Tim Tebow Makes His Debut For the Broncos

Tim Tebow’s debut.

Where do I begin? It was pretty normal for your average rookie QB. He made a few mistakes, that were saved due to the collective inexperience of his competition. Tebow would have thrown two interceptions against first string competition and would have been credited with a fumble in any normal situation. He also ran with the ball too much and failed to make quick decisions.

On a positive note, he threw a nice deep ball to Matt Willis that was dropped and showed the ability to get away from pressure.

All in all, I do not think that the throwing motion will ever be “fixed” nor will he ever be the best Quarterback in the league, but he looks to be a serviceable starter with the ability to scramble.

And thus begins the most interesting career in the NFL.

Here is the video of Tebow’s debut:

Tim Tebow Gets $33 Million... Wait a Minute

So Pro Football Talk reported that Tim Tebow has signed his contract and will report to the Broncos on Friday. All is well. Here is the details of the contract:

The Broncos signed the No. 25 overall pick to a contract with a base package of $11.25 million, and an "absolute maximum" of $33 million.

Rumor is that Tebow will have to make the playoffs, Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl to hit 9 of the $33 million. Another $24 million if he becomes a full time starting contract. A lot of if's here....

When its all said and done it looks like the deal isn't that bad. And considering how incentive heavy the deal is the Broncos know what we all know... this guy could easily flame out in 3 years. In fact I'd say the odds are actually on him not succeeding. As a Broncos fan I still don't like the pick from a football point of view, or do I like all these BroncoGator's running around. But if the contact is any indication, I might not have anything to worry about.

Dwight Freeney: "I Can't Wait to Hit Tim Tebow"

"I'm licking my chops," Freeney said. "All these rookies coming out? They don't know anything. I can't wait."

"I couldn't wait to hit Mark Sanchez," he said. "And I can't wait to hit Tim Tebow even more."

In order to keep up with and take advantage of the green horned lads, while trying to break away from allowing the hands of time have their way with him, Freeney, who turned 30 this year, has been sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and using an electric muscle stimulation machine.

As part of his aspiration to keep his nose to the grindstone and maintain his role on the cutting edge of elite status as a defensive end, the veteran has embraced state of the art technology.

Tebow was just entering his freshman year in high school, when Freeney took the NFL by storm his NFL rookie season with 13 sacks.

Freeney, who is 16 years removed from his high school freshman season, had 13.5 sacks last season.

Freeney was a four-sport letterman, baseball, basketball, football, and soccer, Freeney currently holds his high school sack record. Bloomfield High School retired his No. 44 Jersey.

At Syracuse, Freeney clocked a 4.42 40; he recorded a sack in 17 consecutive games.

Freeney has a lot of miles on the odometer...

The rest of the article is at this link. Enjoy...

Brady Quinn Out In Denver Already?

Either Josh McDaniels is the smartest man in the room, or the McDaniels haters were right all along. Rumor is from Dove Valley that the Broncos have come to a conclusion in their quarterback merry-go-round, and that decision won't bode well for newly acquired Brady Quinn.

Yes, that Brady Quinn that McDaniels was interested in trading Jay Cutler for last year. Yes, that Brady Quinn that McDaniels traded Peyton Hillis for. Yes, that Brady Quinn who has been splitting reps with Kyle Orton.

ESPN.com reports that the Broncos have decided to carry just two active quarterbacks during the regular season and Brady Quinn is likely the odd man out.

Our View: Kyle Orton is the clear starter and first-round pick Tim Tebow has impressed coach Josh McDaniels with his versatility, so that doesn't leave any room for Quinn. Tebow will likely be used for situational work, while Orton takes the majority of the snaps, making Quinn interesting trade bait if this situation comes to fruition

Last season Quinn finished with a QB rating of 67.2 with a 53% completion rate, 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Needless to say it wouldn't be the end of the world if he is cut but Broncos fans would love to see if a change of scenery would help Brady any. It would be quite the buzz kill if he didn't even make it out of training camp as a member of the Denver Broncos.

Is Josh McDaniels a quarterback genius? Does he know something we don't? It seems like he believes that Tim Tebow as a lone backup is going to be sufficient. Many around the game believe that Tebow cannot even play the position effectively as a professional. That is another article for another day, but I'll just say that I am not surprised at all by this rumor. You have to assume that Pat Bowlen, one of the non-billionaire NFL owners, would like to put his prized pony from Florida out there sooner than later.

