Tebow is already being dubbed the 'Mile High Messiah' by Broncos fans
The 2010 NFL Draft has finally drawn to a close, and in case you missed it – or just decided to be more productive with those16 hours of your life – here are the major storylines you missed.
So see if you can follow along – the Denver Broncos picked up the 49ers fourth round pick by moving down two spots in the first round – from 11 to 13.
Then they picked up Philadelphia’s two third round picks to move down to 24th.
Then they gave San Fran’s fourth rounder to the Patriots to move back up two spots to pick wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Then they gave up Miami’s second rounder (from the Brandon Marshall trade), the first of Philly’s two third rounders, and their own fourth rounder to Baltimore to get back in the first round at 25 to take quarterback Tim Tebow.
All this wheeling and dealing has some people puzzled, and most people were expecting Tebow to get drafted in the third or fourth round. I guess we’ll see just how smart the Broncos really are.
As for what position or role Tebow will play for the Broncos, everyone has an opinion.
Many people have many ideas for Tim Tebow in the NFL.
Some believe he’ll be a fine H-back because of his sturdy stature and hard running style. Others think he’d be a terrific special teams player because of his desire for the game.
That’s all well and good, but no one really bothered to ask the offensive minded Josh McDaniels what he thought of his first round pick.
“He’s a quarterback, he’s a quarterback. That’s all he’s going to do.” McDaniels said.
Tebow may be the most controversial draft pick ever – a proven winner and Heisman winner who a lot of people think would be a sixth-round pick if not for the Florida jersey. Not often do you find that combination. By taking him and taking on that risk, McDaniels has proven once again that he is willing to do what he wants, when he wants, no matter what people think. It’s a quality often to be admired, but if his gut proves wrong, it could be a quality that sends him out of the NFL in a hurry.
At the time that Tebow was drafted, I was texting back and fourth with a good friend of mine who happens to be the world’s biggest Broncos fan. I said much of the same by reiterating that McDaniels better hope that Tebow pans out because his coaching legacy in Denver depends on it. He agreed for the most part but he brought up a very interesting point. He told me that McDaniels is the safest coach in the NFL because owner Pat Bowlen doesn’t change coaches very often so McDaniels has at least three years to make something of it.
That may be true, but I do believe that it’s all on McDaniels. He’s the same guy that turned Matt Cassel in to a quarterback and called the plays for Tom Brady, but this is by far his biggest project. He’s got his work cut out for him. Last year, McDaniels traded the team’s franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler followed by trading one of the best receivers in the league in Brandon Marshall. Now, he’s added Tim Tebow by mortgaging a good chunk of his draft. Not to mention trading for Brady Quinn earlier this off-season.
With Tebow, the upsides are huge. Tebow could instantly give the Broncos the best Wildcat – Wild Horses out in Denver – formation in the NFL. He could be deadly on the goal line as a run/throw threat. And if Josh McDaniels, who is supposed to be a wonder with quarterbacks and coached up Matt Cassel, who didn’t start a game in college, can work his magic again, Tebow could be a long time in Denver.
The things we know are that Tebow is a winner, that he has a huge work ethic, and that there won’t be any off the field issues – after the Marshall fiasco, I’m sure that played into the draft choice. These are great things for a football player to have, and he could be very successful even if just in a limited role. One of the biggest knocks on him is a lack of experience under center, but that limited role could be to only be on the field in the shotgun, which McDaniels loves anyway and already uses a lot. If that’s what it takes to get the good Tebow qualities on the field and get some wins in Denver, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Tebow getting some snaps early on.
“We want players who are tough, smart, have great character, love football and are passionate about coming here and helping the Broncos win a championship,” McDaniels said. “I think both players fit that role and I think that’s something that we’re looking for in all of our players. What we’re trying to build here is team chemistry and a team that cares about winning and winning a championship, and that’s it.”
And Tebow was nothing but thankful for the chance the Broncos have given him.
“My greatest joy in Denver,” Tebow said, “is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me.”
In my opinion, it won’t be long before Mr. Tebow has a chance to do just that.
