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Would a Bills-Tebow marriage live happily ever after?
by Paul Hopkins
31/3/2010
 It looks as though the Buffalo Bills are the first team to show their hand and declare their undying eternal love for Tim Tebow, the most hyped college athlete since well ever really.
If, as expected the two top talents in the quarterback pool namely Sam Bradford (who it seems is now locked to the St Louis Rams) and Jimmy Clausen (who might find himself in Washington, Oakland or somewhere indiscriminate after a big trade) are gone by the time the Bills’ time starts, they’re going to be left looking at the remaining quarterbacks, such as Tebow, Colt McCoy and Dan LeFevour.
It was back in November that Buffalo legend Jim Kelly publicly decreed that the Bills needed a new quarterback, with Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick clearly not the answer. Even then Kelly had his gaze fixed on Tebow:
“Whether it’s Tim Tebow, whether they’ll have a shot at him when draft time comes … you have to look at the top three quarterbacks in the draft, really study them. And you look for a guy with good character, good leadership ability and good arm strength — and a guy who doesn’t come from California.”
Well, even though at the time Sam Bradford could have ticked all those boxes (and was being talked about as a top ten pick rather than the first overall pick he has blossomed into) considering that they’ve now got no chance of Bradford and Clausen is a California guy, I guess he was definitely thinking about one guy. And, to be fair, Tebow does tick those boxes.
 And now, just weeks before the draft Kelly might have let the cat out of the bag on the guy that he wants the Bills to take. And bearing in mind that this comes hot on the heels of Head Coach Chan Gailey’s statement that Tebow has every intangible you could ever want in a quarterback, it seems that the Bills are becoming more than a little infatuated.
Kelly and his wife dined with Tebow over this past weekend and according to Kelly’s wife Jill, Jim thinks Tim is “a class act and a great guy, Now, whilst that makes no reference to Kelly’s view of Tebow’s on-field attributes, Kelly has said before that there is more to success than that:
You need that guy behind center, not only the guy who can throw the ball and make big plays. But to be the leader and be able to pull people together.”
Sound like anyone we know?
Of course, despite his legendary career for the Bills, it remains unclear what influence if any Jim Kelly has on the Buffalo franchise. It’s not clear whether the Kelly’s awe-inspiring dining experience with Tebow came before or after his meeting with the team, or indeed whether the Bills knew about or even endorsed such a move. Kelly has talked prior about wanting to be involved in Bills football, and become part of a consortium to take over the running of the franchise, but this has not materialised.
So lets just assume that after this elongated game of connect the dots and see what the picture looks like Tim Tebow ends up in Buffalo, would being drafted to Buffalo be the best move for Tebow?
True, the Bills need a quarterback badly.
True, they need a face of the franchise – badly.
True, they’re unlikely to land Bradford, Clausen or even entice Donovan McNabb to the North-East.
 But there is a lot that says for both parties this might not be a particularly good move.
You can hear those seduced by the hype cry out; why not Tebow if they need someone? Surely, he can’t be worse than Edwards or Fitzpatrick? And whilst they have a very valid point on this, surely it is not about being worse than those two, it is about leading the Bills back? Getting them synonymous again with success in the AFC as in the early 1990’s, rather than what they have become synonymous with of late losing.
I sit in the camp that this would be a bad marriage from the outset for both for several reasons.
Principally, it is because for all the superlatives lavished on Tebow, some deserved, some over the top, it is universally accepted that he has an awful long way to go to become a fully fledged NFL starter, able to cope with the complex defensive schemes and the quicker, stronger and bigger defensive players than those he is used to. Despite the positive strides universally acknowledged he has made since his rather disastrous Senior Bowl appearance there is still a long way to go. Such an articulate and intelligent young man like he, would accept that himself.
I think I’m definitely open to improving my fundamentals. I think I definitely showed that by being here. If you just watched the way I played, you could see there is room for improvement and what I need to work on.
