Could Tim Tebow Start For Eagles in 2015?
The Philadelphia Eagles are growing their collection of quarterbacks as they search for one that can effectively run head coach Chip Kelly’s offense. Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley were already on the roster and trade rumors regarding Marcus Mariota were swirling, so adding Tim Tebow was naturally the next logical step. All jokes aside, Kelly and co. apparently saw something worth grabbing in Tebow, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010, led them on a crazy playoff run in 2011 and faded out of the league’s sight after spending preseason with the New England Patriots in 2013.
The question on everyone’s mind, of course, is what has Tebow shown Kelly, and how does he factor into Philly’s future? The reality is that Tebow has been away from the game for two seasons now, and during that time he’s supposedly re-worked his throwing mechanics to the point where he actually is passable as a quarterback. That’s the assumption, at least, as to why Kelly actually took a chance on Tebow.
What if Tebow, a former Heisman winner and National champion, actually did progress as a passer and suddenly could possibly be this awesome dual threat passer? Hypothetically, even a version of that could project well in a Chip Kelly offense. In fact, even a so-so Tebow would probably be better than a so-so Mark Sanchez, while putting all of their eggs in the Sam Bradford basket (two torn ACL’s in two years) probably isn’t the right move, either.
The Eagles seem to be making crazy move after crazy move, so we have to wonder at this point, is the Tebow signing just another transaction to pile on the load, or is this an evil genius thing that could help shape Kelly’s career?
Something tells me it’s not all the way at the top, but it’s probably not all the way at the bottom, either. Meaning, signing Tebow isn’t a mere publicity stunt and it’s not just a total flier for the heck of it. Philly already brought him in for a flier workout and they were already close to signing him. The word on the street was they wanted to trade Matt Barkley first, and then bring Tebow in. Considering they couldn’t, they’ve decided to bring Tebow in and see who can emerge from the depths of their third string quarterback battle.
Of course, that’s still near the bottom. The top would be the Tebow lovers suggesting he’s coming in to be “Kelly’s guy” and man the offense as the starting quarterback. That’s not just doubtful. It’s crazy. Tebow not only has been out of the league for two straight years, but even when he was playing he wasn’t a stable presence under center. His timing, accuracy, consistency, placement and decision-making all were questionable, at best. He was always a gifted runner, though, and in pretty much any situation where he was asked to use his legs first and brain or arm second, he usually did okay.
That could have Tebow being brought in as a guy who could do one of several things: run the offense as part of a two-quarterback system, incorporate some Wildcat packages for special circumstances or simply beef up Philly’s two-point conversion game.
A more logical answer is probably a mixed bag, though. Surely Tebow could come in and be used just as suggested, but perhaps his time away actually did allow him to improve to the point where Kelly and co. believe he could actually win the #3 job and even push Sanchez for the #2 job. If the Eagles suddenly felt good about a battle between their spare passers and Bradford has been a trade chip all along to land Kelly’s Oregon pupil, Marcus Mariota, then ultimately Tebow is there for depth, competition and leadership, as well.
Ultimately, the odds are against Tebow taking over in Philly as the new starter. The odds are probably even stacked against him to make the final 53-man roster. However, we’re saying this with no real idea as to how much he’s improved and specifically how he’s improved. Tebow already had the size, arm strength and athleticism to make some type of an impact in the NFL, and now he’s more experienced and possibly better than when he left the game. How much better could play a huge hand in deciding whether or not his NFL dream officially dies this summer or if it gets reborn with the Eagles.
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