August 10, 2012; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) calls a play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the third quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

Just a few hours before the Tampa Bay at Miami matchup last night, it was learned that Miami Dolphins quarterback David Garrard, at the top of their depth chart until then, would miss 2-4 weeks because of arthroscopic surgery on his knee. Garrard said this morning that he felt great after the procedure and is ready to get back to work very soon.

Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that has been commonplace for decades now for NFL players. Garrard’s surgery was to clean up some particulate organic matter, usually cartilage or tiny bone fragments, that interfere, irritate, or inflame a joint.

This is a big gift for rookie Ryan Tannehill. He and fellow QB Matt Moore, Miami’s starter for most of last season, took the snaps in the 20-7 loss to the Bucs last night.

Tannehill clearly outplayed Moore, leading the team on its only scoring drive of the night. His short TD pass to second-year fullback Charles Clay over the middle made me look twice – the rookie actually reminded me of Dan Marino on that _particular_ play. I’m certainly not comparing his upside ability to the godlike Hall of Famer, but his lightning-quick release and throw did look quite similar to Marino’s famous throwing motion. That alone will give their fans some hope.

He finished the game 14/21 for 167 yards and a TD vs. no picks for a 109.9 QB rating. Moore was 7/12 for 79 yards and no TDs with one pick. Moore played with the starters and Tannehill played with the reserves.

It was clear that Tannehill’s progress is well beyond that of where most rookies would be at this point. He’s only had a week and a half of practices after missing the first two days of camp during an abbreviated holdout over details in his contract.

It didn’t show at all on the field. While the playcalling for him was no doubt simplified, he came in knowing more of the offense than anyone else because as many now now, his offensive coordinator, Mike Sherman, was his head coach at Texas A&M.

While I wouldn’t yet read too much into this, so far it looks like Tannehill would beat out Moore for the starting job. Moore has had a slow camp, but is known to be a poor practice player that plays “up” when he’s actually in a game. By the time Garrard returns, it may be difficult for him to wrestle the job back. Moore and Garrard are just placeholders anyway until Tannehill gets up to speed.

How will we know what the Miami coaching staff is thinking before any announcements are made? Watch the next two preseason games. If Tannehill starts running with the starters and Moore gets relegated to the reserves, we’ll have a good clue as to what coach Joe Philbin is thinking.

Sep 12, 2011; Miami, FL, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (85) before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Let me first say that even though the Dolphins have been my favorite AFC team forever, when I first started writing here, the plan was to concentrate on the Carolina Panthers. It’s a Panthers’ blog, hello.

The problem is that the Dolphins have done so many interesting things since hiring Joe Philbin it’s almost like watching 2 trains on the same track headed towards each other on a collision course, but there’s a switch in-between them that may or may not be thrown in time. You just can’t look away.

When I posted my 3000-word essay on the state of the strength and weaknesses of each of the NFL’s eight divisions on Sunday morning, I inserted a line that said something like “don’t be surprised to see Chad ‘Press 1 for English’ Ochocinco wearing Aquaman colors this fall.” The featured photo is apparently of Press 1 saying his goodbyes to his teammates.

Well…since I’m wrong plenty (aren’t we all?), I feel it necessary to point out that “Press 1″ did indeed sign a 1-year contract with the Dolphins the very next day. NFL.com had a big write-up about how Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland is able to now step out of the shadow of Bill Parcells, and they’re right. Parcells was the dominant (even domineering) personality that shaped the franchise for years…even after he left the organization.

Ireland must’ve felt like a college freshman there for a bit. “Are they really gone?” (parents) – “Am I really and truly free to do whatever I want?” (fear of parents showing up) – then in his second semester, reality hit him. He IS in control now! WOO-HOO!!

Fine. With that, however, comes all the responsibility.

The NFL changes quite a bit from decade to decade and as a person gets older, they generally get more set in their ways. That’s another reason football is often referred to as a “young man’s game.” Those that can adapt, survive.

Since I’m currently talking about the Dolphins, let’s look at Don Shula as an example. He basically went from Tony Sparano in the 1970′s to Don Coryell (or Mike Martz for you younger folks) in the 80′s and 90′s when Dan Marino fell in his lap. The duo never won a Super Bowl (and I know why, but that’s a different discussion and has nothing to do with Dan Marino), but they won about a dozen divisional championships. It was their lack of having a consistent defense that did them in during Marino’s tenure.

Now, things have changed quite a bit. The Dolphins “overdrafted” a young, talented but very raw QB in Ryan Tannehill. “Overdrafted” is a harsh word these days considering the rookie wage scale makes it easier to take a risk on such a guy, and the QB position is more important than ever before in today’s game. Tannehill is a complete and utter steal if you compare him and his draft position with Blaine Gabbert and his.

The fact is, the Dolphins are probably in the top-5 in the “change” category since last season. They have a new Head Coach and staff. They drafted a hopefully-for-them franchise QB with their top pick. They got the right tackle they needed in Andrew Luck’s Stanford Cardinal LEFT tackle, Jonathan Martin, and NO, people, it is NOT a “really big deal” to move someone from LT to the right side as a few of you apparently think. They’ve added Lamar Miller, RB from “tha U” – U of Miami – with their 4th-round selection, giving them pretty much the full range of running styles.

