Ryan Tannehill is set to do well in free agency coming off the best season of his career, and here are the five best fits for him.
Last offseason worked about as well as it could have for Ryan Tannehill. He was traded by the Miami Dolphins to the Tennessee Titans, and also had the remainder of his contract voided so he could he could become a free agent this March. The big question was if he’d get the chance to play.
Coming in as the backup to one of the most vulnerable starters in the league set Tannehill up to play at some point, and the middle of a shutout loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 6 was the last straw for Marcus Mariota.
Tannehill started the final 10 games of the regular season, leading the Titans to a 7-3 record while leading the league in passer rating (117.5), yards per completion (13.6), yards per attempt (9.6) and adjusted yards per attempt (10.2) while completing over 70 percent of his passes. Two upset wins in the playoffs, even if he was a passenger on a Derrick Henry-led ride, are points in Tannehill’s corner.
The depth quarterback options set to become free agents right now pushes Tannehill to the back burner in a way he wouldn’t be in most years as he prepares to hit the open market. But he’s still set up to do pretty well for himself, and these five teams are the best fits.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers should be looking to move on from Jameis Winston. Tom Brady and Philip Rivers stand out as interesting options, and in Rivers’ case there may be very strong mutual interest. But if any level of pursuit of Brady or Rivers falls short, or never seriously materializes, a move down the list of free agent options will come.
Tampa Bay has the fourth-most cap space in the league right now ($79.894 million, via Over The Cap). So they are well-positioned for an aggressive offseason, with a head coach (Bruce Arians) in a win-now window and a general manager in Jason Licht who has to be feeling some heat. Adding pieces to bolster the defense is a top priority, and the search for a new quarterback should not be greatly impeded by finances.
Tannehill proved his mettle as a downfield passer last season, which fits right into Arians’ “no risk it, no biscuit” philosophy. With the pieces the Buccaneers can surround him with, Tannehill to Tampa Bay would not be all that surprising when the quarterback free agency dust settles.