Adam Gase was able to get the best out of Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler, and the Miami Dolphins are confident their new head coach will be able to do the same with Ryan Tannehill.
"We're convinced you'll see a different Ryan Tannehill next year," one team source told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. "That's how much Adam will affect things around here."
Tannehill was rewarded with a six-year, $96-million contract extension after showing steady progress over his first three NFL seasons, but took a step back in 2015.
However, former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin was never a believer in Tannehill, and even wanted to replace him, according to Salguero.
Prior to the 2014 draft, Philbin was pushing for the Dolphins to use a first-round pick on a quarterback, but the team was focused on addressing the offensive line, Salguero reports.
Specifically, Philbin wanted the Dolphins to draft Derek Carr, according to Salguero. Carr was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round, while the Dolphins used their first-round pick on offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James.
Despite the improvement Tannehill showed during the final three months of the 2014 season, Salguero reports that Philbin maintained his frustration with the quarterback. It eventually became clear to team management that the coach wasn't completely supportive of Tannehill.
"I think he needs a guy that’s going to have his back; that he feels comfortable with right out the gate," Gase said during his introductory press conference. "And I’m going to be working directly with him. And then I am going to hire guys on the offensive staff to also help him develop. I feel like when we do put a staff together we are all going to be able to help him get a little bit better."