Daniel Thomas, a rookie last season, is the designated short yardage/power back but injuries kept him from getting on track last season. Reggie Bush, as everyone should know, is the opposite. Not a big strong guy, he’s a great receiver and speedster out of the backfield and had his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2011. Miller has a little bit of everything and his blocking/blitz pickup ability should dictate his time (or lack) on the field in his inaugural NFL campaign.

The most publicized move they made was in trading WR Brandon Marshall to Chicago for 2 third-round picks in this past draft. Word is that he would have been cut if they couldn’t trade him, so I suspect the organization had had enough of his off-field issues. We all should know the man’s negatives by now but he was by far the best receiver on the team last year.

However, it doesn’t take a genius to know that the Dolphins are bereft of talent on the outside now. Sure, they’ve got one of the better slot receivers in the league with Davone Bess, but that is IT, folks! Legadu Nannee, Brian Hartline and Marlon Moore aren’t exactly names that strike fear around the league.

Neither does Press 1′s these days, but he has at least shown a pile of talent in the past with the Bengals. Since he was signed for the veteran minimum salary (just under $1 million for the season and he’s 34 yrs old), and can be waived if he doesn’t show anything in camp, it’s really not much of a gamble for the Dolphins. Sure, Chad’s as big a hot dog as there is in the league, but the guy is harmless. He’s a ham and a camera hog, but he doesn’t go out and punch cops or break laws and it isn’t like he’s competing with some Great Talent on the other side. There’s also the thought (or hope) that he can help the younger guys like 2nd-year rocket car Clyde Gates with the finer points of the game.

If he does make the team, well, I see “Hard Knocks” ratings going even higher. Viewers will tune in to two attractions now – the other being Mrs. Tannehill. I wonder if Chad will clash with the young lady over camera time. I guess we’ll find out in a couple of months. If I can’t look away, it won’t be because of Press 1′s presence. You figure it out.

Oct 25, 2009; London, ENGLAND; New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau (55) during the regular season NFL International Series game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Buccaneers 35-7. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

NFL.com wire reports the following from the medical examiner’s office:

“Seau’s family has decided to allow researchers to study his brain for evidence of damage stemming from concussions, San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell told The Los Angeles Times on Thursday.”

“The family was considering this almost from the beginning, but they didn’t want to make any emotional decisions,” Mitchell said. “And when they came to a joint decision that absolutely this was the best thing, it was a natural occurrence for the Seau family to go forward.”

Upon learning of Seau’s tragic death on Wednesday, I posted what little is usually known about such things when they happen and postulated that his suicide had to come from TBI, or Traumatic Brain Injury.

When I posted 2 days ago about autopsy results taking time, I was referring to the more detailed things like the condition of Seau’s brain. Determining that Seau indeed died from a gunshot wound to the chest isn’t something it would have taken a genius to figure out, given the sad circumstances. Sometimes Medical Examiners must state the obvious.

He was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest and the medical examiner confirmed this as the direct cause of death. The reasons for the suicide are always less straightforward, but I stand by my belief that Seau had to have had significant damage to his brain. His ex-wife, Gina, has said that he had concussions in his career although he never reported any of them. Unfortunately, the NFL is a place for “tough guys only” and players undoubtedly felt peer pressure to be on the field instead of “sitting out with a headache.”

They’re also constantly worried about someone coming in, playing well, and taking their job.

It certainly happens. Dan Marino did it to…..who? Anyone remember? David Woodley.

There’s a reason Marino is more well-known than Woodley. Such things do NOT escape the notice of the other players on the team and around the league. There’s an unwritten rule that you don’t lose your job due to injury. That unwritten rule isn’t worth the paper it isn’t written on. Ask Drew Bledsoe that same question regarding a kid named Tom Brady.

Keep a sharp eye on this case, folks. I’ll be shocked if they do NOT find significant damage to the man’s brain. But what will it mean?

It’ll mean the NFL will tighten down even more on the hits.

They already have rules about hitting a “defenseless” player, which is a good thing. Who wants to see Steve Smith laid out on a cheap shot and miss 9 games? Fans want to see the stars playing, not subs struggling.

We also would like to see them suffer a lot less than the people like Seau, Mike Webster, Lyle Alzedo and scores of others have and that died at such a relatively young age.

Just try to remember this sort of thing the next time you cry about how the NFL puts a skirt on the quarterbacks, or when James Harrison gets fined for laying the lumber on an opposing running back, leading with his head.

Expect Seau’s high-profile death here to kick the NFL into yet another round of open, even more frank discussions of contact and restricting certain types of contact even further.

They’ve seen the problems cut blocks can cause on linemens’ legs and put in a rule years ago that you cannot block below the waist IF that person is already engaged with another blocker up high. Most people are probably unaware of this change, but the defensive linemen certainly have welcomed it.

The NFL will always be a violent place. People still get hurt even with rule changes and that will always be the case.

To borrow a phrase we’ve all seen travelling along the road in construction zones: “Let ‘em work, Let ‘em Live!”