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Ryan Tannehill

Dolphins Rumors: Coyle, Lazor, Tannehill

October 6th, 2015 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

While former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin is now out of a job, it doesn’t appear a decision has been finalized on equally embattled defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), new interim head coach Dan Campbell is expected to make a call today on Coyle, since Mike Tannenbaum empowered Campbell to make staff decisions.

As we wait to see what Campbell decides, let’s round up a few more Dolphins items….

  • According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Coyle is “as disliked by his players as any coach we’ve encountered here.” Jackson has heard from multiple sources that the benefits of Campbell replacing Philbin may only be marginal if Coyle or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor isn’t replaced as well.
  • If Campbell decides to make a change at defensive coordinator, linebackers coach Mark Duffner would be a candidate for the role, since he’s “well liked” within the organization, writes Jackson.
  • Jackson and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (all Twitter links) are among those corroborating and confirming most of Aaron Wilson’s report from yesterday on an altercation involving Ryan Tannehill and Dolphins practice squad players.
  • Although no reporters have confirmed Wilson’s account that Tannehill told a player to “enjoy [his] practice squad pay check,” Jackson and Marvez both provided additional details on the practice incident, and Marvez says Campbell intends to conduct practices differently in the wake of that incident.
  • Jackson also noted that – as Wilson reported – Tannehill “said something to the effect that he would prepare a scout team trophy case” for linebacker Chris McCain following a turnover in practice.
  • Dolphins owner Stephen Ross admitted to Jackson that there’s a possibility he overestimated the talent on the club’s roster. “We knew where our weaknesses were and we thought we could overcome those weaknesses and develop players that could play at that level,” Ross said. “No team has all stars, but they work together as a team and they make up for the deficiencies that other players have. I didn’t see that development happening.”
  • Ross on whether he should have fired Philbin after the 2014 season: “That’s an easy thing to say now. In retrospect, sure. I didn’t believe it then. … I may be accused of having maybe too much loyalty, but I felt that we had the right people in place…. I don’t think anybody out there wants to win more than I do…. I put my money where my mouth is, and we’re doing everything we can to win.”

Dolphins Rumors: Coyle, Tannehill, Campbell

October 5th, 2015 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

While multiple reporters, including Jason Cole of Bleacher Report and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), suggested earlier today that Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle was likely to be shown the door along with Joe Philbin, Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Coyle remains employed and is going about his job. Breer adds that Dan Campbell “has a call to make” on Coyle, suggesting the new interim head coach will make the decision on the DC’s status.

As we wait to see whether Coyle will continue to run the Dolphins’ defense, let’s round up several more items of interest out of Miami….

  • Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post provided an interesting report on the situation in Miami today, writing that Ryan Tannehill has been making negative comments toward practice squad players, who have been forcing him to turn the ball over in practice sessions. According to Wilson’s sources, the quarterback told players to “enjoy [their] practice squad pay check [and] practice squad trophy.”
  • If Wilson’s report is accurate, it’s a sign of a potentially dysfunctional locker room, but Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) received a text message from a Dolphins player saying he was unaware of any rift between Tannehill and the club’s practice squad players. Of course, if the incident Wilson describe did happen, it’s unlikely that every Dolphin player would be eager to confirm it.
  • It was only a matter of months ago that the Dolphins signed Tannehill to a long-term extension, but that deal doesn’t really guarantee him a job beyond the 2016 season, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes. It may be a little early to say Tannehill’s long-term future in Miami is in jeopardy, but as Florio notes, new coaching staffs often aren’t tied to specific players on a team’s roster — even quarterbacks.
  • Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said today that Campbell will certainly be a candidate for the Dolphins’ permanent head coaching job in 2016, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com. For what it’s worth, agent Brent Tessler tweeted today that his clients on the Dolphins said the locker room “loves” Campbell and is feeling good about the move.
  • Ross was loyal to Philbin to a fault, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who says it would have made sense for the Dolphins to part ways with Philbin after the 2014 season. La Canfora also explores possibilities for Miami’s permanent coaching job, mentioning names like Eric Mangini, Sean Payton, and Jon Gruden, though their odds range from unlikely to very unlikely.
  • Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today identifies six potential head coaching candidates the Dolphins could consider in the coming weeks or months.

