Ryan Tannehill defending Ndamukong Suh’s absence is beyond wrong

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is coming to the defense of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh missing team workouts, further proving why he’s a joke.

In the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins knew they needed a playmaker on offense after a 6-10 season that saw them fire head coach Tony Sparano with three games left in the year. With plenty of options out there, which way did they go?

Why, they drafted a quarterback from Big XII! While on paper that seemed like a good idea, it was ruined when you realized that the signal-caller was from Texas A&M (who would finish 7-6 the previous season) and had played just one year at quarterback after moving from receiver. Yes, Ryan Tannehill arrived in South Florida with some in the Dolphins fan base wondering if they were getting punked.

Since then, it has been a comedy of errors with Ryan Tannehill as the face of the franchise. Despite his obvious lack of accuracy when it comes to throwing the ball (which somehow always seemed to get blamed on receivers who would succeed once they left Miami) or ability to actually leave the pocket and throw (which is always the line’s fault … okay, maybe that one is true), Tannehill seems to be able to do no wrong to the Dolphins’ front office and all the coaches who have come and gone.

This week, many of the Miami Dolphins’ veterans are in camp for voluntary workouts in preparing for the 2016 season. While Tannehill is there, the biggest name on the defense isn’t. Ndamukong Suh, who the team signed to a $114 million contract last year and got 6.5 sacks for it, is working out privately in Oregon.

While some reports say that players are upset that Suh, after a season where he clearly didn’t live up to expectations and didn’t work with teammates well, isn’t trying to improve with the team, Ryan Tannehill is trying to avoid confirmation or grow a pair by telling the Miami Herald that he has “no hard feelings”:

"I’m sure he’s working to get better doing his own thing. He’s done things a certain way his whole career, a process he goes through both mentally and physically. Sometimes you have to go through your own process to feel fully prepared in your own way."

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so I won’t fault Tannehill for expressing his. But here’s mine: He’s dead wrong. The fact that Suh isn’t willing to improve with the players around him only will continue the issues next season and keep the team picking in the top ten of the draft every year (unless they trade down like they did this year).

The Ryan Tannehill pick was supposed to bring in the next great quarterback for a franchise that had champions like Bob Griese and Dan Marino. Instead, his lack of leadership on and off the field makes some Miami Dolphins fans long for Jay Fiedler and Ray Lucas.

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