The first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft has passed and some teams are being praised while others are being torn to shreds. It comes as no surprise that the player generating the most buzz in the aftermath of Round 1 is none other than Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who was selected by the Denver Broncos with the 25th overall pick. I may be a part of the minority here, but I think Josh McDaniels and Denver made the right move.
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who could make an argument that any player in the draft cares more about football than Tim Tebow. There’s no player who has shown that he’s more coachable or more willing to do whatever it takes to help a team win than Tebow. Is some of this “intangible” stuff often overrated when discussing NFL prospects? Certainly, but it’s worth mentioning when talking about a rare breed. Just ask his former coach and he’ll tell you — Tim Tebow is special.
It remains to be seen whether or not his revamped mechanics and highly-publicized hard work in the off-season will allow Tebow to be an effective quarterback at the NFL level. However, a team like the Denver Broncos has the luxury of time on its side. If there’s one position Josh McDaniels can develop, it’s quarterback — just ask Matt Cassel and his millions. Kyle Orton will likely be the starter for Denver when regular season play begins, and for the time being he’s a solid option, but beyond this year and maybe next the Broncos have a need at quarterback. McDaniels probably doesn’t have a ton of confidence in Brady Quinn, whom the Broncos acquired fairly cheaply from Cleveland. They invested so little in trading for him that I wouldn’t be surprised to see him cut before the season if Tebow can prove himself at the quarterback position.
Did the Broncos have other needs they could have addressed? Absolutely — they just traded their top receiver in Brandon Marshall and have plenty of holes on the defensive side of the ball. It seems like no matter who a team selects in the early rounds of the draft, they have other needs that they could have addressed. But Tim Tebow is a tremendous athlete, a competitor, and a teammate who’s probably willing to line up at fullback if it gives his team a better chance to win a game. Between the Broncos uncertainty at the quarterback position, and Tebow’s high ceiling and willingness to learn, people may be looking back at this move in three years and labeling it the steal of the draft. Patience, Broncos fans, patience.
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