Can Tim Tebow be an NFL quarterback?
Last year, Florida QB Tim Tebow became the first underclassmen to ever win the Heisman Trophy. His blend of size and athleticism make him one of the best football players in college football.
But is he an NFL quarterback? Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports doesn’t think so.
Meyer isn’t screwing up Tim Tebow. While it’s true that Meyer’s spread offense isn’t conducive to producing an NFL quarterback — how has 2005 No. 1 pick Alex Smith panned out? — it’s also true that Tebow doesn’t have what it takes to play that position in the NFL. Not if his coach was Urban Meyer. Not if his coach was Pete Carroll. Not if his coach was David Cutcliffe, Norm Chow or Grantland Freaking Rice.
Now then, a slight digression. If the NFL continues its meandering toward the single wing, with direct snaps to versatile backs, Tebow could have a future. So could Vince Young, for that matter. Because Tebow can take a shotgun snap and make a decision and then run or pass or hand the ball to someone else. He can do that.
What he can’t do is drop back five or seven steps and throw a 30-yard laser with pinpoint accuracy. He can’t, and it’s not because Urban Meyer won’t let him do it. It’s because his genetics won’t.
Again, don’t misunderstand this column. Larry Bird couldn’t jump. Manny Ramirez can’t catch. Deion Sanders couldn’t tackle. Those are still great players, great talents.
Same with Tebow. Great player. Possibly even a great NFL player. I can see him at tight end or fullback. Maybe linebacker. And I can see him being some team’s third-string quarterback, good enough to run the scout team and provide behind-the-scenes leadership and mentoring. But start at quarterback in the NFL? Sorry. I can’t see that.
What I see is a great college quarterback who can complete a high percentage of the (mostly easy) passes Meyer asks him to throw. I see a quarterback who can run for tough yardage. I see an inspirational leader whose quotes after the loss to Ole Miss had me fired up to hit somebody.
But I don’t see an NFL quarterback. Never have, never will, and it has nothing to do with Urban Meyer and everything to do with the fabulous athlete with the average arm named Vince Young Tim Tebow.
I’m not an NFL scout, but I agree with Doyel on his assessment. Tebow is going to have a future in the NFL because he’s a tremendous athlete. But he’s not a true NFL quarterback in the sense that he’s going to be able to dissect a defense and run a traditional pro-style offense. Some team will probably draft him a round or two higher than he should go, but he should still have an impact at the next level because simply put, the kid can play football. If I were Tebow, I’d stay at Florida as long as possible and give pro teams plenty of time to evaluate his skill set and figure out how it translates into the NFL.
Interesting article. I guess we will not know for sure until it happens. It is interesting to see that most good college QB’s do not go on to be NFL QB’s. It’s usually someone you have never heard of before. Or a person like Tom Brady, who was a back up in college. One thing that is not accurate regarding the article is the fact that Tebow can make the throws. He had a throw that exactly describes what you said he cannot do. He threw a TD pass to Percy Harvin, on a line, right down the seam, and I believe it was 30+ yards. Tebow did something last year that no other QB has ever done. In fact, no other player in college football history ever had 20+ rushing and 20+ passing TD’s in one season until Tebow. He also lead in passing efficiency for most of the year and is not too bad this year. I think he will be okay if he has a decent o-line in the NFL.
I agree with the article also. He is a great college qb in a fitting system. But I don’t think is an NFL “Passing” QB. He is a great young man and I wish him well ……. we will see.
Tebow will find a place in the NFL somewhere.
A great athlete, big, string, fast, smart, stays out of trouble and can play multiple positions, even QB in a pinch. Who inthe NFL doesnt need a player like that, every year?
http://winningyouthfootball.com
Anyone who says Tebow can’t make it as a pro QB is smoking crack or hasn’t watched one of Tebow’s games with their eyes open.. This kid is s phenom. He is the best combination of runner and passer to date. He is the Peyton Manning of running QB’s. If Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Young and David Garrard can be as successful as they have been in the NFL to this point Tebow is going to blow the roof off the dump.