AFC Quotes: Hickey, Chudzinski, Richardson

May 23rd, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine
There were plenty of storylines in the NFL this past week. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill inked an extension with the Dolphins, just another big deal handed out by the franchise. Colts associate head coach Rob Chudzinski started his new job, adapting to the peculiar role. Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson hasn’t shown up to voluntary OTAs, prompting some to question the player’s motives.
We’ve collected some interesting quotes regarding these three stories, which you can find below:
Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey on the team’s longterm planning for this offseason spending spree (appearing on 104.3 The Ticket, via Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald):
“As you put together a strategic plan, even going back to when I first interviewed for the job, you look ahead and you try to be strategic with how you try to allocate your resources. What are next year’s decisions? What are the following year’s decisions? And so we went through that.”
Dennis Hickey on the Ryan Tannehill extension:
“Having stability in the quarterback position. Our philosophy is we want to have sustained success and a quality quarterback and a proven quarterback that you believe in that’s also young and improves every year, and even within the year.
“Compare the first four games [of 2014] to the last 12 games and the growth that we saw in Ryan. Having all the tools and all the things that he brings, he’s definitely someone we believe in and want to commit to.”
Rob Chudzinski on his new role with the franchise (via Steve Andress of Colts.com):
“It’s a little bit different role than I’m used to. I’m usually out front of everything, but again, whatever I can do to help in any way. Support, be a resource for, do work for, whatever it is around the building, I can do. That’s what I want to do to help us win.
“There’s a lot that goes into it, and a lot of different things I do around the building. It’s the type of role that if everybody doesn’t know what you do, then you’re probably doing a good job.”
Sheldon Richardson on his absence from OTAs (via Twitter):
“I have a life outside of football n I chose to enjoy my family a little longer so to u fans that know everything please worry bout yourself.”
“All I’m hearing from ppl is get to OTA’s etc. like I jus wasn’t at practice yesterday putting in wrk tho.”

East Notes: Tannehill, Spikes, Cowboys, Pats

May 21st, 2015 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

While Ryan Tannehill‘s new contract with the Dolphins includes $45MM in guaranteed money, only $21.5MM of that amount is fully guaranteed, and $11.5MM of that amount comes in the form of a signing bonus, says Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). As Corry notes, the deal allows the team to pick up more than $4.5MM of much-needed cap relief for the 2016 season. However, even after taking into account Tanehill’s extension, Miami still has more money committed to ’16 contracts than any other team in the NFL.

Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) passes along a few details on Tannehill’s contract as well, reporting that the quarterback’s cap hits for 2015 and 2016 are just $4.873MM and $11.64MM respectively. The cap numbers for the last four years of the deal are in the neighborhood of $20MM.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Corry and Pelissero (Twitter links) also have the specifics on Brandon Spikes‘ one-year contract with the Patriots. The pact includes an $800K base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, a $50K workout bonus, a $25K signing bonus, and a $25K Week 1 bonus, along with up to $900K in playing-time incentives. In total, the contract can be worth a max of $2MM.
  • We heard earlier this morning that Ben Tate is working out for the Cowboys, but he’s not the only player auditioning for the team today. Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com tweets that the Cowboys are working out a group of running backs and wideouts, while Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link) hears that Felix Jones is also a part of that group.
  • Several sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that, while the league will deny that any sort of agreement is in place, Robert Kraft‘s decision not to appeal the Patriots‘ DeflateGate penalties was a calculated business move, and those sources think it will have an impact on Tom Brady‘s appeal. One owner also tells Freeman that Roger Goodell had “strong support from many owners” regarding the discipline levied on the Pats, and Kraft almost certainly wouldn’t have won an appeal anyway.
  • The Giants confirmed today in a press release that tackle Will Beatty underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, and will be sidelined for five or six months. Here are more details on that story.

Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill Agree To Extension

May 18th, 2015 at 3:43pm CST by Zachary Links

3:43pm: The quarterback gets $21.5MM guaranteed at signing, Mike Florio of PFT tweets.

3:17pm: It’s a six-year, $96MM extension that includes $45MM guaranteed, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

3:04pm: The Dolphins and quarterback Ryan Tannehill have reached agreement on a contract extension, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The deal will take Tannehill through the 2020 season (link). The Dolphins have confirmed the news via Twitter. The new pact will cover the last year of Tannehill’s rookie deal, his option season, plus four additional free agent years.

“Signing Ryan to this deal is important to our franchise,” added Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey in the team’s press release. “He is a proven quarterback in this league that combines a talented skillset with work ethic, passion, toughness, and a team first mentality. We are committed and believe in Ryan as our quarterback for the long-term and we are excited to be able to sign him to this extension.”

Tannehill is the first quarterback from the 2012 draft class to sign to a new deal. His deal could affect the market for Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson in different ways.

Tannehill, 27 in July, threw for a career high 4,045 yards in 2014, completing 392 out of 590 passes on the year. He threw for 27 touchdowns, a career high, with a career best 12 interceptions on the year. The eighth overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, Tannehill started all 48 games in his three-year career and has completed 1,029-of-1,662 passes for 11,252 yards, 63 touchdowns and 42 interceptions, for an 84.0 passer rating. Additionally, he has totaled 145 rushing attempts for 760 yards and four rushing touchdowns.

