Greg Jennings unsure if Ryan Tannehill is elite, criticizes coaching staff

Dolphins wide receiver Greg Jennings had some pointed criticisms of the team’s former coaching staff, as well as some reservations about Ryan Tannehill.

Jennings appeared on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday and was asked about Tannehill and how close he is to being elite. Here’s what he said, as transcribed by Eye on Football’s Sean Wagner-McGough:

Don’t know. So, with saying, ‘I don’t know,’ I guess what I’m saying is he’s far. I’m being honest. None of us know. I’ve made the statements about them [the coaches] babying him thus far through his career. It’s like he’s been handcuffed. I’ve played with Brett [Favre], I’ve played with Aaron [Rodgers], I’ve played with great quarterbacks. So, you can assess, and you can quickly tell if one has it or not. It’s been difficult for me to even tell if [Tannehill] has it or not, because he hasn’t been given liberty. I’m just being honest, like simple checks at the line of scrimmage are not in his control. Until the end of the season, when there was a coordinator change, he was not allowed to check out of a play.

Jennings also confirmed that the practice squad had to be told to go easy on Tannehill, but that such things are normal.

“That was true,” Jennings said. “In his defense, that was a Friday’s practice or it might’ve been a Saturday’s. It’s kind of like a ‘Feel Good Friday,’ so he is going to make the throw regardless. In his defense, he’s not expecting the defender to try to make a play on the ball on Fridays, because there is no contact, we don’t want anybody on the ground. That’s just the way it is, that’s the rule of thumb, across the league in the NFL, on Fridays. So, that was what took place. Now, as far as Wednesday, Thursday, no. No. Does he get picked off in practice? Yes. Every quarterback does.

“But to the point of him being an elite quarterback, a great quarterback, we don’t know. It says a lot how much the trust level is with Ryan up until this point, if you don’t give him freedom. In my opinion, if you don’t let me be who I am, who you drafted me to be, you don’t really trust me. That’s just my personal opinion.”

It was reported that the team’s front office views Tannehill as a potentially elite quarterback, while the former coaching staff viewed him as a game manager with little freedom over the offense, which Jennings confirms. Tannehill has definitely had his issues with the practice squad, too. New coach Adam Gase was hired in part because he has a strong track record with quarterbacks and could help Tannehill take the next step. It sounds like he needs that help.