College coaches, such as Bob Davie, a buddy of Urban Meyer, say Tebow will be an excellent NFL QB. Hmm.. who to believe..a guy with inside knowledge of Tebow’s abilities who was trained by Lou Holtz, or some lame journalist trying to get attention writing some knee jerk inflammatory article? Tough decision. especially since anyone with common sense can see Tebow is a phenom.
i agree with the article, i dont think that he can be an nfl quarterback. Although i can see him in the tight end position, or fullback
Let’s see………
Quarterback- gimpy little left-handed passes 5 yards downfield will not do it in the NFL. Doesn’t seem to have any drop “back and fire” ability. The crappy little option plays he relies on are a college thing which will NEVER play in the NFL.
Runner- NFL D-Line and NFL Linebackers won’t have a problem stopping him.
Tight End- Can he even catch?
No question, he is an extraordinary athlete, but his talents do not really translate to NFL success. He has driven Myer’s bus beautifully, but there is a 747 to fly in the NFL, and he doesn’t have the skills and never will. If any team wastes a draft pick on him they’ll end up regretting it. Sure he’s a good kid, but he needs to leave football after college and go back to his missionary work.
i agree to some point, maybe tebow isnt a pro-style quarterback, at least not yet, but if you’ve watched any of his games, he frequently can make those 30 yard laser passes with pin point accuracy, he is a better pro-style quarterback then many people think, he just needs to develop it, but if he can’t, then QB in the NFL probably isn’t for him, basically all i’m saying is, he has the potential and the work ethic to be great.
If Brady Quinn can go pro, even for the browns, then hell yeah Tebow is going pro.
More than likely I think for J ville.
Cause why would they not want him?
Umm to the frst poster… Tom Brady was a starteer at Michigan and was honorable mention All-Big 10 in 1998 as well as winning the Orange Bowl in 1999. Brady was an decent college QB, his problem was that he was not built like an NFL QB, but more like an accountant! I hate when people say brady was not a starter in college!
anyone that says he won’t be an nfl QB or people that say he’s not good is saying something very wrong. he’s a great clutch QB and he just won the championchip. He has great atheleticm and great physical ability. And i see pretty much in every flordia gator game when he throws a 30+ yard pass. so that article in my opinion is very wrong and he should actually watch a flordia gator game with his eyes open.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKUABxhWGQA&feature=related
there u go that link has plenty of 30+ yard passes
u have to be a complete idiot to think he can’t throw a 30 yard pass and to say he doesn’t have an arm. Everyone said that kurt warner didn’t have the skills and look what happened to him. anyone who says he’s not good should shut up cuz he’s gunna be high up on the draft and be an elite quarterback
Dude every ones got to hate on Tebow he’s by far the best QB in collage now I mean dam he can throw 30+ passing yard def. But he can scramble and he’s got good acurcey so just stop with it cuz everyone and annyone who has got anny commonsince knows he will be a god at QB in the NFL and look at vick speed in colage but not the best acurcey look at him before the dog fighting crap he was amazing and a great athlete
Um…”commonsince”?
A god at QB in the NFL? Your butchering of the english language and refusal to use spellcheck is not the only thing amusing about this post, anonymous.
A god in the NFL? I agree with t-bone because Florida uses the spread offense which is designed for a college QB to succeed. Remember Graham Harrell? Where did he get drafted? Remember Matthew Staford? His numbers where no where near Harrell’s but who got drafted number 1?
Tim Tebow is a great college QB. But he is too far behind the curve playing in that system. The next spread QB (zone read or run and shoot) that comes from college and does well will be the first. Start with any of Spurrier’s guys from Shane Mathews and Danny Weurfel to Rex Grossman and Chris Leak. David Klingler, Andre Ware, Alex Smith (Urban’s guy), Vince Young or Timmy Chang or any QB from Texas Tech… it doesn’t matter. The spread is simple corner/safety single read passing and the windows are huge. The footwork is behind, the reads are behind and the methodology does not translate to the NFL. If it was about armstrength guys like Montana and Young would have sucked and Jeff George would be in the Hall of Fame. The college system matters a lot. It’s no fluke that USC has 5 QB’s in the NFL right now (Norm Chow who also can claim Philip Rivers) and besides Brady in last 10 -20 years they also had Griese, Todd Collins, Scott Dreisbach, Elvis Grbac, Jim Harbaugh etc. Ironically, the strongest armed and most athletically gifted of all the Wolverines QB’s was Drew Henson an NFL washout. Tim’s arm would be good enough if he were a better QB, he’s just not that guy. But I think you have to find a spot in the locker room for a guy like that.