We first heard rumblings of a possible extension between the two sides back in February, but conflicting reports indicated that the two sides hadn’t yet starting talking in earnest.

Dolphins Pick Up Ryan Tannehill’s Option

April 30th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Zachary Links

THURSDAY, 3:06pm: The Dolphins have officially exercised their option on Tannehill, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

WEDNESDAY, 7:59pm: The Dolphins will exercise the 2016 option on quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s contract, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Tannehill was the No. 8 overall pick in the draft three years ago.

The Dolphins quarterback is now slated to earn $16.155MM in the fifth year of his contract. The Dolphins have been said to be interested in hammering out an extension and that, of course, could still happen. As Florio notes, the $16.1MM salary for ’16 sets the floor, the question now is what the ceiling will be for one of the league’s better young quarterbacks.

Florio has heard from people in football that they believe the Dolphins will make a very-good, but not great offer. Tannehill, who previously blinked in a contract snag as a rookie, is widely expected to play it safe and take the guaranteed dollars rather than go for a jackpot.

Tannehill, 27 in July, threw for a career high 4,045 yards in 2014, completing 392 out of 590 passes on the year. He threw for 27 touchdowns, a career high, with a career best 12 interceptions on the year.

East Notes: E. Manning, Cowboys, Dolphins

April 26th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Rory Parks

Eli Manning is entering the final year of his contract with the Giants, and there have been no discussions about an extension, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. However, the lack of negotiations has not phased the two-time Super Bowl MVP.

“I haven’t made a big deal about it,” Manning said. “[It] is not something I’m going to argue about or make a fuss about.”

Of course, Manning did receive a six-year, $97.5MM deal from the Giants back in 2010, a contract he is going to play out, so he has reason to be patient as his next contract negotiations approach. One would think that he is in line for one more big payday, even though he will be 35 when he hits unrestricted free agency next winter. New York could put the franchise tag on him if it comes down to it, though it is difficult to imagine Manning finishing his career on anything other than a multi-year deal with Big Blue.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News believes there is only one direction for the Giants to go with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft: offensive line. Even if an elite wide receiver prospect like Amari Cooper or Kevin White falls to New York, Vacchiano believes the team should resist temptation and grab one of the top offensive linemen like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers.
  • Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News looks at the top priorities for the Cowboys heading into the draft. He lists cornerback and defensive line as the two positions the team absolutely must address.
  • For a number of reasons, the Cowboys have been pretty successful in the draft under head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett and assistant director of player personnel Will McClay have a good eye for talent, executive VP Stephen Jones has wielded a “firm and disciplined hand,” and owner Jerry Jones is meddling a little less. As David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes, the one drawback to success in the draft is that other teams want to poach the successful team’s players, which has happened with the Cowboys this offseason. Running back DeMarco Murray, linebacker Bruce Carter, and special teams ace Dwayne Harris were all part of Garrett’s first draft class and all left in free agency, so the team must now deal with the unique challenge that drafting well presents: not only adding talent to the nucleus of the roster, but replacing lost talent in the most cost-effective manner possible, which includes mining hidden gems in the lower rounds. Dallas must show they are up to that task if they are to repeat as NFC East champions.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com takes a look at a number of Robert Griffin III-related questions in his latest mailbag, including the ramifications of Washington‘s decision to either exercise or not exercise RGIII’s fifth-year option.
  • In a couple of Dolphins-related items, James Walker of ESPN.com examines whether Miami would really be willing to roll the dice on Georgia RB Todd Gurley and what the holdup is in exercising Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option.
  • In Bill Belichick‘s 15 drafts with the Patriots, the team has traded up 17 times and traded down 17 times. As Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald writes, New England is one of two teams holding five of the top 101 picks in this year’s draft, so you can expect more wheeling and dealing from the Pats this week.
  • Despite the buzz surrounding Marcus Mariota and the disappointment surrounding Geno Smith, Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News believes the Jets should go with the “strategically smart” decision and trade down from their No. 6 overall pick to select Stanford OT Andrus Peat.

AFC Notes: Tannehill, Colts, Sanders

April 13th, 2015 at 9:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the Dolphins entrusting Mike Pouncey to spearhead their offensive line through the rest of the decade, their next aim is to sign Ryan Tannehill to an extension before the season begins, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

Although the two sides haven’t had contract discussions since the NFL Scouting Combine, the front office wants to make Tannehill the next Fins cornerstone player.

The Dolphins will certainly pick up the fourth-year quarterback’s fifth-year option by May 3, which will pay him more than $16MM next year if they cannot reach an agreement before Week 1.

