Unlike Cam Newton, Expect Ryan Tannehill to Live Up to Promise of Rookie Year

Ryan Tannehill has had a promising start to his career, much like Cam Newton did last season, but Tannehill is going to live up to his potential—unlike the man who calls himself "Superman". 

Tannehill has the skillset to thrive in the NFL for a long time, and as we've already seen with the Miami Dolphins, he possesses that little "extra something" that makes his teammates better.

Consider this: Tannehill came within one yard of Newton's rookie passing record in Week 4 on the road against the Arizona Cardinals when he threw for 431 yards against the same defense that stifled Tom Brady and Michael Vick in the teams' two previous games.  

The biggest kicker here is the lack of skill Tannehill has to work with at the wide receiver position. Unlike Newton, who had Steve Smith, Tannehill's No. 1 option is Brian Hartline—a guy who only had four career touchdown catches before his breakout game against the Cardinals. 

Newton plays with absolutely no discipline. He also doesn't pay attention to the little details that make good quarterbacks great. His footwork is terrible, his decision making is always suspect, and if he doesn't change soon, he's never going to live up to his potential. 

Tannehill, on the other hand, is just starting to get into his groove as a quarterback. He isn't blessed with the same level of athleticism as Newton, so he is actually learning how to become a pocket quarterback—something that will pay dividends for him in the long run. 

He stands tall in the pocket and waits for his receivers to work themselves open—displaying uncommon poise under pressure. 

Another reason Tannehill will live up to his potential is that he has an offensive-minded head coach—unlike Newton. Joe Philbin understands how to develop quarterbacks, whereas Ron Rivera doesn't have the first clue. 

Tannehill's career trajectory is going straight up. 

Newton's, on the other hand, is falling flat.

Once the Dolphins acquire some real weapons for him to work with, Tannehill is going to become a perennial Pro-Bowl quarterback.

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