We'll see if this potential huge transaction happens...

Tebow Struggles at Practice

Is it too early to say he won't make it? Of course. But for the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow fans these reports cannot bode confidence in the first round pick.

Early in practice he missed receiver Alric Arnett, then a couple plays later threw way behind tight end Riar Geer. He had a pass tipped at the line that was intended to tight end Richard Quinn. A few plays later he missed badly to Quinn on a pass that hit the ground before it got to him. Tebow himself singled out another bad pass - a crossing route to open receiver Patrick Honeycutt that was behind Honeycutt and too low, and hit the ground.

Colorado Springs Gazette

We still have a long way to go before preseason where Tebow will likely be thrust into the NFL spotlight more than any other player in history as a rookie. If he struggles in the preseason then maybe the critics have a very valid point. However we will not know the answers to any of the questions until live game action.

The season cannot get here soon enough.

Greg Cosell says Tim Tebow will Fail

Greg Cosell, some guy who produces a show called NFL Highlights (no, I have no idea who he really is) is making waves on the net right now. A story on Profootballtalk has been posted with Mr. Cosell making some not so nice comments about Timmy.

"On film, there is very little in Tebow's game that projects well at this point to the NFL," Cosell tells Ross Tucker in an interview at SI.com. "I could never draft a quarterback in the first round who does not show on tape the skill set and physical attributes that are demanded in the NFL."

Cosell says that as a passer, Tebow simply isn't on an NFL level.

"Number one, he has questionable and limited arm strength with a slow and ponderous delivery," Cosell said. "Number two, in college he did not throw with timing or anticipation because the offense that he was in did not require it. In the NFL, there are certain throws in certain situations that necessitate that the ball is delivered before his receiver makes his break. He wasn't asked to do that at Florida."

He also goes on to break down Tebow's pocket movement and foot speed, two things that Tebow struggled with at the Senior Bowl. In Timmy's defense, people said a lot of similar things about Steve Young and he came out alright. Then again he had time to develop in the USFL and then again on the bench behind Montana. Tebow probably will have to play as early as next year. It is going to be very interesting to see who's right about the great Tebow debate.

For the record, I personally think Tebow will find his niche in the league as a gadget player but not a quarterback.

Response to Tim Tebow Supporters Pt. 3

After getting a shoutout on Westwood's blog by Michael Roberts for my articles on my coverage on the Tebow debate, the comments started to pour in. And just like with every Tebow article, the comments contain more hyperbole and hype than that of any athlete than I've ever seen.

And this ladies and gentlemen, is why I didn't want my favorite team the Broncos to touch this guy with a ten foot pole. Do we really need these crazed people who thump their rhetoric and broken logic (amongst other things) wearing Broncos colors?

Just look at this fantabolous logic from "JP" (Jake is that you? lol):

All be it he is not alone with his character, I can guarantee that his devotion to his faith and to charity is unmatched by ANYONE in the NFL... just check how many community service hours he logged while being a full time student and while being one of, if not the best college football player of all time!!!! truth... swallow it!!!

Really? Tebow is the best Christain in the NFL? So I'm supposed to ignore the fact that Warrick Dunn built homes for single mothers EVERY YEAR he was in the league? I'm supposed to ignore the fact that Vince Young is mentoring and stepping in as a father figure for Steve McNair's children with NO expectation or obligation to do so? According to JP a few trips to a remote jail in the Philippines cancels all that out and gives the crown of "MAN OF THE CENTURY" to Timmy.

But it gets better, JP comes back with another long-winded festive comment.

really....he is the only player ever to finish in the top four of the heisman voting 3 times.. and he does hold a sugar bowl record for both passing yards and total yards... and he did go 3-0 in bcs games and he has 2 national titles.. not 1.. yes he did not start.. but he did account for 2 touchdowns in that national championship game against ohio st. and you wont find a single knowledgeable fan of college football that believes the florida gators would have won a national title that year without tim tebow... he delivered time and time again that season and they won a multitude of games by single digits that were a direct result of third down conversions and touchdowns by tebow.. check your stats and see if any of those guys you mentioned had more td's than tebow for career... they didnt.. how bout passing efficiency better than tebow... they didnt... how bout td to int ratio. they didnt. how bout yards/completion..they didnt... get off your hatorade horse and own up to the facts.. we were blessed to have witnessed one of the most dominant players in history!!!! if you dont believe that then i would love to embarass you in a live debate!!!!

