Tebow working hard to find his niche

Delaware County Daily Times ^ | 06/17/15 | Bob Grotz

[ConservingFreedom]

PHILADELPHIA >> There is one period each and every day of Eagles minicamp in which Tim Tebow leaves the other quarterbacks in his dust.

It’s the zone-read drill. And you really don’t want to get in the way of the 6-2, 250-pound Tebow because he runs like it is “game on.”

Tebow’s critics enjoy maligning his throwing mechanics, which still require extensive tweaking. They’ve totally missed the dimension he brought to the Denver Broncos, the skill that enabled him to register fourth-quarter comeback after fourth-quarter comeback and ultimately win a playoff game.

Don’t underestimate the power of the mobile dimension Tebow brings. If he makes the 53-man roster, he’s someone the opposition will have to game-plan for unless they’re certain he won’t play.

Tebow is throwing the ball better. Getting the ball to third and fourth-team receivers, where Tebow has gotten most of the snaps, is an adventure for the quarterback and the targets as both are learning the offense.

“I have seen an improvement from Tim since the day we got him in terms of his knowledge of what we’re doing, understanding where everybody is,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “There’s a whole process, and for him what we have done is different than what he’s done anywhere else. So in terms of learning our terminology and how we do things, I think each week you’ve seen an incremental bump in him, so we’re excited to see where that takes him and it’ll be a good competition as we get into August.”

Sam Bradford almost certainly will be the starter to open the season, providing his left knee is 100 percent. Mark Sanchez guided the Eagles to a 4-4 record last season. Tebow is competing with Matt Barkley for the third-string job.

Barkley isn’t nearly as mobile or powerful as Tebow, who with a lethal shovel pass also might be a factor in the red zone or as a two-point conversion specialist.

“Sometimes,” Tebow said of the shovel pass, “you’re just out there being a football player.”

[showme_the_Glory]

I’m for Tim. I’m for Chip. Not even an Eagles fan either.

[pepsi_junkie]

Supposedly his passing mechanics are improved but he is taking forever to go through his progressions and deliver the ball. New system, out of football two years, perhaps consciously thinking of his mechanics are all possible contributing factors. We’ll see how he is in another month when they get to camp.

[11th Commandment]

It is interesting the change in QB philosophy in the NFL. In the past, a team would rarely start a rookie and would work on development and system. Aaron Rogers is the most notable last example of a development QB. 15 years ago, the entire NFL would have put a guy like Tebow in development. Teams can not afford to develop QB’s with the salary cap.

[stormer]

What’s a “lethal shovel pass”?

[discostu]

One of my all-time favorite Maddenisms: the first part of a 4th quarter comeback is being behind after 3. It’s nice to have a QB that can put together big drives late, it’s nicer to have a QB that doesn’t have to all the time.

[T-Bird45]

Sam Bradford almost certainly will be the starter to open the season, providing his left knee is 100 percent.

If Bradford starts, it won't be for long, he's done on those pins as the lack of a line at SL took away too much in his time there.

[doug from upland]

Never a fan of Philly teams, but I hope Tim does well. It would be great to see a truly quality person succeed.

[pepsi_junkie]

What’s a “lethal shovel pass”?

The shovel pass is when the quarterback starts to run with the ball and when the defense bites to chasing him, he tosses it to a teammate in front of him. You probably know this, of course, but what makes it lethal? I think in Tebow's case it's about the defense playing him as "run first" and being worried about his running power so they bite early and aggressively, so if he does use a shovel pass the receiver is totally uncovered and can run for huge gain.

[stormer]

Yeah, I know all this stuff. I guess my point is that A) anybody playing QB can execute a shovel pass, and B) the read option is only effective if the QB is a legitimate threat to throw downfield. Tebow may be able to do a pitch-out or run the ball himself, but downfield he couldn’t hit a barn with a handful of rocks.

[pepsi_junkie]

But Tebow is not like, say, Kaepernick in that he has fullback type power. In the red zone or short yardage situations, defenses have to commit to stopping him. And not just with a spy; he'd bulldoze a single spy. But if they over commit to stopping him, he goes shovel pass. It's a flip on the read option; generally there the plan is to run first but if the QB reads overcommitment to defending the RB, he keeps it himself and takes off. This is sort of the inverses scenario.

Some speculate that this is one reason Tebow has value to the Eagles, as a 2-point conversion specialist. However I doubt it as the Eagles generally don't dress their 3rd string QB. I think Tebow could make it just because Matt Barkley stinks so why not keep a guy like Tebow who can at least be a threat to plow through a defense personally? Nothing to lose, if 3rd string QB is starting games the season is over anyway.

[stormer]

Given Tebow’s passing, on the read option the defense only really needs to worry about two guys - the QB and the RB. In a two point conversion the field is so short the corners can come up and cover the receivers while the LBs and safeties can key on the run threat. I’m sure Kelly has a plan. but with Tebow, what you see is what you get, and without a passing threat, that won’t fool many defenses. He should go play rugby.