Sage Rosenfels column: Tannehill entering make-or-break season

Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.

Playing quarterback for the Miami Dolphins is not easy. The South Florida sun shines intensely bright which also creates dark shadows. Not many NFL cities have a shadow as large as the one cast by Miami Dolphins legendary quarterback Dan Marino. Not only was Marino possibly the greatest pure thrower in NFL history, but he has also been a strong public figure in the area since his retirement nearly 17 years ago. The Dolphins have tried desperately to fill the giant shoes of Marino ever since, and time and time again, they have failed. Unlike the Packers, Colts, or 49ers, who replaced legendary quarterbacks with another great signal-caller, the Dolphins’ hunt continues.

When Ryan Tannehill was drafted eighth overall by the Dolphins in 2012, South Florida was hoping they may have finally found their answer. Though he was not very polished for a top-10 pick, his strong arm and athletic ability gave Tannehill huge upside. After five seasons as the Dolphins' starter, the question still remains as to whether Tannehill is the long-term solution for Miami. 2017 is an extremely important year for him, and the Dolphins, as this team has many of the pieces needed for success.

Any good team and offense begins with coaching. I have seen great quarterbacks struggle when playing in an offense run by a subpar coordinator. Anyone who has used the excuse that Miami didn’t have great offensive coaching in the past should be silenced by the fact they have excellent coaching now in Adam Gase. In the last few seasons, he has proved that he has a deep knowledge of the X's and O's of football, as well as the relatability that players love. Based off both the success and praise of his former quarterbacks in Denver and Chicago, Gase is one of those coaches that every quarterback should want to play for. The success of a quarterback relies heavily on his coaching, and this can no longer be used as an excuse for Tannehill.

Ask any quarterback in the NFL, even Brady or Rodgers, and they will tell you that having a strong running game is key for a dangerous offense. After years of so-so running back play, the Dolphins finally found a young star in Jay Ajayi. The value of the running back position is not as important as it used to be, but Ajayi has shown the ability to take over a game by himself. For a quarterback, there is no better feeling than handing off the ball and winning games. After a slow 1-4 start in 2016, Miami won 9-of-10 games. During that stretch, Ajayi ran for an average of 110 yards a game. As with the coaching, Tannehill supporters no longer have the excuse of a poor running game as a reason why he hasn’t become a premier NFL quarterback.

At the wide receiver position, the Dolphins have a nice mix of players that can hurt you in a variety of ways. Jarvis Landry is the star of the group, but is an untraditional threat. Landry is a part of a new trend of NFL wide receivers, in that he can be a threat on the outside, but is almost impossible to cover in the slot. Once the ball is in his hands, he turns into a running back type athlete who is a challenge for defenses to take to the ground. Quarterbacks love players like Landry because they can receive a short pass and turn it into a big play. He is also a security blanket for Tannehill as his ability to get separation at the line of scrimmage allows the QB to get rid of the ball quickly when under pressure.

Across from Landry are two threats, DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills. Parker hasn’t lived up to the hype of being the 14th pick of the 2015 draft, but he was a solid option opposite Landry in 2016. He is a big, physical receiver who is good enough to prevent teams from doubling Landry all game. His game must elevate going into his third season. Stills, who was re-signed just before the start of free agency, plays a vital role in this offense. A dangerous, balanced attack needs a player who can threaten a secondary down the field. Stills averaged over 17 yards per catch and had nine touchdowns in 2016. That’s impressive for a guy who was considered the number three option going into the season. Stills is the perfect compliment to Ajayi in the running game. If the safeties get too nosy, Stills is the deep play threat over the top. His vertical threat also helps open up the short and mid-range routes for Landry. Miami knew that re-signing Stills was an important aspect of having a well-balanced attack. This wide receiver group is a perfect mix of athletes who can hurt a defense in a variety of ways. Again, this is no longer a weakness in Miami.

The biggest hole in the 2016 Dolphins offense was the lack of pass catching production at the tight end position. The signing of Julius Thomas should immediately remedy this. Though he is one of the worst blocking tight ends in the NFL (this may hurt Ajayi’s production) Thomas is a serious threat in the passing game. Of course, his best years were a direct result of playing with Peyton Manning in Denver, but he is also reunited with the coach who knew how to get him the ball, Adam Gase. Their history together means there will be no learning curve for Thomas in Miami. Together, this coach and player have excelled in this offense. I’m guessing Tannehill has been watching plenty of cutups of Thomas’ big plays in Denver while Gase was calling the plays. The quarterback needs to quickly figure out how Peyton Manning made Thomas into an NFL star three years ago. Is tight end still a weakness? Nope.

This is a very important year for Ryan Tannehill. By winning 10 games and getting into the playoffs, the Dolphins and Tannehill, were much improved in Adam Gase’s first year as head coach. This team has weapons at all of the offensive positions to be successful in 2017. Though he has the unlucky task of playing in the same division as Tom Brady, the Dolphins have the right coach and players to finally compete with the Patriots. Add to the fact that both the Jets and Bills don’t look like playoff-caliber teams, the 2017 Dolphins need to take the next step. For that to happen, Tannehill needs to raise his level of play.

The question I get asked the most by Miami fans is whether Ryan Tannehill is the long-term solution for the Dolphins. The way I almost always answer that question is, “Do you think he is good enough that, with the right team around him, he can win a Super Bowl?” Yes, I’m answering a question with a question, but I think that’s where you start when analyzing a quarterback. Having a guy who can carry a team on his back to advance deep in the playoffs is very rare. There are only a handful of teams who have that luxury. For the rest, the question must be whether the quarterback is good enough to win if placed on a team with the right mix of coaching and talent.

In Miami, they have found the right coach and the team has enough talent to be successful. Their quarterback, who has shown occasional flashes of elite play, must take his game to another level. If he doesn’t, Ryan Tannehill will land on the long list of quarterbacks who have failed to become stars in Miami since the retirement of Dan Marino. Going into his sixth season, there are no more excuses. The time is now to move up or move out for Ryan Tannehill.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)