What Ryan Tannehill Trade Means for Mariota, 2019 Titans

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We’re a few days removed from the Ryan Tannehill trade that sent the former Miami Dolphins quarterback to the Tennessee Titans. The Dolphins received a 2020 fourth rounder along with a 2019 seventh rounder. The Titans received Tannehill and a 2019 sixth rounder. The Titans restructured Tannehill’s 2019 contract into a $7 million deal that includes incentives that potentially increase its value to $12 million. The Dolphins will pay $5 million in the form of a signing bonus.

An active offseason continues for a franchise which has finished each of the last three seasons with a 9-7 record. Two of those three seasons ended without a playoff appearance. General manager Jon Robinson must get this team out of the conundrums of mediocrity. Flashes of brilliance were displayed with victories against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Can they eliminate letdowns such as their loss against the Buffalo Bills?

One way to correct that issue is to provide a better insurance policy at the biggest question mark on this roster. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota enters his fifth season amidst a divided fan base of believers, doubters, and Jekyll and Hyde reactions based on weekly performances. Mariota faces a 2019 season which may determine whether the franchise gives him a $100 million contract or starts over.

There’s a famous proverb among football players and coaches: “Your best ability is availability.” Mariota spent most of last season either missing games or playing through an elbow injury. He has been unavailable for three of four Week 17 finales. Through four seasons, Mariota has missed eight games. He has left seven games. He entered one game as an emergency backup quarterback. This doesn’t include the many games that he has toughed out.

Enter Ryan Tannehill. The former 2012 NFL Draft No. 8 pick provides a significant upgrade compared to previous backup quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Blaine Gabbert. Tannehill offers a similar playing style to Mariota that should prevent new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith from making many adjustments.

Nobody should expect a starting quarterback controversy—not right away. Next training camp, Ryan Tannehill will turn age 31. His Dolphins tenure was plagued with mediocrity. The Tannehill era (2012-16, 18) featured one playoff appearance. That came when a Week 14 knee injury ended his 2016 season. A subsequent ACL tear forced him to miss the entire 2017 season. Pro Football Focus ranked all quarterbacks who finished 2018 with a minimum 500 offensive snaps. Out of 33 quarterbacks, Tannehill ranked No. 33. Dead last. His 45.3 grade was lower than No. 31 Lamar Jackson (58.5) and No. 32 Josh Rosen (49.1). Other grades include Marcus Mariota (No. 17, 76.8) and Blake Bortles (No. 29, 64.1).

…Yikes. Let’s hope another year removed from the knee injury helps Tannehill rediscover more competency. The Titans have a well-balanced team that can compete against nearly any style of matchup. While Tannehill provides nothing in the deep passing game, he just needs to complement a solid ground game with an evolving supporting cast that includes a returning Delanie Walker and newly added Adam Humphries. Avoid turnovers. Don’t get injured.

My initial reaction was that a 2020 fourth rounder was steep. Tannehill would’ve probably been released. The Oakland Raiders recouped Antonio Brown for a third rounder and fifth rounder. Last year, the Patriots traded a fifth rounder for talented-but-troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon. Round 4 provides some of the best overall draft values. The Titans traded for a No. 2 quarterback. This trade felt more like the risk-averse moves that prevent the franchise from reaching elitedom.

A few days have passed. Maybe the previous paragraph was an overreaction. The roster has few glaring weaknesses. Robinson has created a roster that gives him the luxury of trading 2020 mid-round picks. Even if that changes, Robinson could trade back or regain a choice via a compensatory selection.

And who knows? The Titans offer a much better environment than Tannehill’s previous employer. He has much better weapons than a running back and wide receiver who were well into their 30s. The Titans have a much better defense, especially against the run. Tannehill goes from endless criticism as a first rounder to the backup quarterback–also known as the most popular guy in town.

Ryan Tannehill has no chance of entering training camp as starter. Not even a chance to compete. But if Mariota prematurely leaves another game? A good performance changes things. Only the Titans and Mariota know his medical records. Maybe they know something about that elbow that nobody else does?

Maybe Tannehill becomes the next Nick Foles. Maybe Tannehill beats Foles in a head-to-head meeting. I’d prefer that the fourth rounder used to acquire him just ends up as traded for an insurance policy that never gets cashed out. Not even for one snap.

That would mean Mariota established himself as the franchise quarterback.

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Joshua Huffman was born and edumacated in Middle Tennessee. He has published content for Yahoo! Sports (via Contributor Network) and Titan Sized, among other venues. At SoBros, he’ll provide Daily Fantasy Sports suggestions and broad sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter (although I rarely use it).

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