Ryan Tannehill has turned heads in South Beach. Veteran quarterback David Garrard claims he's never seen a young quarterback pick up the playbook so quickly -- faster than some of his elders -- and center Mike Pouncey believes the Dolphins have found "a very mature rookie."
Draft experts pegged Tannehill as a quarterback that needed a year to sit and absorb the pro game, but we imagine he'll be thrust into the lineup sooner than later. He isn't sure when he'll start.
"I don't know," Tannehill told ESPN Radio, via ProFootballTalk.com. "They haven't told me anything. I'm just going to go in and compete. That's what I want to do every day, go in and compete. ... I want to play, but I don't think they've really spelled out their plans for me."
ATL's take: Barring the sun crashing into our earth, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will start Week 1. It would come as no surprise if Brandon Weeden opens the season under center for the Cleveland Browns.
Tannehill is heading toward membership in this group. He hasn't been tested against a live defense, and here in May, all these rookies play like giants against ghost defenders and air. His grasp of offensive coordinator Mike Sherman's scheme is helpful. If his progress continues at this pace, the Dolphins will pull the trigger.