Once again I can throw Vince Young right back in your face. Vince Young's Texas teams depended on him as much as if not more than Tebow. And yes, Vince won his ring as a starter, not a goaline fullback..... err... I mean "freshman backup Quarterback."

I don't drink but I think I'm going to toast a cold one the day Tebow is cut or traded and we weed some of these types of "fans" away from the Broncos family.

Response to Tim Tebow Supporters Pt. 2

I've been following this thread I blogged about a few days ago from Bleacher Report. Once again Gerald Ball makes a fantastic comment to counter some of the Tebow hype. I love seeing the debate go back and forth and Gerald is making some of the best counter arguments in the Tebow debate I've ever seen.

"Call it a cult of personality, call it what you will, but the fact remains there simply hasn't been another quarterback in history with his athleticism, his success on the field, his evangelical nature, and his charisma."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Steve Young, Brett Favre, Matt Jones, Pat White, John Elway, Randall Cunningham, Steve McNair, Charlie Ward and Terrelle Pryor would run circles around Tim Tebow athletically. Vince Young, McNabb, Cunningham, and Ward are all evangelical Christians: Baptists. Also, Vince Young and Charlie Ward let their teams to the same number of national titles that Tebow did: 1. Young and Ward had better records as starters. Pat White was 4-0 in bowl games, a record. Goodness, Ward won a national title in football and played on an Elite Eight basketball team in the same year. McNabb played on a Final Four basketball team in addition to being the Big East player of the decade in football.

Please, end the hyperbole.

Response to Tim Tebow Supporters

The following was a fantastic comment I read on Bleacher report by Gerald Ball. It details the frenzy around Tim Tebow and why there are so many people who support Tim in a cult like manner.

1. Claiming that Tebow is more hated than Donte Stallworth, Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick is simply untrue. Most people love Tebow, most dislike Vick (who wasn't very popular even BEFORE the dogfighting charges), haven't even heard of Stallworth, and are irate at Roethlisberger. You are engaging in victimization that is commonly indulged in by members of the political right. More on that later.

2. Again, most people love Tebow. But you folks can't accept that. You want EVERYONE to love Tebow OR ELSE and can't accept ANYONE choosing to dislike or root against him FOR ANY REASON despite the fact that SPORTS BY NATURE is based on rivalries and adversaries. Look, if your team has been pummeled by Tebow's Gators the last 3 years, chances are YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE TEBOW NEARLY AS MUCH AS GATOR FANS DO. And I bet a lot of Tebow fans got sick of Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, remember? Also, here's news for you ... NOT EVERYONE ROOTS FOR THE GOOD GUY ALL AMERICAN TYPE! Some people root for the underdog (and being a homeschooled 5 star recruit who played for a loaded team Tebow WAS NOT an underdog, and even now is going into the NFL with a lot more going for him than most players), others root for the bad guys. Yes, there were people who rooted for the Raiders back in the day, who rooted against Michael Jordan and for the Pistons, who root against the Yankees, and are happy every time Peyton Manning falls flat on his face. It happens. Get over it. Stop making the failure of everyone to love Tim Tebow a sign that our society is going down the drain. Look, there were people who didn't like Babe Ruth. Couldn't stand him. Yet Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were stalked, sent hate mail and death threats, and Maris in particular despised for breaking Ruth's records! Until Tebow goes through a FRACTION of what guys like Maris, Aaron, Doug Williams and Jackie Robinson had to put up with, you are being ridiculous.