I have no doubt his presence in Buffalo would galvanize the franchise and their fans. I suspect even those that have grave doubts over his ability to adapt from college to the NFL would get caught up in the hypeindeed sometimes you wonder if we will wind up getting a Tim Tebow holiday in the city to which he is drafted! But seriously, this incredibly charismatic young man is someone that naturally you know is a leader and would succeed at anything he sets his mind to. But it takes time, and I do not believe that would be afforded to him in Buffalo.
I don’t doubt that Tebow can handle the pressure as the face of a franchise needing a shot in the arm desperately. We saw at one of the biggest programmes in the NCAA that he is more than happy to toss a team on his back, and drive them to greatness.
 But I do doubt whether he can do that at the same time as likely being thrown in at the deep end to play in his first year, whilst still learning to adapt and evolve his style to the pro game. It’s too much for anyone, let alone someone who’s earned the nickname of Superman.
Even if the Bills draft Tebow and then start the season with a veteran quarterback at the helm (bearing in mind that as of right now, their roster consists of Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm), experience has proven that they are in no position where anyone would expect them to be in a position to be contending for a post-season spot come week 8.
At this point, even though I anticipate the clamour would be building from day one (such is the knowledge that the other QBs on the roster are not up to the job), the clamour will inevitably lead to Tebow being cast into the starting role after public demand forces Chan Gailey’s hand to act (a Coach under pressure always reacts to press/fan expectation). So Tebow could then be coming into a weak side granted, arguably he’ll have nothing to lose. But at the same time, will even he be able to salvage something and get them right back on track? Because, mark my words, once he takes over there is no going back.
Indeed, if the opposite was to happen and Tebow was to start from day one, then I believe the outcome would be the same. Despite his iron man will to overcome adversity, despite no person living (or dead) on this earth seemingly being a better human being than Tebow (for example, look at him assisting a bloke proposing to his fiance risky considering the very real chance she’d probably fall in love with Tebow instead or what he gets up to in his off-season he is far from being ready for the scope of the task if he was asked to start immediately at a franchise that is struggling.
 I firmly believe that the best thing that can happen for Tim Tebow’s development into an NFL Quarterback would be to get drafted to a side with a clearly settled QB position with an incumbent fully secure in his position. He can then learn his trade, study games, continue to hone his ability (as it is beyond question that he will work at it) and do all this without having to be exposed to something before he is ready.
So, we know where he shouldn’t go then; discount St Louis who have zeroed in on Sam Bradford, but he must hope that the likes of Oakland and Cleveland, devoid of a long-term solution under center, don’t call his name. But where would be a good fit for Tebow?
I believe that there are a few franchises without sufficient gaps in their roster who might be tempted to take a project QB like Tebow. They are (in no particular order):
San Diego? Ok, so he might have to wait a while there given what Philip Rivers has evolved into. But, at the same time look at Charlie Whitehurst, recently traded to Seattle. He has never in four years thrown a pass in the league yet has proven enough to arguably become the hottest commodity in the recent free agency period. Learning from Rivers, and from QB guru Norv Turner can only be of benefit to Tebow and then who knows? Maybe he too will be given the keys to a franchise.
Reigning Champions the Saints don’t have much behind Drew Brees except for an ageing Mark Brunell and (although I rated him at Mizzou) Chase Daniel. There’s a role there again to develop under former QB Coach Sean Payton. The same situation exists in Indianapolis where instead two students of the game can unite as Manning can work with Tebow to develop him. Something you know Manning will enjoy as much as Tebow.
 Of course these, like the hypothesis around Buffalo are all conjecture and speculation at this point. Until the draft takes places we won’t know what the future holds for Tim Tebow. Time will tell.
But if anyone could go into a struggling franchise and start from day one and end up making a success of it, then Tim Tebow can. That I’m making this statement right now to give myself a bit of wriggle room shows that even myself; usually quite the cynic over hype, has become a bit of a believer who thinks he might just do it.
If he achieves it? Then it’s probably time we renamed the world after him and turn our lives over to following the cause of Tim Tebow.
Of course, if Jimmy Clausen somehow manages to navigate his way down the draft to #9 when the Bills come on the clock, I expect Kelly, Gailey and the rest of the organisation will think Tim who? as they race to the front to select the former Notre Dame quarterback.
And despite everything I think that might not be a bad thing for all concerned.
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