As a sportswriter, I’m certainly wrong enough, but boy do I love it when I’m right. Here’s text I pulled from an article I posted here back on May 10th, titled “Kuechly, Tannehill: The Search For ‘George:’”

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April 28, 2012; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins first round draft pick quarterback Ryan Tannehill holds up a jersey next to his wife Lauren Ufer during a press conference at the Dolphins training facility. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Any excuse to put up a photo of Lauren Tannehill is a good one.

I thought it interesting so many draft “experts” claim that Tannehill was “at least a year away” from starting.

I happen to think he’ll be starting from Day One. Can some people not think beyond what’s in front of them? Sherman was ALWAYS Tannehill’s old college coach, no?

As I have said before, he comes into Miami in as unique a situation of any QB drafted in the NFL. By now, it’s common knowledge Miami OC Mike Sherman was his college coach.

What people didn’t seem to grasp until recently is what that means. It means Tannehill already has had 2 years of learning under Sherman and in fact it will be Tannehill helping teach the VETERANS some of the finer points of this offense. More than 2 years if you count the time he was a WR, in fact.

Tannehill’s work will come more in film study, learning the NFL’s complex defenses, and how to defeat them. And praying for WRs to fall to Miami from heaven or wherever because they need them badly. Late-round rookies aren’t gonna cut it.

editor’s note: 8/17 – The Dolphins had since signed Chad Johnson, then cut him this week due to all-too-well-known sad events recently

He has recently stated “80% to 85% of the offense is the same” as what he ran in college. He knows the verbiage going in, and knows what Mike Sherman expects from his players.

He also has both the other Miami QBs beaten badly in his physical tools that cannot be coached. This is what provides him with his real edge – specifically, his mobility and ability to throw on the run. With an OL that was upgraded in the offseason and draft, it should be the strength of the Miami offense – WR sure as heck isn’t.

Add to that recipe the fact that Reggie Bush is a great checkdown receiver and Lamar Miller is coming in from Miami (college) and he’s a capable receiver, and the Dolphins appear on the road to forming an identity. I just think Tannehill will be the one directing it from the start. No offense to Matt Moore, who played well last season, but when you draft a guy this high it’s hard to keep him benched IF he knows and can run the offense.

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It would appear the words I wrote over three months ago are revealing themselves to be more and more true. While Tannehill hasn’t officially locked up the starting gig in week one, at this point I’d actually be surprised if he doesn’t. As I had said, Tannehill’s physical talents cannot be matched by either of the other QBs on the roster and he has outplayed Moore both in practice and in his first preseason game.

Unless he struggles mightily against a Panther defense that struggled against the Texans’ first-team offense (other than the goal-line stand), the job should be his to lose after tonight. Then there’s theory and there’s fact.

We’ll know what the facts are after tonight’s contest. Tannehill should play the entire first half with Moore playing in the second half. With a good showing next week against the Atlanta Falcons, who have a more evolved, veteran defense, he should solidify his claim.

Then again, we’re not sure quite yet and will know more in about 9 days.

That’s why they play the game.

The good news is that the producers didn’t overdo the eye candy thing and did a good job drawing the viewers in with some good story lines.

The biggest focus of the first episode was on the quarterbacks both on and off the field. Tannehill was one of the last high picks to sign and missed the first couple of days of camp and we got a sliver of some of the behind the scenes back and forth that led up to his arrival. Not much, but just enough to let you know there were issues. As always, no matter what, the show must go on.

That “show” not being “Hard Knocks” but the production that is the NFL. First-year coach Regis Joe Philbin comes across as a calm, soft-spoken, even-tempered man. He’s as much the anti-Rex (Ryan) as a coach could be and still have the same qualities you need in a Head Coach. He’s reserved while Ryan is grandiose. It would appear he’s the type of coach the organization really needs – a steady, if new, hand steering the ship after an off-season of tumult.

The thing that stood out the most to me about the camp is that Philbin has both the first and second teams on the field at the same time, facing opposite directions. When one team finishes a play, the other one runs theirs while the original team gets lined up again. It’s the fastest-paced camp of any NFL team and in the hottest and most humid environment imaginable. Clearly, the Miami Dolphins are going to have a drastically changed look on the offensive side of the ball.

We also learned that Tannehill came into camp his first day and looked like he didn’t miss those first practices. Even Coach Philbin was wowed on the sidelines while he watched the prized rookie taking snaps. Without seeing an entire play (the camera shots were too tight and focused for that), the apparent feeling is that they truly have three quarterbacks that could start on opening day.

The past few seasons have seen Dolphins quarterbacks getting injured so it has to make the fans feel good that they at least now have some good depth at the position and the viewers were treated to the moment where coach Philbin informed the quarterbacks group that David Garrard was atop the depth chart after the first scrimmage. Tannehill shouldn’t be at all surprised that he’s 3rd on the depth chart, but Matt Moore has to feel a bit unloved, given his 6-3 record as a starter last season.

