Thursday, June 13, 2013

Third Team is the Charm?

Tim Tebow is getting yet another chance to continue his career in the NFL. After rampant speculation about where Tebow would end up, whether it would be then Arena league, the Canadian Football League (CFL), or if another NFL team would take a chance on the much maligned QB. Well, we finally have our answer. Tebow was picked up earlier this week by the New England Patriots. While I was, and still am, of the opinion that Tebow will never amount to anything in this league as a quarterback and is not deserving of another chance in the NFL, if there was a perfect spot for him to end up, it's New England. The Patriots are the ideal fit (if there is such a thing for Tebow) because they have one of the best coaching staffs in the entire league, there will be no pressure from fans or inside the organization to start Tebow, and because Tom Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league to learn behind.

As a Dolphins fan, it hurts me deeply to say it, but I think it is obvious to anyone who pays attention that New England has one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL. Take one look at the successes their offense has had over the last decade with the paltry support staff that Brady has had around him. Aside from Wes Welker and one exceptional season from Randy Moss, the Patriots have have had absolutely no one of note in their wide receiver corps, yet every season Tom Brady is among the league leaders in both passing yardage and touchdowns. This can be directly contributed, in my opinion, to the skill of the New England coaching staff. They seem to have an incredible ability to get the absolute most out of every player on their team, regardless of how much talent they have. This is perfect for Tebow because he has a long way to come if he wants to be a quarterback in this league. His mechanics are flawed and he has a tendency to make terrible decisions. These are things that the coaching staff will be keenly aware of and if anyone can fix these issues, it's them.

Tebow and the Patriots organization should face no pressure to start him. Brady, at the ripe old age (by NFL standards) of 35, is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Even if Brady has a bad game, there will be no clamoring for Tebow to come in and take his place, something that has plagued Tebow in both Denver and New York. This doesn't even take into account that Tebow won't be the back up. Behind Brady is Ryan Mallet and Mike Kafka, both of which should be ahead of Tebow on the quarterback depth chart. I will be surprised if Tebow is even listed as a quarterback going into the season. He's most likely going to be asked to move to tight end, a position that seems like it would fit better with his particular skill set. He will most likely still be a quarterback in practice and in the film rooms, but he should not be one on the field.

Being one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Brady is also one the best quarterbacks to sit and learn behind. Few quarterbacks in this league have the knowledge base that Brady does. He knows exactly where everyone is going to be at all times, both his guys and everyone on the defensive side of the ball. He understands every single coverage that you can throw at him, every single blitz package imaginable. He has seen it all and knows exactly what he needs to do to beat it. Sitting behind that kind of talent should have immeasurable effect on Tebow. Look at Aaron Rodgers, who sat behind Brett Favre and learned the position for four years. Favre is undoubtedly one of the top five QB's in the history of the NFL, and even though he had no desire to be an active participant in Rodger's grooming, the effect that learning behind him had on Rodgers is obvious. If Tebow is willing to let Brady have a similar effect on him, his dreams of being a quarterback in this league may yet come true.

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