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Trashin Tebow 04/23/2010

Posted by sportretort in denver broncos, NFL, Sports, Uncategorized.
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Tebow shortly after he was drafted by Denver

The haters were ready to pounce. The venom came so quickly and with such veracity one would think that the articles were already written, just waiting for the team and coach names to be added. The Denver Broncos and head coach Josh McDaniels did what was apparently unthinkable. They drafted Florida QB Tim Tebow with the 25th pick. BAM! The haters did a quick edit and pressed the enter button. McDaniels has sealed his fate! Career suicide. Dead coach walking. The Broncos were the NFL clowns! Surely they were the butt of jokes in every other NFL war room. The crowd assembled at Radio City Music Hall to watch the draft live (I guess because they have no life. Come on. This is the Big Apple. Home to Broadway, the Yankees and about a million other distractions, and they choose to attend the draft? And they make fun of Midwesterners for watching corn grow for entertainment! But I digress…) laughed and jeered the pick.

To be sure, there have been poor QB picks in the first round. The Chargers picked Ryan Leaf from Washington State with the number two overall pick in

Tebow after winning the National Championship

1998. Former Broncos coach picked Tommy Maddox with, interestingly, the 25th pick in the 1992 draft. Those picks did not pan out. While Leaf did lead his WSU team to the Rose Bowl, they lost to Michigan, he had only 24 total career starts and was considered by many to be a head case. He was a total bust in the NFL. Maddox came out after his sophomore season at UCLA and had done nothing of note. Reeves was fired as the Broncos head coach after the next season, but because of his problems with star QB John Elway, of which the Maddox pick was merely a part. In these cases, people were right to question the choices. People also have a right to question the Tebow pick. But be honest. All Tebow did at Florida was play a key role on the 2006 National Championship team (he was the number two QB at Florida behind Chris Leak, played in 14 games and threw for and ran for a touchdown in the National Championship game), won the Heisman Trophy in ’07, and lead the Gators to a 12-1 National Championship season in ’08. This kid is arguably one of, if not the best college QB’s of all time. There are questions about his mechanics at the NFL level, but, come on, this is not the worst pick ever.

Tim Tebow plays with heart. He is a leader. He seems to have the drive and desire to do what ever it takes to improve himself. He won a Heisman, was part of 2 National Championship teams, and he is, in the estimation of some of the haters, no better than a 5th round draft pick? Unbelievable. I guess it is his personal life that has them upset. While many athletes are getting in trouble with the law, skipping classes and creating problems, Tebow talks about his religious values. He helps in the community. He was even the subject of a ‘contraversial’ choose life Super Bowl commercial where his mom talks about having been advised to abort him because of a medical condition. Guess in the minds of the haters he would be better suited for a high draft pick if he was a rapist or ran around drinking and getting arrested. Well, I am sure of this: if McDaniels felt he could wait until the Broncos second round pick to draft Tebow, he would have. There were others looking at him in round 2 (not 5 or later). McDaniels wanted him, and he went and got him. Remember, also, that Tebow was Denver’s second pick. They drafted WR Demariyus Thomas with the 22nd pick.

Denver came into the draft with one first round pick, number 11 overall, and managed to turn that into the 22nd and 25th overall picks. And they still have a second round pick, as well as 2 third round picks after the nights activities. Was it a stretch to draft Tebow at 25? Perhaps. Was it worth the gamble? Time will tell. Was it as bad a move as the haters say? Not even close. I have never been a big Tim Tebow fan, but the bile and venom spewed immediately after his pick has put me in his corner. Not because he was drafted by the Broncos, but because the speed and fury with which the crap hit the fan made it obvious that this attack was going to be unleashed no matter who drafted him. Time will tell about this draft, as it does with any draft. I for one hope the haters are made to eat their words.

Tebow with his Heisman Trophy

Impact Rookie: Matthew Stafford 07/13/2009

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(Note:  from time to time until the season begins, I will spot light rookies that have a chance to make an impact in the NFL this season from a fantasy football perspective.)

