count - Defenses can no longer depend on the "Go-Go" to get the jump on what we are doing. Furthermore, in the last two games, Tanny has used the snap count to not just get defenders to tip their coverage, but he has TWICE pulled defenders offsides with the snap count. Again, an area that IS improving with experience and can still improve.

In closing, when you compare Tanny's numbers to those of the "Golden Boys" of the 2012 draft class, the gap between them seems like less than 19 starts to me. And thus I still believe RT can be an "elite" QB. It just might take him an extra season to get there ...

Good writup I have been saying this all season.
I would add that playing WR at Texas AM for two seasons also stunted his growth in ways that we will never know. You can't focus on being excellent at two different positions.

Everyone knew RT was a raw work in progress before we drafted him. It baffles me that so many are floored that he has turned out to be exactly that.

 

[DKphin]

Can we get off the experience thing? The guy has been in the league for over a 1.5 yrs. I think he has experience.:rolleyes2:

 

[Namor]

Don't forget about our world renown QB coach Zac Taylor....I bet he helps Ryan out a lot..........as in getting coffee for Ryan.

 

[mithga13]

Sure he has experience, the same experience he would have spending a few rounds in the ring with Tyson back in say 88.

And most great QB's don't start to play great consistently until around season 4.

Again, to be clear, I don't think he will ever be great (top 3 or 4), but I think he will be very good given the opportunity to continue to grow. I do NOT see Chad Henne when I watch him.

Can we get off the experience thing? The guy has been in the league for over a 1.5 yrs. I think he has experience.:rolleyes2:

 

[spiketex]

Good writup I have been saying this all season.
I would add that playing WR at Texas AM for two seasons also stunted his growth in ways that we will never know. You can't focus on being excellent at two different positions.

Everyone knew RT was a raw work in progress before we drafted him. It baffles me that so many are floored that he has turned out to be exactly that.

Where you see the 2 years as a WR stunted his growth, I see those 2 years as having built his mental toughness and hunger to play as a QB. Don't forget that the mental toughness that you see in Tom Brady was partly forged by being a backup in Michigan. The naturally talented players who have been presented everything on a silver platter may have the technique and skills but the benefit of experiencing hunger cannot be understated. Excellence as a QB is partly mental.

 

[Finland]

Of course, if I didn't understand and apply the concept of standard deviation, I couldn't tell you with any certainty that Mike Sherman was running the ball any less than the average team! :up:

Yes you could, you just wouldn't know if it was statistically significant! : )

 

[Shouright]

Yes you could, you just wouldn't know if it was statistically significant! : )

...which is what I meant by "with any certainty."