New coaches, new players, and a clean slate.

Chad Johnson looks to be on the road to being a more disciplined guy, although he’s hit a couple of minor bumps along the way. One scene showed Philbin chatting with Johnson on the sideline at practice, discussing Johnson’s use of profanity at the previous press conference. He’s not your father’s coach, Philbin isn’t…in the old days, a coach would get in your face and scream. Philbin treats his players like adults, calmly discussing his position but being firm at the same time. To his credit, Johnson accepted it in kind. Then, on the player’s day off, he vowed to get arrested as he left the facility. Joking, of course, but that’s his personality.

A few other things of interest:

Left tackle Jake Long showed his leadership during the camp, asserting himself and telling the group of offensive linemen when they’ve messed up or what they need to work on. He’s clearly their leader.

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a shirtless 350 pound nose tackle, Paul Soliai, doing his impression of a hair stylist on a few of the rookies. Then again, that may be one of those things they haven’t yet invented “The Brain Scrubber” for – to forget what you’ve just seen. It was somewhat reminiscent of the late Bubba Smith the florist in the old Police Academy movies…some things just don’t seem right.

Mar 3, 2009; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Zac Efron at NBA game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

We got to see the reality behind the feel-good story of Zac Efron’s presence. He’s the accountant-turned-tight end with blazing speed. What the media doesn’t report is that, according to his position coach, he is “a complete liability in both run blocking and pass protection.” While I’d be surprised at this point if he wasn’t, since he last put on a football uniform in high school. But as Philbin pointed out on the show, you just “can’t go out on the street and find an athlete of his caliber. You just can’t.” They knew he’d be a project and he’s turning out to be exactly that, but he works hard, does what he’s told, and it appears as if the coaches and front office are going to have some patience with him. It’s possible he could wind up on the practice squad while he hones his blocking, but they like everything else about him.

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt for “Hard Knocks” that he’s also got a very hot significant other. It’s show biz.

April 28, 2012; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins first round draft pick quarterback Ryan Tannehill (Texas A

Looking back, I should have seen this one coming.

HBO has found a home for their series “School of Hard Knocks” in Miami, Florida.

1-15. New Head Coach Tony Sparano. One playoff trip, a bad loss at home to the Ravens. Ugly football. Botched reach for Jim Harbaugh by owner Stephen Ross and General Manager Jeff Ireland. Hmf. “Ire” land.

Former players publicly beating him down. Couldn’t get Peyton Manning, who lives in South Beach, to seriously consider them. New HC and new rookie QB with extremely hot wife. GM, owner, and entire franchise in need of a PR makeover.

Add one dastardly beautiful young couple from small town Texas to big-city culture shock Miami and HBO’s viewership is bound to rise. All the execs really had to do was take one look at Lauren Tannehill and know to pack the panama hats – if the Dolphins were interested in them.

Therein lies the metaphorical marriage’s beauty. The Dolphins need HBO as much as HBO needs the Dolphins.

All the ingredients are there for a storybook setup: The handsome rookie quarterback with the wife direct from Hollywood casting. The rookie head coach in Joe Philbin looking to build his proven system from Green Bay. The General Manager with a nice family whom is thought to be an out of touch jerk by much of the public. The owner that demonstrates all the competence and media savvy of Jed Clampett.

Will all this scrutiny hinder or help them? Nobody knows for sure right now because there are many facets to look at. In the short term, it could hinder things because of the team’s overall inexperience in key areas…namely QB and Head Coach.

Granted, Joe Philbin never was going to be the man orchestrating relations and interactions between HBO’s producers and the Dolphins’ players and staff – that’ll be the aforementioned Dolphins owner Mr. Magoo. What he doesn’t handle will be Ireland’s to deal with. It’ll be extra pressure on them to juggle with their regular duties.

The hope is that the media microscope will help the public image specifically of Jeff Ireland and Stephen Ross and the entire organization in general. In the long run, it could help as NFL players see the actual people behind the legends. Miami wasn’t able to attract any free agent help to speak of anywhere on the roster with the thirty-something David Garrard leading the list with a back injury that kept him out of football last year.

They got rid of ill-fitting Brandon Marshall for the two third round draft picks but they have no talent left at the WR position aside from slot man Davone Bess. Rookie Jonathan Martin should be an upgrade for the team at the right tackle position and fellow rookie Lamar Miller should see time as a sub at RB.

Will their development be hampered?

There’s the added dynamic of Ryan Tannehill and his offensive coordinator, Mike Sherman, having been his college coach. That familiarity should give the rookie a boost to start out his winning over of the locker room.

It’s a unique situation with a lot of moving parts that other teams don’t have. All said, there IS a clear winner here.

That would be the viewer.