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QB Conundrum: Scouting Tim Tebow
NoLogoNeeded.com Staff Writer
Twitter: @DonNoLogoNeeded
On Thursday, No Logo Needed began its examination of the possible quarterbacks the Browns may draft next month. We started with Colt McCoy.
In our original list, Tim Tebow was not among the quarterbacks. Well, in light of recent events, we had to add him.
The Sporting News was the first to report Tebow has a visit scheduled to Berea. A day earlier, Browns president Mike Holmgren and coach Eric Mangini were in Gainesville, Fla. to watch the University of Florida's pro day.
Tebow was the main attraction. Would his poor mechanics improve after a few months of working with specialists? The initial reviews were positive.
"From the Senior Bowl to now, the improvement is ridiculous," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock told the Sporting News. "I was blown away."
Meanwhile, cornerback Joe Haden improved his 40-yard dash time. At the NFL Combine, Haden was around 4.6 and on Wednesday it was 4.45 according to reports. Perhaps the Browns brass were in Florida for more than to worship at the feet of Tebow?
Holmgren was not overbearing in his praise of Tebow and rightfully so. Teams are simply not going to spill the beans on their draft plans.
That being said, below are five reasons the Browns should draft Tebow followed by five reasons why they should have reservations.
Reasons To Draft Tebow
1. Size - At 6-foot-2 3/4 and 236 pounds, Tebow has a hulking frame. Browns fans know, first hand, the frustration defenders have when trying to corral a quarterback of that size (i.e. Roethlisberger).
2. Leadership - In September of 2008, Florida lost to Ole Miss and at the postgame press conference, Tebow gave "the speech." It was an impassioned plea that rallied the team to a national championship. Coach Urban Meyer had the speech engraved on a plaque and placed outside the Gators new football facility last March. It is hard to deny Tebow's leadership ability and it is something that would translate onto the next level.
3. Playmaker - Either through the air or on the ground, when the Gators needed someone to make a play, there was Tebow.
4. Athletic - Tebow not only was do damage through the air (9,285 career passing yards), he finished with 39 rushing touchdowns, which was three more than Emmit Smith.
5. Can be molded - Since Tebow is so raw, it is enticing to a "quarterback guru" to take Tebow's skills, teach him and mold him into the type of quarterback he wants in the professional game.
Reasons For Reservations
1. Throwing mechanics - It was the most talked about aspect of Tebow's skills. His throwing motion was long, loopy and simply wouldn't work in the NFL. He has worked hard on his motion since the season ended. Some scouts say it did improve at his pro day, but the concerns remain.
2. Footwork - In short, it's poor. Now, it was said to be somewhat improved at his pro day, but every scouting report still has Tebow listed with poor footwork. Combined that with a questionable throwing mechanics and the red flags are everywhere.
3. Progression - Too often Tebow locked onto his first receiver and did not go through his progression. Part of it had to do with the style of offense, part of it had to do with the lack of ability to go through his progressions.
4. No experience in pro-style offense - Florida's offense is not common in the NFL. He was primarily in shotgun, which means no experience taking snaps under center.
5. Needs time to develop - Tebow cannot come into the NFL and play right away. Two years, perhaps even more, is needed for Tebow to learn and develop. Would a team like the Browns, in desperate need of a good, young quarterback, have the patience to wait two or three years for Tebow to develop? The general thinking is Tebow is better served on a team with a more established roster.
March 19, 2010 at 7:01 AM
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Comments
It is really hard not to like Tebow. He is like Brady Quinn times 100. HE is the absolute perfect face of the franchise, but will it translate on the field. I wasn't at his pro day so I have to take people at their word, but he did look awful at the Senior Bowl. So are we thinking third rounder for him? Surely someone will take him before then
I had a dream the Jets drafted him in the second round.
I really wish I was joking about that, but I did and it isn't the first time my dreams have been Browns-centric.
If we could get him in the third round, I'd be all for it. Consider this scenario, we take Tebow in the third, he sits and learns behind Delhomme and or Wallace for two maybe even three years then he makes his debut with the rest of the team being built with all of our draft choices over the next couple of years. He steps into a great situation where there is an established team ready to support him and he leads us all the way.
It could happen. In two years he could be the final piece if Holmgren and Heckert do their jobs.
Z- He is the perfect face of the franchise if you want that face to be crying like a little girl after every loss.
If nothing else I would put the BANK on him to be a TEAM GUY & not end up in jail for killing someone with a car or spending the nite in "The Flats" using drugs. HE WILL PUT FORTH AN EXTRA EFFORT!! If NOTHING else that is worth watching. I remember him putting it to THE OHIO STATE Football team... I would have him in MY MARINE CORPS!!
I like him a lot . I would take him in round 2. I will trust M. H. though. I wonder if Ratlif is still in the mix for the Browns?
@ Hegarty
The man wouldn't have enough tears to play in Cleveland
Tony Pike in the 3rd. He has the size and smartness to be a great QB. The Browns will draft him!
One thing I got from watching Mangini's Browns last year was that a QB to Mangini/Daboll is just one of 11 guys--and not as a negative but as making do, maybe. By that I mean that if the Browns can win 4 in a row (and beat Pittsburgh) with the QB play of 2009, then they can compete with an annual free agent pick up from now until eternity (as the upside, think of the Jim Brown Browns and Milt Plum's west coast style QB-ratings-leader in the late fifties, noting that it took getting Ryan looking downfield to win the championship). So, the Browns can wait until the 2nd or 3rd round to draft and develop a QB, especially one with Tebow's potential ... or maybe wait and trade for someone else's unfulfilled project (even Tebow) in a year or two ....
I'm totally sold on Tebow. Kid is a playmaker and the perfect face of your franchise.
Lets face it, not just anybody can handle the pressure our long-suffering franchise puts on a QB. Several QBs cracked under the pressure that the role of the next "savior" of Cleveland comes with.
If I thought there was anybody who could truly handle, and even relish such a pressure filled role it is Tebow.
Moreover, the acquisition of Delhomme has positioned the Browns perfectly to take Tebow, as I think that was Holmgren's plan all along. Get a veteran who can keep the job warm for Holmgren's next project.
As one who lived in Florida until recently, I can tell you that the Tebow worship gets sick sometimes. I've had deep reservations about him at the pro level.
Even now, I would never say I'm "totally sold" on him, but he IS a hard worker and it's possible that he develops in the NFL. I like your 5+5 analysis in this blog post.
If the Browns do take him, I would hope they wouldn't get antsy and draft him in the 1st round. In fact, I hope they don't draft ANY QB in the 1st round. There's better value in rounds 2+.
(As an aside, I can't believe the NFL invited Tebow to the draft. The first day (night) of the draft is only 1 round, and he could be doing a Brady Quinn all night in the waiting area. Should be, actually. Any team taking him in the first round is over-reaching.)
Hey Z, "worship at the feet of Tebow", what a snide backhanded comment. Your passive aggressive bias is obvious. Disappointing
Does anyone read these articles before they are posted? Grammar is terrible.
Yeah, he's got some positives, but I feel the negatives outweigh them. It was observed that as the workout progressed and he got tired, he started to revert back to his former motion. It takes a long time to correct it and cement it. That usually happens in game situations in college. We can't afford to wait for it and I'm not sure it will come.