Mike Jones over at the “Football Insider” blog at the Washington Post dropped this little bit of info, earlier today:
There is some intrigue over [Ryan] Tannehill on the Redskins’ part. The coaches hoped for a chance to work with him at the Senior Bowl, but a broken foot kept that from happening, and it appears unlikely that he’ll be healthy in time for next week’s combine. But Tannehill was believed to have a first-round grade before his foot injury. He has good size at 6 feet 4, 222 pounds. Last season, he threw for 3,744 yards, 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. A converted wide receiver, he possesses good athleticism and mobility.
Now, on first glance, it might seem obvious to connect the dots between the Redskins need at quarterback, and a reported interest in Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M.
It would probably make sense, too. Tannehill, at his best, reminds you a bit of Jay Cutler — whom Mike Shanahan drafted while in Denver — at least from a physical standpoint. Although, from a football “polish” standpoint, Tannehill is far different. He has only two years of starting experience, and if watched him play while at Texas A&M, you’d see he still has a ways to go, as far as decision making and general polish as a quarterback.
But right now, I believe the Redskins “intrigue” over Tannehill still stems from the “due diligence” aspect, meaning they were interested in taking a closer look at him as a prospect, and not as the future quarterback of this team.
It’s WAY too early, right now, to start connecting draft prospects to teams (unless you’re talking about Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts). We still have the NFL Scouting Combine, Free Agency, Pro Day workouts, and individual workouts, all of which will figure in to every team’s draft plans (including the Redskins’).