Tannehill’s QB instincts criticized
Former NFL exec says that pro quarterbacks are born, not made.
One of the most common criticisms of Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is that he lacks the instincts necessary to be an upper-echelon quarterback.
Despite the progress made by Tannehill under fifirst- year coach Adam Gase in 2016, a former NFL executive chose Tannehill as his example of a player who lacks the natural instincts indicative of a highly effffffffffffective quarterback.
Michael Lombardi, a former Browns, Eagles and Raiders executive with a scouting background, has written a column for The Ringer titled “Seven Habits for Drafting a Highly Effffffffffffective Quarterback.”
Lombardi’s Trait No. 5: The Crib Factor. Was he born to be a quarterback?
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are listed as greats who were born to play quarterback. Lombardi suggests this trait favors Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in the upcoming NFL draft.
As for Tannehill, Lombardi is not a fan. He writes:
“On the flflip side, think about Ryan Tannehill. A terrifific athlete? Absolutely. Naturally instinctive for the position? No. The faster the game becomes, the more instincts take over — and that’s when Tannehill gets into trouble. Look at his career numbers on third down: He’s thrown 26 interceptions, averages a half-yard less per attempt than his overall average, and completes just 58 percent of his passes. The faster the game, the less you like Tannehill. The opposite is true for Watson. That’s the crib factor.”
Tannehill is an easy target for