As we near the end of April, all NFL fans have their eyes on the 2015 draft. Avid NFL junkies are reading every Mel Kiper Jr. report to see whom their team should pick for the upcoming event airing in Chicago on April 30. But, what we didn’t anticipate was former Heisman winner Tim Tebow making his third try at his NFL career. The news broke this past Monday that the Philadelphia Eagles signed the former University of Florida starting quarterback to a one-year deal worth $650,000 with no guarantee of making the 2015 birds squad.
Tebow, best known for his impressive college career leading the Florida Gators to two National Championship wins in 2007 and 2009, didn’t have the most seamless college-to-pro transition. After being drafted 25th in 2010 by the Denver Broncos, Tebow made a playoff appearance with Denver, and was then traded to the Jets in 2012 to be released a year later. He then signed a short-lived deal with the New England Patriots, who cut him after completing just five passes in two pre-season games. After the latest rejection from the NFL, Tebow signed a deal with ESPN to become an broadcast analyst for the SEC Network.
Some of you who aren’t familiar with Tebow might be wondering how an athlete could struggle so much at a game he nearly conquered in college.
Well, there are usually two common reasons why quarterbacks struggle with their college-to-NFL transitions: 1) the talent pool has been elevated, and 2) the playing culture of the two leagues is almost more different than it is similar. For Tebow, the second reason seems to ring true to his situation and on-going struggle with establishing his NFL career.
There is no question that Tebow is a talented athlete. When he participated in the 2012 NFL combine, he recorded a 4.72 second 40 yard dash, an 11.27 second 60 yard shuttle and a 38.5 inch vertical jump, which for a quarterback is incredibly impressive. What impacted Tebow was that very drastic change in the playing culture, which is valued the most in the NFL.
Former Browns General Manager Phil Savage said in regard to the two levels of the game that, “It’s two completely different football games that just happened to be played with the same ball.” In the NFL, the game is run by the quarterback and thrives on higher passing counts. The current culture of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Football (NCAAF) includes quarterbacks that can move efficiently in the pocket and make very spontaneous decisions.
That is the epitome of Mr. Tebow. In college and still to this day, he has been a studious player of the game, and has assumed the role as team leader. When Tebow was in the NFL before being signed by Philadelphia, many commentators alluded to placing the Heisman Trophy winner at the fullback or even the tight end position because his defense reading skills and throwing accuracy lacked proficiency.
Now, the question is “why?” Why would the Philadelphia Eagles, who just signed Demarco Murray, traded for Sam Bradford and not to mention already had Mark Sanchez on their roster, want Tebow, whose skills are equally executed by the powerhouse Murray? Well, I have eight words that can answer that question: “The unconventional wisdom of head coach Chip Kelly.” After examining the quarterbacks that are now on the Eagles’ roster (Bradford, Sanchez and now Tebow), all three were within the top five for the worst quarterback ratings within the past five years of play.
Yes, that isn’t a list to be proud of, but this list fits perfectly with Kelly’s MO, which has found a way to transform struggling quarterbacks into difference makers. For example, Kelly spoke about Mark Sanchez and explained that his struggles stemmed from the changing of offensive coordinators from season to season in New York. “[Sanchez] wasn’t really entrenched in one system,” he said.
Kelly is known to be a stickler for the ‘system’. “It’s still all about the players,” he continued. “I can put some players in there, and they’re not going to complete a pass. It’s still personnel driven. That whole, ‘It’s the system, it’s not the system.’”
Chip Kelly is approaching this upcoming NFL season with a goal to piece together the ultimate explosive wildcat driven offense. Although the three stooges that are Sanchez, Bradford and now Tebow haven’t been efficient in the past, Kelly is taking it upon himself to transform three former college stars and cultivate their talents.
Although originally there had been speculation that Kelly would go for his former player at Oregon, Marcus Marriotta, at the upcoming draft. Personally, I feel this signing of Tebow has squashed these rumors. The Eagles were a fairly competent team in 2014, and they would have to forge a blockbuster trade in order to be able to move from the 20th pick within the draft if they plan to nab Marcus Marriotta.
After working with former MLB pitching coach Tom House on his throwing mechanics, Tim Tebow might have found his match with NFL mastermind Kelly. After years of mediocre coaching for Tebow, this paring might be a blessing in disguise for both parties.
Powell is a member of the class of 2018.
