Posted on 05/11/2013 6:47:46 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
Why is Tim Tebow out in the cold? Why are general managers and coaches willing to roll the dice with a QB who has never played an NFL down or a struggling QB versus one who holds a winning record and notched a stylish, memorable playoff victory over the vaunted Pittsburgh defense?
Part of Tebow’s fate falls to timing. In past posts, I’ve referenced economist Zvi Griliches iconic article “Hybrid Corn: An Exploration in the Economics of Technological Change”. He demonstrated the acreage planted with hybrid seed took over across states, slowly, at first few adopters, then gaining steam, and finally won over even the die-hards resulting in an “S-shaped” curve depicting the growth in its use. This picture describes the diffusion of most any “technological change” whether a new corn seed, a new tractor implement, black players on Major League teams, or the use of “run-option” quarterbacks in the NFL. In the early stages of use, it’s difficult to distinguish between crazy ideas and brilliant ideas. Almost any new idea will draw vocal detractors, sometimes among people of respect and insight. Numerous NFL insiders, including those as insightful as Bill Belichick and Steve Mariucci, have denigrated the idea of the “option” and QBs suited for it as an integral part of NFL offensive strategy. Even a year or two ago, and in spite of Tebow’s success in Denver, the critique appeared weighty — enough so that the Broncos sought out another QB (albeit, a Hall of Famer) and traded Tebow. With the Colin Kaepernick’s trip to the Super Bowl with the 49ers along with others such as Robert Griffin III, it’s looking less crazy and more brilliant, less temporary fad and more permanent strategy.
I don’t mean to imply that the run-option QBs will ever come to dominate completely. One key difference between sports and agriculture is that one particular technology doesn’t necessarily swamp all others. NFL rules favor passing. Successful teams for many years have employed skilled passers with ever-increasingly complex passing schemes. The trouble is that not everyone can draft Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. The ground in Iowa and the ground in Kentucky may both be receptive to hybrid corn seed, but the same passing scheme that works in New England or Denver isn’t going to work nearly as well in some other place because a key input, the QB, does not have the skills of Brady or Manning. Insightful coaches like Jim Harbaugh and Mike Shanahan decided better to adjust the system to the talent rather than hope that a struggling young QB like Blaine Gabbert (Jacksonville) evolves into a Brady or Manning.
Alright, so Tebow came on the scene just a bit too early, why aren’t teams like Jacksonville scrambling for him now? His less than consistent passing skills hurt him. He can thread the needle on one throw and look silly on the next. Ironically, the GM who turned him out in Denver, John Elway, displayed those same traits for the first half of his career. Nonetheless, Tebow’s passing isn’t as polished as Kaepernick or Griffin. On the flip side, he has shown that he can win games, even against good defenses. A major part of the success of Kaepernick and Griffin is what they do to defensive strategy. At the end of last season, Griffin played a very mediocre passing game against the Cowboys, but because of his running threat (even with a bad knee), his running threat opened the way for his running back, Alfred Morris to have a great night with the Redskins scoring 28 points. The interaction effects between running and passing abilities of QBs with the other offensive players influences both yards gained per passing play along with yards gained by other runners. Tebow’s enormous celebrity almost certainly works against him now. Any GM and coach who bring him on board invite a national media spotlight far beyond what a newly drafted QB will bring. Don’t be fooled — coaches and GMs, in spite of voicing indifference about media and fan attention, care about scrutiny. The care a lot — ok, maybe Bill Belichick doesn’t, but that’s why he is willing to make decisions other coaches will not on matters such as not punting on fourth down. The “Christian” element of Tebow’s celebrity also surfaces as a possible obstacle to him. While I don’t doubt that some coaches, players, and, particularly, media figures roll their eyes at him, there are many NFL players who openly, if with less attention, display their faith. My guess is that his unlucky timing, inconsistent passing, and undesired media attention resolve the conundrum much better.
I wonder if the Tebow followers here would like him if was a Muslim or a Mormon.. If fact why did I ask that question..
To bad Al Davis is gone, I think he might have signed him.
Great kid, great Christian, rotten NFL QB. That pretty much sums it up. Reggie White was the Minister of Defense and he certainly had NO problem with teams knocking down his door to get him. Why? Great player.
This is a business decision. Nothing more.
and the Tebow cultist here would mock him if he wasn’t a great Christian..
A rotten quarterback that still has more playoff wins as a Bronco than Manning.
If he were to claim that he is now gay, evety team in the NFL would want him.
Why are general managers and coaches willing to roll the dice with a QB who has never played an NFL down or a struggling QB versus one who holds a winning record and notched a stylish, memorable playoff victory over the vaunted Pittsburgh defense?We all know there's just one reason, and it isn't about football or depth charts.
What nobody mentions is that even with flawed mechanics, and only 82 passes in his NFL career after one season, Tebow in 2011 threw just 6 interceptions in 318 passes, and three of those were in a 12-minute stretch when Denver was already more than a touchdown behind in the late going of a game at Buffalo. Just as impressive, he was right near or at the top of the NFL in yards per completion, and his yards per attempt were very high. He was able to do this even though John Fox had him passing only, essentially, when the opponent knew he’d be passing — he’d almost never have Tebow throw on first down or when Denver was tied or ahead. Add in the element of being a superb runner with the ball, and Tebow was borderline great in making Denver into a successful team that season, after the Broncos had lost 25 of their previous 32 games. And, now quarterback experts who worked with him say the mechanics of his throwing have been solved by fixing his footwork. He is being black-balled from the league. I am confident, though, that God has a greater calling and purpose for Tebow, whether it has anything to do with football or not.