You know the numbers.  0-16.  The only team to go the entire season without a win since the league went to a 16 game

The Lions made Stafford the first pick overall

The Lions made Stafford the first pick overall

 schedule.  Time to rebuild.  Where to start?  If you are the Detroit Lions, you start at quarterback.  With the first pick in the draft, the Lions acquired the qb many scouts considered the most NFL ready, Matthew Stafford from Georgia.  The Lions had 5 different players take snaps last season.  Barring injury, that number should come down this season.  With veteran Daunte Culpepper (who has not played even a half season since 2004)  currently keeping the seat warm, Stafford will be the starter sooner rather than later.  My guess is that he will start from game one, but by game 3 for sure.  Conventional wisdom in the NFL at this time is to bring a rookie quarterback along slowly.  But for every David Carr who had his career shortened by being thrown to the wolves, there is also a Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman success story.  

Stafford brings a big arm with touch and the proven ability, at least

Stafford was 27 - 7 as a starter for Georgia

Stafford was 27 - 7 as a starter for Georgia

at the collegiate level, to make quick reads and quick release to avoid the rush despite being a classic pocket passer.  That ability will come in handy, as the Lions offensive line surrendered 52 sacks last season.  The line is back in tact this season with another year of experience. Stafford also proved to be resilient at Georgia.  He became the starter during his freshman year, and started every game since (34 straight) without injury.  Georgia was 27-7 under Stafford. 

Stafford’s arm strength has been compared to that of Jay Cutler, now with the Bears.  That is a plus for Detroit because the Lions have a good group of receivers, including wideouts Calvin Johnson (78 receptions, 1331 yards and 12 td last season), Bryant Johnson and Ronald Curry; and running back Kevin Smith, who caught 39 balls out of the backfield last season.  Perhaps the biggest improvement to help the Lions qb this season will be the complete overhaul the Lions defense received during the off season.  The Lions gave up an average of 32+ points last season.  Dead last among the 32 NFL teams.  If the revamped defense can perform significantly better than last years squad, it will take pressure off of the offense.  And offensively, the Lions are not short of talent. 

Stafford will not be an early qb pick in your draft, but he will be a starter soon, and effective by mid season.  Look for 2700 plus passing yards and 18 – 20 touchdowns.  Detroit quarterbacks threw 19 interceptions last season.  Look for Stafford, while making rookie mistakes, to bring that number down.  Someone will draft him.  If not, watch the waiver wires and pick him up early for qb depth before injuries begin to happen around the league.

Impact Rookie: Mark Sanchez 07/10/2009

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(Note:  from time to time until the season begins, I will spot light rookies that have a chance to make an impact in the NFL this season from a fantasy football perspective.)

The New York Jets traded up in this years  draft in order to select USC redshirt  junior Mark Sanchez as their

The Jets traded up in the draft and got their man

The Jets traded up in the draft and got their man

 quarterback of the future.  With the retirement of Bret Farve, the most experienced quarterback on their roster, Kellen Clemens, has seen action in only 14 games over 3 seasons and has thrown a total of 5 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.  With numbers like that, Sanchez is also the Jets quarterback of the present.  If  Clemens is  the opening day starter (my bet is that it will be Sanchez) he won’t keep the job for long. 

Sanchez amassed 3207 passing  yards with 34 touchdown

Sanches is trying to become the toast of New York

Sanches is trying to become the toast of New York

passes for USC last season.  He was the Offensive MVP in the Rose Bowl, a 38-24 victory over Penn State.  Despite having been a starter for only one season at USC, Sanchez became a top 5 NFL draft pick because of his arm strength and passing accuracy.  At USC, he rarely threw into coverage and showed a cerebral acqumin for the game, reading coverages with seeming ease.  With targets like wideouts Jerricho Cotchery and  Chansi Stuckey,  tight end Dustin Keller, and Leon Washington and Thomas Jones out of the backfield, Sanchez will have plenty of targets to throw to.   He has the arm to make all the throws, from the dump off to the deep pattern.  As he becomes familiar with his new arsenal of weapons and adjusts to the speed of the pro game he has the potential to eventually round into an elite quarterback in the NFL.

Last season,  his only season with the Jets, Farve threw for almost 3500 yards and 22 touchdowns.  He also threw 22 interceptions.  Look for Sanchez to accumulate 3100 passing yards and 16-20 Touchdowns in 2009.  His interceptions should also be lesss than the 22 Farve threw last season.  With the addition of a power runner (Shonne Greene out of Iowa) look for the Jets to run the ball more and throw it less than last season.  Sanchez is worth a late round pick up as your 2nd or third quarterback. If he matures faster than expected, he could surprise and surpass these numbers.  As the first round draft pick, Sanchez is attempting to pick up the Jets mantle of Joe Namath, not follow in the New York footsteps of Farve.