INDIANAPOLIS ? Ryan Tannehill's attitude toward the probing questions he'll receive from NFL teams about his lack of college experience as a starting quarterback can be summed up in three words.
Bring 'em on.
?I wouldn't say I'm bracing for anything, but it definitely is a legitimate question,? the Texas A&M alum said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. ?I did only start (19) games at quarterback. It deserves an answer.?
Despite his inexperience and the fact he is coming off a tumultuous season that resulted in the dismissal of Mike Sherman as the Aggies coach, Tannehill is the consensus No. 3 QB prospect behind Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.
?He's got everything you want,? NFL.com draft analyst Mike Mayock said of the 6-foot-4, 221-pound Tannehill. ?He's a big, strong, fast kid with a really good arm. I think he's going to be a first-round guy.?
But what about his inexperience? Isn't that a red flag that could result in him sliding in the draft?
John Schneider, general manager for quarterback-needy Seattle, doesn't think so. He believes Tannehill spending much of his career with the Aggies as a wide receiver is actually an asset.
?The guy is just a football player and, first and foremost, that's what we're looking for, especially at that position,? Schneider said. ?Guys that have always been in the quarterback schools, the special camps, all that kind of stuff, they make me nervous to a certain extent.
?This guy is a real football player. He played (defensive back some during high school in Big Spring). When he stepped in (at quarterback at A&M), he just went out and played. He had this natural toughness about him players rallied around. I believe you have to have a tough-minded individual at quarterback, a guy that maybe has played some defense and knocked the crap out of a receiver.?
Tannehill, 23, said his days as a receiver were well spent. Recruited to A&M as a quarterback, he moved back to that spot his junior season.
?I was getting to see the speed of the game, getting a feel for the game,? said Tannehill, who passed for 3,744 yards with 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions as a senior.
Tannehill's inexperience isn't the only challenge he'll have to overcome. A few days after starting his pre-combine workouts, he broke a foot, an injury that prevented him from playing for Washington coach Mike Shanahan in the Senior Bowl last month.
?It's frustrating,? Tannehill said. ?I definitely wanted to go to the Senior Bowl and showcase my abilities, as well as get to work with an NFL staff. There are a lot of other great quarterbacks in this draft, and I was looking forward to competing with them.?
Tannehill had a screw inserted into his foot and won't be able to work out until mid-March, a timeline that should result in him throwing at the Aggies' pro day March 29. While he'll have to wait to show off his arm, his chance to show off his mind is at hand.
?He's one of the smartest people I know,? said Jeff Fuller, an A&M receiver at the combine. ?He was like a coach on the field. At the same time, he is really down to earth.?
One of the teams expected to interview Tannehill is Miami, which recently hired Sherman as its offensive coordinator.
?Miami would be exciting because of my familiarity with Coach Sherman,? Tannehill said. ?For sure it'd be nice, but I'm just blessed to go to any team. I'm just trying to make the most of it.?
No matter who selects him in April, Tannehill is confident he can get off to a fast start.
?I want to be a starter,? he said. ?It's a goal of mine. I don't just want to go make a team. I want to go play. I want to make an impact and lead a team to a Super Bowl. I have high expectations. But I drive myself and pride myself on setting my goals high and doing everything I can to achieve them.?
torsborn@express-news.net
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