Who, me? :)
If we could put Tim Tebow in a time machine and bring him back to 1984, besides listening to “Colour By Numbers” and voting for Reagan’s re-election, Tebow would be able to team up with Doug Flutie and been part of the greatest 1-2 QB punch in NFL history. Those two would have been fun to watch.
Mariano Rivera is a devout Christian and a man of faith. He can throw a ball within 2mm of where he is aiming.
Tebow can’t do the job. throwing a football into a 3 foot window while a bunch of 300 pound guys are trying to kill you is a tough job.
There are only 20 people on the planet who can do it well at the NFL level. He is not one of them.
“Tebow career completion percentage - 47.9
Gabbert - 53.8
Ponder - 59.2”
I’m still torn on Tebow as a QB. That completion percentage is bad, but it was not all due to a lack of accuracy. A lot of it was due to the all-or-nothing passing game that the Broncos went to. He was given a couple of reads and told to get rid of it if the play wasn’t there.
Despite the low completion percentage, his yards per attempt were quite a bit higher than either of the other two. That’s despite the fact that the offense was tailored for Orton and Tebow didn’t get the first team reps until after week 5. He’s no Tom Brady, but if you add what he can do with his legs, he could possibly become a decent QB.
“He had a chance at still being on the roster in New York, only at TE / H-back. “
So you don’t think he can fix his throwing motion but you think he can learn to block and catch well enough to play TE in the NFL despite the fact tha he has never played a position that required him to do those things?
He signed as a QB. The Jets didn’t want to keep him as a QB. I don’t know if he was offered a chance to stay as a TE/H-back, but he was under no obligation to accept that offer if it was made. When training camps roll around, if he still doesn’t have a team he can re-evaluate his options.
He has probably already made enough money to not have a real job in his like. If he can’t get a job as a QB, maybe he will decide to do something other than football. If his heart isn’t in the TE/H-back position, that might be for the best.
“There are only 20 people on the planet who can do it well at the NFL level. He is not one of them.”
There are 32 teams and each has at least 2 QBs. Most have 3.
That means there are between 44 and 76 people employed as NFL QB’s whom by tour evaluation, arent good at it. Many of them are young guys who teams think oculd become good at it. Tebow has at least shown flashes of potential.
For a guy who puts so much showmanship into his Christianity, I would expect that he would be familiar with the story (not a parable, a real story that really happened) of Jesus and the Centurion.
If he recognizes his position as a man under authority, if the coach calls him in and says "We want to take a look at you at TE", isn't the right answer "I'll do whatever it takes to help the team win", even if he has to ask for a day or so to think it over?
As for his throwing motion, it's not my place to say. I'm not a football player, just a fan.
BTW, if you'll indulge me, we had a situation at my school a few years ago that might shed some light on this deal.
A certain player was starting at QB, following a departed Heisman trophy winner. (Not our most recent one.) He was a competent QB, but a younger kid, kind of a hotshot, had come in and in fact beat him out of the starting job.
The older player didn't like it, but for the good of the team switched to wide receiver...
As it turned out, the younger player had his good points, but he also had a bad side... the last straw was when he got kicked off the team for accepting cash for work he didn't really do at a local car dealership. There had also been some attrition at QB, with another guy who would have been next in line transferring to a school out west.
So two weeks out from the 2008 season, our team had no starting QB and only a couple of young guys at that position.
Coaches call in the older guy who had moved to WR the previous year and said "we need you at QB." He said "I need a day to think about it", then the next day went to the coaches and said "I'm your man." That player's name was Paul Thompson.
Our team won the conference championship with him at QB, and as a matter of fact went to the BCS championship game, where, to tell the truth about it, we were beaten by the University of Florida, who had a young man with jets named Percy Harvin on offense, a defense with team speed like we hadn't ever seen before, and Tim Tebow at QB.
So I have seen it happen before, and seen a guy make the best out of a position change and seen it work out the best for him.
The only way a guy doesn't accept that offer is if his pride has overtaken his committment to his team and the coaches who are in authority over him. 'Specially if there's NFL money involved.
JMO. :)
The deal with Paul would have happened a year or two before.
Time flies...
Tebow had a bad initial reaction to the announcement that McElroy would get that one start in place of Sanchez, but if I remember correctly he he did apologize and offer to do whatever was needed.
In the offseason, the pros and college are two different things. The college guy you mentioned probably had three options: 1. Accept. 2. Decline and stay at the school, likely spending his last year of elligibility on the bench. 3. Decline and transfer, which would likely mean sitting out a year before he could play again. If I read correctly, he was also going back to his old position, not switching to a completely new position.
I don’t know the details of what the Jets offered Tebow this off season. If your boss said you weren’t a very good computer programmer but we sure could use another office secretary (with the corresponding pay cut) wouldn’t you at least weight your options first? If that same boss had already given you reason to distrust him, or at least reason to belieeve that organization wasn’t a very good fit, wouldn’t you probably say “Thanks, but I’ll look elsewhere”?
“he just does not have the skills necessary to Quarterback a professional football team.”
Except that he has actually demonstrated that he has the skills necessary to quarterbacking professional football team. He’s no Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but in his first year as a starter he’s better than probably around a dozen quarterbacks that started last year.
He was under contract, so they couldn’t have cut his pay, they could have moved him which may have reduced his future pay, but not as much as being cut.
No it's not........Tebow is not the "All American Boy", he's just a young man trying to make it in the NFL.
He has chosen to make his religion forefront to his profession which is fine but is it necessary? He can give his thanks to his God before and after the game in the locker room and God won't care a bit.
As mentioned, he has indeed become a distraction and in the competitive world of the NFL, managers and owners don't need that........
Just play the game Tebow and give your thanks afterwards.........
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