Both Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly at the South Florida Sun Sentinel concur Tannehill will be the next Dolphin to sign a long-term extension, but Perkins argues Olivier Vernon should be next (video link). The fourth-year defensive end graded 17th in Pro Football Focus’ 2014 rankings, and Perkins notes paying Vernon before he potentially prices himself out with another solid season now that he’s playing next to Ndamukong Suh is the prudent move.

More from around the AFC, starting in Indianapolis …

  • The Colts are going to face a series of dilemmas regarding their strong 2012 draft class, writes Indianapolis Star reporter Stephen Holder. In discussing which of the non-Andrew Luck fourth-season cogs to extend, Holder ranked T.Y. Hilton, who has already fired and re-hired Drew Rosenhaus, as the priority here before following with Anthony Castonzo, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen in that order. The Colts reportedly view Castonzo, soon to be a fifth-year starter, as their long-term left tackle. Holder doesn’t see Fleener reaching the market and categorizes Allen as a deal on the back-burner despite the latter having profiled as a bigger part of the offense when he’s healthy, which hasn’t been his consistent status.
  • As expected, Emmanuel Sanders will now play in the slot when the Broncos go to three-wide receiver sets, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. A slot at SMU and with the Steelers, Sanders dominated in a role shift to an outside position last season. But with Wes Welker not returning, it’s logical for Denver to deploy their quickest wideout inside, although they won’t feature as many three-wide looks in Gary Kubiak‘s offense.
  • Should the restricted free agent remain in the Browns‘ plans, Tashaun Gipson may be the premier safety in an AFC North division that now houses neither Ed Reed nor Troy Polamalu for the first time since 2002, writes Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland placed a second-round tender on Gipson, who’s entering his age-25 season after a breakout 2014. But the Pro Bowler who’s due for unrestricted free agency next spring has yet to sign it.

AFC East Notes: Fins, Tannehill, Bradham, Jets

March 23rd, 2015 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins will work this spring on attempting to finalize a long-term contract extension for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but if the two sides don’t reach an agreement, Miami will be comfortable exercising Tannehill’s fifth-year option for the 2016 season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

That option would pay Tannehill $16.155MM, and would give the Dolphins a little more time to work something out with the signal-caller. However, the team may prefer to get a deal done sooner rather than later in order to ensure that Tannehill’s 2016 cap number isn’t quite so high.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC East, including a couple more Dolphins notes….

  • The Dolphins don’t have plans to add a guard in free agency or in the first couple rounds of the draft, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who passes along some quotes from executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum on the subject. The club currently plans to have Billy Turner at one guard spot, with Dallas Thomas getting the opportunity to win the other starting job.
  • Tannenbaum also spoke to Salguero about why the Dolphins were comfortable swapping out Mike Wallace for Kenny Stills, even though it meant essentially giving up a third-round pick in exchange for a fifth-rounder.
  • The Bills are expected to discuss a potential contract extension for linebacker Nigel Bradham this week, sources tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bradham, who established new career highs with 104 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and seven passes defended, is eligible for an extension on his rookie deal for the first time this offseason, and hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent back in January. Both Rosenhaus and Bills negotiator Jim Overdorf are in attendance at the annual league meetings in Arizona.
  • Former Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger could become the latest free agent to make the move from one New York team to the other. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), Paysinger is scheduled to visit the Jets tomorrow.

AFC East Rumors: Revis, Jets, Tannehill

March 8th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Rob DiRe

It will be hard to beat the Patriots re-signing Devin McCourty in terms of news, but there are a number of other rumors surrounding the AFC East teams as we approach free agency.

  • As the “legal tampering” period continues, the Patriots are still the favorites to keep either Darrelle Revis or McCourty, and are “a pretty good bet” to keep both players, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). The team already completed a deal with McCourty, and only needs to keep Revis to make good on Curran’s tweet.
  • While the Patriots may be the favorites, keeping Revis is not a done deal. The Chiefs and Jets are still contenders to sign Revis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Jets are looking to add a veteran passer to its quarterback depth chart, and one name that has surfaced as a favorite it Brian Hoyer, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
  • The team has also targeted Ryan Mallett as a possible addition, although he has far less experience than fellow Tom Brady-backup Hoyer (via Twitter).
  • La Canfora also examines the impact of the Dolphins signing Ndamukong Suh will have on Ryan Tannehill‘s next contract. He writes the team has left itself little wiggle room to pay Tannehill if he has another productive season that would warrant an Alex Smith-like extension, which came in at four years and $68MM, with $45MM in guaranteed money.
  • It also surfaced that the Bills are expected to come to terms on a long-term deal with newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel.
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