Tim Tebow’s NFL future is in trouble.
Since throwing a game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012, the quarterback’s career has spiraled out of control.
Tebow reached the high point of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos but after being axed by the New York Jets last week, the cult hero now finds out himself without a job.
We know there is a standing offer from the Omaha Beef of the Indoor Football league and Canada could be an option as well (the Montreal Alouettes own his CFL rights).
There seems to be little chance any NFL team would be willing to sign him to play quarterback at this point.
If, and it is a big if, Tebow is willing to become a change positions, a team might be willing to take a chance on him as a fullback or H-Back. A good example could be Michael Robinson, who played quarterback for Penn State and has developed into a Pro Bowl fullback with the Seattle Seahawks.
Tebow turns 26 in August and remains in great shape so if he decides to swallow his pride and give up the dream of being a “starting” quarterback in the NFL, he could find a new team relatively quickly.
One thing is for sure, the whole phenomenon that is “Tebowmania” refuses to die. There was an actual petition asking U.S. President Barack Obama to call the Jacksonville Jaguars and ask them to sign Tebow.
As expected, the U.S. administration decided there are a bit more important matters to deal with at this time.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Buffalo Bills: The Bills will hold a two day mini-camp beginning Saturday . First impressions can sometimes be deceiving but there is no doubt that all eyes will be on new quarterback E.J. Manuel as he steps onto the Bills practice field for the first time.
Even though he lacked the hype of a Geno Smith, Manuel was the only quarterback chosen in the first round of the draft. New coach Doug Marrone has made it clear that Manuel has a lot of work ahead of him.
“It is a situation where he is going to have to earn the trust of the players on this football team already and he is going to have to obviously learn the system,” said Marrone.
The quicker Manuel can learn the playbook and Marrone’s offensive system, the quicker he can start taking meaningful reps with the first team offence.
Arizona Cardinals: Led by cornerback Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals had the sixth-best pass defence in 2012. They continue to add to the group as they picked up cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (aka The Honey Badger) in the third round of the draft and followed that up with the acquisition of cornerback Javier Arenas from the Chiefs in a trade for fullback Anthony Sherman.
As talented as Mathieu is, there is a fair amount of risk that comes with the pick. After being named an All-American in 2011, Mathieu was suspended for the entire 2012 season for what LSU called a “violation of team rules”.
A few months later Mathieu was arrested with three other men for possession of marijuana. Assuming the young man can stay clean, he has the potential to be an impact player for the Cardinals.
New head coach Bruce Arians was thrilled about all the roles Mathieu could potentially fill within the Cardinals defence.
“The things that he brings as a defensive back that are so mutli-functional. He can play safety, he can play nickel, he can play corner. He’s obviously a great blitzer.”
For a team that has to do battle with the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks four times a year, a strong secondary is a must.
While Arians background is steeped in offence, he is smart enough to realize that for the Cardinals to have a chance in the NFC West they will need to build off of their strengths.
Adding to the challenge facing the Cardinals is the arrival of a new defensive coordinator.
Ray Horton left the desert to run the defence for the Cleveland Browns and Todd Bowles, formerly of the Eagles, takes over as the Cardinals defensive coordinator. Bowles took over the role in Philadelphia last year and the results were far from impressive.
Under Bowles, the Eagles allowed 30 or more points seven times in their final 10 games. By the time the season came to a close, the Eagles allowed 444 points, tied for the third worst in the entire league. Part of that had to do with the personnel and some had to do with taking over such a crucial coaching role at mid-season.
The bottom line is that Bowles will be under serious pressure to prove that last year’s results with the Eagles was an aberration and that he can mold the Cardinals into a unit that can stay competitive with the 49ers and the Seahawks.