An Insider Look at Tim Tebow

Mar 26; Florham Park, NJ, USA; Newly acquired New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow addresses the media at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

Today, I wanted to bring you guys some insights from a guy who would know Tim Tebow as well as anybody. So, to talk about his abilities, both from college and going forward, we have consulted Joel Smith author of The Bull Gator, for some thoughts on the new Jets backup QB. Here is what he had to say:

It’s hard for me to give an accurate evaluation on Tim Tebow because I’m partially blinded by the fact that I’m a Gator and I want him to succeed. From that standpoint, I hope he proves he can be a quarterback in the NFL for many years to come. But then I have to be realistic and admit there are flaws to his game as a passer. Let’s just be clear though, there’s a world of difference between wanting an athlete to do something and actually believing he can do it (just because I want Al Horford to win the NBA MVP each season from now until he retires, doesn’t mean I believe he can actually do so).

Tebow isn’t the ideal NFL quarterback, but there have been those in the past that have succeeded without having perfect fundamentals. There have been also those with perfect fundamentals that have failed. That said, I like to think of Tebow as a football player and not necessarily a QB. I think he has a lot to offer to a team and if used correctly can contribute and help a team win games. People will point to the Broncos defense as the main reason for their success in 2011. That may be true, but you also can’t say Tebow didn’t have anything to do with it (if you did then I have to ask you how well there were doing with Kyle Orton leading the way). Whether it was with his feet, his ability to handle pressure late in games, or just his overwhelmingly positive attitude, he brought something to Denver.

If I were putting a team together, I wouldn’t want him as my starting quarterback – there are just too many questions – but I would want him on my roster. As THE quarterback you rely on, I’m not sure how far you can get with him. His passing is suspect and none of us are sure if it will improve or not and, if he were a full-time QB, defenses will begin to play different against him and possibly render him less effective. I would want Tebow to be a part of my offense to use when the situation warrants (similar to how he was used during the 2006 season at Florida as Chris Leak’s backup), but I’m not sure you can rely on him as an every-down QB because how far can you honestly go? Will he still beat teams? Yes, but good defenses will diminish his ability to surprise you.

At this point, too much has to go right for Tebow to be a great passer in this league and a lot of it is beyond his control. Let’s be honest, he doesn’t throw a pretty pass and he has that slow release. Maybe he can improve, but for now, I would want him on my team as a piece of the puzzle, not necessarily the person attempting to put the puzzle together.

So there you have it.  Some insights from an expert on Tim Tebow, who thinks he can contribute, but just not necessarily as an every down NFL passer.

Thanks to Joel for the insights.