James Walker, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

QB Ryan Tannehill enjoying newfound freedom in Dolphins' offense

DAVIE, Fla. -- Something was noticeably different about Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill when he walked up to the line of scrimmage Thursday during organized team activities.

In the first practice of the year open to the media, Tannehill pointed, directed and seamlessly called audibles at the line of scrimmage, which has been a hot topic in South Florida. There was more pre-snap communication, and Tannehill looked overall like a player taking advantage of the newfound freedom he did not have in previous years running Miami's offense.

"We do a lot of things differently now," Tannehill said. "Being on the line of scrimmage adjusting, whether it's protections, routes, a whole new play -- it's a lot of freedom in what we do. I think it's going to make us always on the attack. We're not going to have to sit on our heels and feel like the defense is coming after us."

As things fell apart during last year's 6-10 season, complaints surfaced that the old scheme under former offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and former head coach Joe Philbin was too restrictive. Too often Miami's offense was predictable and dictated to by opponents, which led to the Dolphins ranking 27th in scoring at 19.4 points per game.

However, Tannehill can thank Dolphins rookie head coach Adam Gase for the important change and new scheme. Gase successfully worked with veteran quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler and believes that trust in the quarterback is the best way to run an offense. Gase is now putting that trust in Tannehill, who has had an up-and-down career.

"In this offense, you're not locked in on what the play call is," Gase said. "For him to have the ability, knowing what [play] to get to and that kind of flexibility, being able to do that as a quarterback is very valuable."

This is the most dynamic group of talent Miami has put around Tannehill in five seasons. The group of pass-catchers is deep, with receivers Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills and former Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron. The Dolphins also heavily invested in their offensive line with first-round pick Laremy Tunsil to go along with 2015 Pro Bowl selections Branden Albert and Mike Pouncey. Tannehill is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL since 2012, but those numbers should decrease.

Considering these factors, 2016 will be a no-excuse year for Tannehill. A lot of pressure will be on the fifth-year quarterback to produce his first winning season in Miami. Tannehill is looking forward to the challenge.

"I'm excited," Tannehill said. "I'm excited about what this offense entails. It entails a lot of fun stuff for a quarterback to be able to direct traffic, keep pressure on the defense and get us in a good play."

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