3. Lots of people LOVE Tim Tebow and STILL don't think that he will succeed in the NFL. Why? Because HE IS A RUNNING QUARTERBACK. It is AMAZING that you Tebow fans ARE JUST NOW DISCOVERING THE HOSTILITY THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF NFL FANS, SCOUTS AND MEDIA MEMBERS HAVE TOWARDS RUNNING QBS. Really, did you folks just start watching the NFL this year? Where were you when Warren Moon, Doug Williams, Randall Cunningham, Steve McNair, Brett Favre, Kordell Stewart, and Steve Young went through all their grief? Where were you when guys like Tony Dungy weren't even allowed to play QB in the NFL and had to switch to defensive back? Where were you when Charlie Ward was tagged "the next Randall Cunningham" (and the media and the NFL DESPISED Cunningham) AND NOT DRAFTED AT ALL? And where have you been while the vicious sharks have been swimming around and hounding Vince Young? Even most of the fans of his own NFL team don't support the guy, and he has a winning record as a starter! And then there is all the nonsense that Donovan McNabb has been through. Tebow is just another in a LONG LINE of dual threat QBs that the passing game fanatics have either doubted or haven't wanted to see succeed in the first place. Why you think that he is different or special you will have to explain.

4. I am sorry, but Tebow is FAR from the first or only person of exemplary character and/or strong religious conviction in the NFL. What you want Tebow to get so much credit for, other guys have always done and stood for, and gotten absolutely nothing, and this includes guys who are treated with disrespect by their fans and organizations. The NFL is FULL of evangelical Christians. The NFL is FULL of guys who don't get into trouble. The NFL is FULL of guys who do great charity and community work. There are LOTS of guys in the NFL who have been on overseas charity and missionary trips. Most of these guys get NO MEDIA ATTENTION for the good that they do other than a one sentence blurb in the paper IF they win that "NFL man of the year" charity work award, yet you Tebow fans want the whole sports world to pretend as if Tebow is unique, a noble prince in a league filled with zoo animals and savages.

The truth is that Tebow isn't even the only QB from his church who was drafted. Have you ever even heard of Rusty Smith, the FAU QB who was drafted in the 6th round? Well, he attends Tebow's church. Lots of folks question his NFL prospects because he went to a small school, was drafted very late, and oh yes will be backing up NFL veterans in Vince Young, Chris Simms and Kerry Collins. So why don't you go produce a post bewailing why the sports world hates and is disrespecting this Smith person?

You won't, because your issue isn't that a great and accomplished person like Tebow (allegedly) isn't getting his due, because Smith is an evangelical Christian, good and talented athlete, and nice fellow just like Tebow is. Instead, your whole agenda and motivation is the failure of EVERYONE to universally bow down and worship at Tebow's cult of personality.

Well let me tell you something: even if Tebow wins 7 Super Bowls for Denver while throwing for 5,000 yards and rushing for 1000 yards a season, people are still going to hate his guts, including but certainly not limited to Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs fans, and others are going to attribute his success to having a great team around him. That is just the way the sports world is, and that would be true whether Tebow were Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or atheist. Grow up and accept it.

Tebow Moves Up Depth Chart

Depending on what you believe, Tim Tebow has moved up the depth chart with the Denver Broncos. The team is currently wrapping up passing camp and Tebow is now taking snaps after Brady Quinn and before the incumbent third stringer Tom Brandstater.

Video of Tebow in passing camp is on DenverBroncos.com

Tim Tebow: A Lot is Still to be Seen

Thousands of words and hours of television commentary have been published on Tim Tebow. His career stats, passing motions, and intangible qualities have been evaluated, reevaluated, and evaluated again. He's easily the most polarizing man in the NFL and he's a fourth string Quarterback who's yet to play in a professional game.

Granted, the criticisms are valid. Tebow in fact stunk up the Senior Bowl. He did drop multiple snaps from center. He did score a pedestrian 22 on his wonderlic. All of this has been documented and is completely fair to bring up in any anti-Tebow argument.

On the other hand, the Heisman is there. The two national championships are there. Almost every Florida passing record in the book is there. The perennial SEC player of the year awards are there. All positives for the pro-Tebow argument.

So who's right in this argument? No one knows. There is strong evidence on both sides. All we know for sure right now is that Tebow is the Quarterback of the Broncos immediate future, like it or not. He will be judged as the first round Quarterback he is and he will be expected to get the Broncos over the hump and into the playoffs. Just like every other first round Quarterback he will be expected to eventually hold the Lombardi trophy above his head.

Can he do it? Will he do it? Will those against the Tebow pick be proven correct? Will the Tebow fans be proven correct? The answers to these questions and more are yet to be seen. Everyone calm down and enjoy what will be the most pressured, intense, scrutinized, and interesting career in Denver Broncos history.