After essentially spending an entire year on the sidelines, much was made about where the most talked-about man in NFL, Tim Tebow, would play next season.
It was clear that his “experiment” with the New York Jets had failed, and whilst he still had a very strong public following and interest, he simply wasn’t getting the game-time or respect that he needed to make his mark on the league once more.
The Arena Football League and Canadian Football League were both discussed as possible landing points for the former Denver Broncos star, but, in the end, it was neither of those places that ended up landing Tebow.
It was the Jets’ biggest rival and arguably the best team in football since the turn of the century—the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, who will reportedly sign the quarterback this week, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.
Cue mass hysteria.
However, as high-profile and bizarre as this deal might seem by New England, the reality is that it really isn’t as crazy as it sounds. In fact, I’d argue that it’s a smart move by a clever franchise that has continually found ways to win even when it seemed like they were destined for a “down year” in terms of success.
What must be made clear straight off the bat is that Tebow is being signed as a quarterback and perhaps nothing else. He isn’t being signed to play as a runner on special teams and he isn’t being signed to play as a wide-receiver or tight-end.
The Patriots released their No. 3 quarterback in Mike Kafka the exact same day as they signed Tebow. Ryan Mallett has never shown the proficiency that he suggested as a rookie coming out of college, and Tebow will likely compete with him for the chance to play backup to one of the greatest quarterbacks in the game.
Tebow is there to play as a backup quarterback.
From that, the obvious question to ask next is as to why New England would make such a move. After all, if they’re in the market for a backup quarterback, why didn’t they make a move in the recent draft for one?
Better still, why don’t the try and pursue a player who can actually make throws down the field and lead a team if Brady happens to suffer a serious injury at some point this season.
The counter argument to that is both Mallett and Tebow’s versatility. If they keep Mallett, they have a more conventional quarterback to fill in for Brady if required, and what Tebow lacks in throwing, he makes up for somewhat with his versatility.
He’s not the greatest thrower in the world (something we’ve come to easy firsthand over his time in the NFL) but he does possess a number of skills and threats.
He is a prolific runner outside and in between the tackles, he can play out of the wildcat and can on special teams.
Moreover, he gives the Patriots an option on third and fourth down in short yardage situations that could allow the 36-year-old Brady some well-deserved relief and absorb some of the contact he would otherwise receive.
Tebow gives the Patriots options, and with a great head coach in Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels, he’ll most likely thrive in New England. And if anyone is going to help the quarterback become stronger and more versatile, it’s Belichick and the man that signed him in Denver.
This isn’t a big-money move, and there are little risks attached to it as a result.
The Patriots have signed a player with a great passion and determination for the game (and one that seems to have a knack for winning), and they’ve done it without sacrificing a great deal to get him.
And given that they have all the tools in place and the right environment for him to shine, they may very well end up showing to the NFL exactly what Tebow can do with the ball in his hands.
Tebow’s impact next season will be very minimal, and the hype around his off-season move to New England will perhaps be the most action he sees all season.
That makes this a very low-risk move and one that won’t hurt the Patriots in 2013, which therefore makes it not that crazy after all.
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