Two days before he was scheduled to fly to Mexico to be married -- and three months before the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft -- quarterback Ryan Tannehill rolled to his left and squared up his shoulders on a normal passing drill while training in Florida.
What happened next, so unpredictably and unfortunately, would make for one strange start to his year: Tannehill felt a pop in his foot. A broken bone would sideline him for the weeks to come. Can you imagine that feeling?
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Forget about the pain. Consider the timing.
"Had to crutch down the aisle," Tannehill said with a smile that he's since been able to muster in the wake of a very positive rehabilitation.
Tannehill never could have planned for that non-contact injury -- which would require several pre-draft adjustments including his inability to play in the Senior Bowl or participate in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. A strange few months might only be the beginning.
Tannehill could easily be considered the biggest wild card in this upcoming draft, an unpredictable prospect with limited experience but solid ability -- someone who most analysts agree could be taken anywhere between No. 4 overall and somewhere in the second round.
"I wouldn't say I've paid a whole lot of attention to it," Tannehill said. "I've just tried to do everything I can personally to be the best quarterback I can be, whether it's doing extra work for my rehab, extra work in the film room, on the board, extra work out on the field with my drops and footwork."
Since the broken foot, Tannehill has managed to prove he is adequately healed with an impressive pro day two weeks ago in which he completed 65 of 68 passes with just one overthrow. It was enough to keep his name as the third-best QB in the draft behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.
While Tannehill is doing his best not to worry about his fate, the unexpected nature of his draft stock might actually create more stress for a few general managers. The Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, at least for now, appear to be front-runners for his services, but they'll both need to decide how much they value Tannehill while also predicting when another team might pounce.
The situation actually feels somewhat similar to 2007, when some predicted the Browns might take Brady Quinn with their third overall pick. When he slid past the Browns, the Dolphins were then expected to take him at No. 9, but they also passed. Cleveland eventually landed Quinn -- but not until it traded into the 22nd pick.
Is it possible Tannehill could slide like Quinn did? Of course he could. He has just 19 career starts at quarterback -- with a 12-7 record -- and doesn't have any signature wins. That's enough for both teams to look at him with a skeptical eye.
The Dolphins also have become notoriously known, specifically under general manager Jeff Ireland, for being ultra conservative when it comes to overpaying for a quarterback. Unless Ireland has supreme conviction in Tannehill's potential, it's hard to imagine him splurging with his No. 8 pick rather than, say, taking a top-flight receiver.
That said, Tannehill's college coach (Mike Sherman) is now the Dolphins' offensive coordinator, and if Sherman is sold on Tannehill's potential, it could help sway Ireland.
"Coach Sherman runs a West Coast offense, kind of drop-back passing, as well as moving the pocket," Tannehill said. "I think that's a couple of things I do well is move and throw on the run. He likes to move the pocket -- bootlegs, nakeds, whatever it may be. Get outside the pocket and make throws downfield. I like what he did, and we'll see what happens."
The Sherman connection could mean one of two things, just as the Joe Philbin connection to Matt Flynn also had two possibilities: It could mean Sherman has great reason to believe Tannehill has what it takes. But it also could mean Sherman knows better than anyone that he's not a franchise-caliber quarterback.
All of these possibilities must also be considered by Cleveland at No. 4. Should the Browns choose to believe they like Tannehill but not quite that early, can they convince themselves the Dolphins also won't be sold at No. 8? Miami has held private dinners with Tannehill. The team has watched him work out on numerous occasions. Clearly, there is interest. But how much? And how will it impact the quarterback's future?
In the last five years, we've seen Quinn drop to No. 22, but we've also seen Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder all get drafted between No. 8 and No. 12. Whether Tannehill becomes an early pick or a draft-day slide could provide some great drama in the coming weeks.
Might it be the Dolphins at No. 8? The Browns at No. 4? Or another unexpected team somewhere in between? Will Tannehill fall deep into the first? Maybe into the second? These are all great questions -- questions that general managers and Tannehill alike must be constantly wondering as this year's wild card awaits his unpredictable fate.
"There's always a shocker that jumps in there or jumps out," Tannehill said. "You never know what's going to happen. I'm excited about the teams that potentially could be in the quarterback hunt and the opportunities it presents."
Follow Jeff Darlington on Twitter @jeffdarlington
