Tim Tebow/SmartFootball article

I agree with you phantom, but after what Matt Flynn (Falcons) and Joe Flacco (Ravens) did in rookie seasons with their teams people are saying "Why not us? Why not our guy?" now.

Two words: Ryan Leaf.

...and Young already had prior pro experience with LA Express of USFL.

Oops - thanks for the correction, jmcs.

coachjcms,

I wonder if the lack of time coaches are allowed to work with players had any influence on why the UF coaches did/did not address his throwing motion? I've read on this board that several coaches tried, that coaches were told not to mess with it, and that they did not work on it at all. I guess until Tebow or Meyer come right out and discuss it, we'll never know for sure. Also, do we know he wasn't reading coverages? I admit, I don't know the ins and outs of how the UF offense was called. To go back to an initial question, how sure are any of us that the other QB prospects, or previous prospects, were reading complex defenses? I guess I'm just tired of hearing Tebow get hammered. If I remember correctly, wasn't Drew Brees too short to play in the NFL? They all have their faults and things to work on, but it's a little unjustified to focus on one kid and give the rest a free pass. Seems like Tebow backlash.

Also, how accurate were the "experts" with Leaf, Harrington, Akili Smith, Couch, McNown, etc.?

I think a big problem is so many good QB's get drafted by awful organizations. Look at the list of quarterbacks the Browns have gone through since their re-birth, or the Bills post-Jim Kelly. These clubs are fundamentally unsound, causing them to have bad records, get high picks, draft very talented quarterbacks and waste them by having a terrible supporting cast, a revolving door in the coaching posts and an unwillingness to see the big picture. Just my thoughts, but I think the team a player goes to is one of the biggest factors in his future success.

I think Qbs in a pass happy system, have more going for them than the ones in a system like Tebow.

And I don't claim to be any kind of expert, but it does suck that these guys take it both ways.

If the coaches there felt that during the four years at UF there were more important things to work on than his throwing motion that proves my point. Throwing wasn't the most important thing for the QB at the university of florida. For most Qbs the passing game is one of the most important things they do.

I would like to repeat myself. I am rooting for this kid. I think all coaches are, we would all love for the kid with character to succeed. But my question is if he can make up the lost time from being in a run first offense. He has probably never had to pass into a defense where 7 guys are looking pass. Every other guy in the draft has seen that since they started throwing the football.

I really don't see this as a tebow backlash. I feel that my argument is pretty grounded. If anything I feel like other people are following the prodigal son blindly if anything.

As for the other QBs I don't have a ton of faith in them either, and the odds are against them, there are more qbs drafted than there are starting qbs some of them have to fail.

I guess the next question, then, is, can he succeed? Is he too far behind the curve to ever make it up? Was it a bad draft pick to use a first round pick on what the Broncos hope is a future starter? With Orton and Quinn, it is thought that Tebow will have time to learn and develop. If he does, doesn't this then become a brilliant pick? If he is unsuccessful at making the conversion, is this a worse pick than any other bust (Leaf, Mandarich, McNown)?

Well I guess I am going to stick my neck out here...But really how many great NFL QB's are there out there ...Most qb's (Brady included) have taken some time to develop into a qb that could lead a team into the Super Bowl on his arm..You have to remember that the the WHOLE Patriots team was great not just Brady in the beginning..Don't Forget that McDaniels was Brady's coach w/ the Pat's...I think Coach McDaniels sees something in Tebow that is "Brady" like..I also find it interesting that between between Belichek and McDaniels they drafted 4 kids from UF ...that's 25% of all their picks....OK sticking my neck out a little further..I wonder how many NFL QB's are actually reading the WHOLE field..How many QB's actually get to the third or fourth read....every team disguises coverage....one of the biggest difference for an NFL qb is the amount of times he gets hit...so much more than in college...the one thing I think everyone can agree on is that Tebow is a tough SOB and a winner

I may be misunderstanding this as sarcasm, but It looked like he had the same motion for the years at UF too me, with little too no change.


I really don't remember any of this stuff.... And IF they worked with him and they didn't feel like him dropping the ball down to his waist was an issue that needed to be addressed I don't get it?

You can't say that it took too much time or that it wasn't correctable because he fixed it in a few months since last season.

Check out this Video of him at UF Practice.



And then the one at Grudens QB School. IT toward the end, but he seems to have really made a good bit of progress.

I had the fortunate opportunity last summer to watch Tebow work out in the weight room and in routes on air ....in the weighroom he was working out w/ the Pouncy twins and Troutwein..doing EVERYTHING they were doing ...just an animal...in his routes on air..all I can say that it was intense..never saw anything like it..especially during a summer workout....EVERONE was working hard..Tebow cussing out (well not cussing) recievers for running wrong routes..

What pick? Ozzie Newsome traded AWAY this pick so that someone ELSE could draft Tebow. Brian Xanders is the GM for the Broncos.

I dislike all the pontificating about the NFL DRAFT almost as much as I despised National Signing Day. Watching the Draft, and reading comments makes one think that there are only 32 organizations in the entire world that actually coach anybody. Everybody else has just been babysitting for the last 8-9 years apparently

I don't know whether the UF coaches were worried about his motion or not. There was an earlier thread about Coach Slack and Tebow where I read everything from the UF coaches constantly tried to change his motion, they were told by Meyer to leave it alone, to they never addressed. I don't know the facts. I do know that college coaches are limited to the actual amount of time they can spend with their players, but there is no such rule in the NFL. If Tebow is truly dedicated to improving his mechanics, he will now have the time (its his job, after all) to devote almost exclusively to becoming a better QB, both physically and mentally, just like all the rest of his draft class. We will now see what kind of pupil he is, and what kind of coaches the Denver staff are. To offer up a definitive judgment of any kind, positive or negative, on any of these players right now is ridiculous (I'm looking at Kiper here). I do agree that some may have a step up because of a system or particular skill set, but to say the rest won't be successful because they don't is an insult to the players. How many QB's actually come in ready to play right away? Is this the exception or the rule? Also, do we hold other players under the microscope so severely? I don't remember anyone ever being this polarizing for anything other than "character/off-field issues". I'll admit, I'm a fan of Tebow's, and I hope he does well, but some of the things I hear on radio and tv from the "experts" sound absurd, especially when they don't have any coaching/playing experience.

I'm truly interested in the opinions of coaches when dealing with a player like Tebow (high character and talent, but needs to develop), rather than just the same old talking heads.

How much more 'high-character' is Tebow than other candidates? Is it his virginity or something?

Isn't Colt McCoy made up of the same 'high-character' (read religious) stuff? what is high character and how is it manifesting itself in athletic play/coaching (so much so that it becomes a tangible attribute)?