Tim Tebow is the early leader for the 2015 Comeback Player of The Year Award and he might even have an insurmountable lead.
He already pulled off the near impossible just by getting the Eagles to sign him. That will still be more of an accomplishment than if Sam Bradford, his new teammate in Philly, throws 25 TD passes after tearing the ACL in his left knee each of the last two years with the Rams.
Tebow is a nice guy, and I enjoyed speaking with him many times when he was with the Jets in 2012, but let’s face it: Unless he’s had left arm replacement surgery, he just doesn’t throw well enough to play quarterback in the NFL. He’s been working out with Tom House, who is also now Tom Brady’s quarterback guru. House is best known for being the Atlanta Braves relief pitcher who caught Hank Aaron’s home run in the bullpen when he hit No. 715 to pass Babe Ruth in 1974. Later, when House was the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, he would have his pitchers throw footballs around in the outfield.
RELATED: ELI MANNING NOT STRESSING OVER CONTRACT STATUS WITH GIANTS
Eagles coach Chip Kelly has won 10 games in each of his first two seasons and made the playoffs once, and even though he has yet to win a playoff game, he has all but anointed himself the new genius in the NFL. So, clearly he must have a plan for Tebow, who was cut by the Patriots at the end of training camp in 2013 and didn’t even get a camp invite in 2014.
The Eagles say he will be used at quarterback. “He’ll have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot, and his role will be determined by his performance, and I think it’s as simple as that,” Eagles VP of player personnel Ed Marynowitz said.
Here’s why I think Kelly signed him:
Next month, NFL owners are likely to vote for a rule change with the extra point kick, which has become as automatic as Rex Ryan declaring he has the best defense in the NFL. The PAT is likely to be moved back from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line. At the same time, the two-point conversion is expected to be moved to the 11/2-yard line or the 1-yard line. Making the two-point conversion easier and the one-point kick tougher will result in more teams going for two.
That’s where Kelly might be right: He just might be smarter than everybody else.
Tebow could be unstoppable going for two as long as Kelly doesn’t exclusively run him between the guards as the Jets did on the rare occasion when they actually let him take some snaps three years ago. Kelly would have a lot of options with Tebow under center for the two-pointer: He could run him up the middle, let him run the read-option and keep or pitch the ball, run a sweep, roll him out with the option to run it in, have him throw a short pass on the run or throw from the pocket. Or maybe Tebow could bring back that jump pass he used in college to win a national championship. Of course, letting Tebow throw the ball, even on a quick flip, is risky. The ball is more likely to wind up in the dirt or sailing over a receiver’s head than it is to be on target.
RELATED: NFL DRAFT ’15: TEN BEST FIRST-ROUND QBs OF LAST DECADE
Mark Sanchez just has to be thrilled to be reunited with his ol’ buddy. I hope Bradford stays healthy, but his history suggests otherwise. So, imagine this scenario:
The Eagles play at the Jets the third week of the season. That means to start that game, Bradford is going to have to stay healthy for the entire summer and the first two games. Two years ago, he tore his ACL in the seventh game and he tore it again in a preseason game last year.
If Bradford is out by the third week, the Eagles starter will be Sanchez with Tebow looking over his shoulder. That would be priceless. The Eagles saw up close two years ago when the Patriots practiced against Philadelphia that Tebow can’t throw. They said last week he’s improved since then. Good for him. I hope this works. He’s a good guy, and considering how well having Sanchez and Tebow worked together for the Jets, why not give it a shot?
MARC’S THE SPOT
Marcus Mariota is the key to Thursday’s first round of the draft. Right now, I think the Titans will take him second right after the Bucs take Jameis Winston. But that pick could be in play. Here are the possibilities if the Titans don’t want Mariota:
-They stay put and take USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams or Florida linebacker Dante Fowler.
-The Jets, with the sixth pick, are in the best position to make a trade because the Titans wouldn’t have to move back very far. This works only if the Titans don’t require a veteran QB in return because there’s no way they want Geno Smith and they had already had Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2013. It’s hard to believe they will be satisfied going into training camp with Zach Mettenberger. If Mariota doesn’t go second, the Jets could have an even better chance to move up with the Jaguars, Raiders or Washington, who have the three picks right in front of them. None of them wants a QB.
MEHTA: JETS SHOULD TRADE DOWN FOR STANFORD’S ANDRUS PEAT
-The Chargers trade Philip Rivers for the second pick and San Diego takes Mariota. Rivers caught the second wind on his career when Ken Whisenhunt, now the Titans head coach, was the Chargers offensive coordinator in 2013. This would be a terrific trade for Tennessee assuming Rivers will sign a contract extension. He has just one year left, and with the possibility the Chargers will be in Los Angeles in 2016, he has been unwilling to talk about a new deal with San Diego. He grew up 90 miles from Nashville. The Titans would get a veteran quarterback with at least three or four high-level seasons left in his career.
-Kelly has a lot of Jimmy Johnson in him, which makes him unpredictable. He would love to get Mariota, who played for him at Oregon. The hot rumor: He trades Bradford to the Browns. Cleveland tried to deal for him in March, but the Rams wanted Nick Foles from the Eagles, so Cleveland lost out. Cleveland holds the 12th and 19th picks in the first round. If the Browns are willing to give up the 12th pick for Bradford, then Kelly can package that with his own pick at No. 20 to the Titans to move up for Mariota.
WORTH THE WAIT
I think the NFL blew it by waiting until Nov. 12 for the first Rex Ryan vs. the Jets game. Well, at least it will be at MetLife Stadium. . . . Ryan opens with home games against the Colts and Patriots. Andrew Luck and Tom Brady will get things going in the New Ryan Era.
. . . Buffalo fans are all-in on Ryan. The Bills have already sold 55,000 season tickets, less than 3,000 from setting a franchise record. Rex can do no wrong in Buffalo. Can’t wait to see him riding to work on a snow blower. . . . If the Dolphins can hang in the playoff race until December, they will be in good shape. In an oddity, they have just three games in Miami in their first 11. They are the home team in London against the Jets. Their other four home games, including Dec. 14 against the Giants, are all in December with a road game at San Diego right in the middle. . . . The DeflateGate investigation has reached three months, just in case you are keeping track. Imagine how long this would take if it was really important. . . . President Obama poked fun at DeflateGate when the Patriots were honored at the White House last week. He said that he likes to tell jokes at these events, but was concerned that “11 out of 12 might fall flat.” He looked back at Bill Belichick, who gave the president a thumbs down. Belichick was not escorted off the grounds by the Secret Service. “That whole story got blown a little out of proportion,” Obama said. Perhaps Ted Wells has given him advance notice of his report. . . . Darrelle Revis accompanied the Patriots to the White House, but the team didn’t waste any time reassigning his No. 24 to veteran cornerback Bradley Fletcher, who previously played for the Rams and Eagles.
LINE DANCE
Giants GM Jerry Reese came up with the best player in the draft last year when he took Odell Beckham Jr. with the 12th pick. Although it’s not very exciting, Reese should take an offensive tackle in the first round for the second time in three years if Iowa’s Brandon Scherff is still on the board, as expected, at No. 9.
Stanford’s Andrus Peat is another possibility. Eli Manning is 34 years old, and although the Giants have not started negotiating on a new contract with Manning, who is entering the final year of his deal, they want him to finish his career as a Giant. Manning wants the same. That means they must build up the line in front of him and resist going for a pass rusher. Remember, they found Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora in the second round, and Justin Tuck was a third-round pick.
