Gase: Tannehill ‘right’ to kick rookie RB out
DAVIE— Dolphins coach Adam Gase supported quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s decision to kick running back Kalen Ballage out of the huddle during Sunday’s practice. The rookie fourth-round pick from Arizona State missed a blocking assignment that gave defensive end Charles Harris a free shot at Tannehill.
“He was right today with what he did,” Gase said. “I would have been upset if I was him because he knows what the result in a game would have been. It would have been painful for him, for sure.
“I think he was in the right to kind of make an example there. When he does things like that, I think for our offense, that’s a good thing.”
Harris, of course, didn’t hit Tannehill because defenders are not suppose to hit quarterbacks in practice, and the Dolphins were in shorts and shoulder pads.
Still, the usually eventempered Tannehill let loose on Ballage, motioning for him to go to the sideline. And then he kept going at him on the sideline.
It appeared Ballage, who was lined up in the backfield, went on a pass route instead of checking to see what Harris, who was lined up at left defensive end, was doing.
It’s rare for Tannehill, in his seventh season, to be so animated. It’s also been rare for Ballage, who has had a solid training camp despite a couple of notable turnovers, to be so absentminded. As evidence of that, his snaps with the firstteam offense have increased lately.
Ball age, who has displayed agility and soft hands as a big-bodied 6-foot-2, 237-pound back, had 83 yards on 14 touches in the 26-24 loss to Tampa Bay in Thursday’s preseason opener. But he also lost a fumble after hurdling a defender. In a practice he was stripped of a reception that was taken 40 yards for a touchdown.
Gase stood with his quarter back on this episode.
“I think it can be difficult,” Gase said, “because you’re trying to keep the tempo at practice and you can’t kick a guy out of the huddle all of the time.
“You can’t shut it down all of the time and have big discussions. It’s a feel, timing. When is the right time to be like, ‘You know what? We’re not right here. We need somebody else in here.’ ”