Don't tread on Tebow

[Scorpion42]

Don’t tread on Tim Tebow
Wes Bunting, The National Football Post 16 minutes ago

I would take Tim Tebow in the first round….

I would plug him into my offense with the first team on the first day of mini-camp….

Tim Tebow is perhaps the most coachable prospect in the 2010 draft.
AP

And if I’m a head coach who has conviction in my offense, I would go hip to hip with Tebow for the next 12 years in the NFL….

Is he ready for the NFL right now? No, but my gut is telling me he’ll be ready much sooner than anyone thinks. We all know about the delivery, the footwork, the spread offense, his incredible passion for the game - heck, we even know about him praying before a test.

But as a potential NFL quarterback, what is Tim Tebow?

He’s the type of quarterback you can really grind on if you’re a head coach. He’s more coachable than anyone in this year’s draft. He’s demanding, not only of himself, but of the coaches and players around him.
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Mike Holmgren is in the market for a QB. Could Tebow be a fit?
AP

Tebow is the type of guy who wins games for you on Monday and Tuesday in the film room, breaking down tape with the offensive coordinator. He’s the kind of guy who wants to understand protection schemes and blitz pick-ups. And the idea that he isn’t well advanced from an X’s and O’s standpoint is completely off base. I’ve heard from a number of sources that they were literally “blown away” by his understanding of an NFL offense.

Plus, he’s an athlete with instincts in the pocket who knows how to create when nothing is there. He’s the type of player who can buy you that first down even when the play breaks down.

Can he throw the football in the NFL? Without a doubt. Tebow has an absolute paw of a hand, measuring in at 10 1/8 inches, and he has the ability to spin any football he picks up. He can throw in the cold, rain and wind and has the kind of arm strength needed to sling the ball down the field.

Obviously, there are some concerns about his rhythm and anticipation as a passer. But as I wrote after his pro day, I saw a quarterback who, in only six weeks of work, looked as though he’d been taking snaps from under center his entire career. I saw a guy who considerably tightened up his footwork, which allowed him to generate more torque from his lower half and more velocity on his throws. I saw a QB who significantly shortened his release. And overall, I saw a much more polished quarterback prospect.

So if this is the kind of improvement we saw from Tebow after six weeks, where is he going to be in six more weeks? In a year? In two years?

The point is, Tim Tebow is a winner, a worker and a guy who wants to be grinded on as a quarterback. He has the required skill set needed to be successful in the NFL, but he also has the often-overlooked willingness, intangibles and passion.

We’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks through the years with elite physical skill sets - JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf come to mind—who didn’t pan out because they didn’t have the work ethic needed to lead a team. Tebow has that ethic.

Don’t get me wrong. Tebow is still a work in progress. But he’s also a guy I refuse to bet against because of his passion and willingness to be the best. And that’s something that can’t be overstated at the quarterback spot.

Follow me on Twitter: WesBunting

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