Peter King Talks Some Tim Tebow

I didn't cover Peter's Tuesday mailbag last week so I felt like I have to cover it this week. It is all a part of the NFL Draft-oriented week I appear to be running here at BotB. After this week, no more draft talk I promise. There is just so much good NFL Draft-related material, I can't help myself. Today, Peter massages his Tebow-ner and talks about why if Tebow doesn't meet expectations set for him and save the entire world from its sins, he will at least be the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL.

Ok, Peter never said that, but it is fun to make things like this up. By the way, I am refining my NFL Draft grades and plan on posting the first half tomorrow (yes, I said "first half," I got carried away a little bit). I know I am posting it late after draft, but I wanted to actually think about what I was going to say rather than just do a day-after grade and end up regretting everything I said two years down the road.

I've thought all along that Tim Tebow would need a redshirt year, but two things now tell me I might be wrong.

1. The lusty feeling in Peter's heart when he sees Tim Tebow in person.

2. Peter texted God and God texted back, "Def ready 2 start this yr. Will put good word in 4 him to McDaniels."

First, Denver trading the 40th, 70th and 114th picks in a power draft to pick Tebow is a powerful statement.

"I'm Josh fucking McDaniels and I can do whatever the hell I want to do because it is my team for the next 1-2 years until I get fired. If I want to trade a 1st round pick to Kansas City in order to draft the team mascot for Georgia, I will do it. Don't you see my hoodie with the sleeves cut off? That means I am smart and know how to dress like a homeless man."

What a powerful statement.

The 25th pick is worth 720 points on the chart every team in the league uses -- some more religiously than others. The 43rd pick is worth 470, the 70th worth 240, and the 114th worth 66. That totals 776. The Broncos paid 56 more points than were necessary by the chart -- equivalent to the 199th overall pick, a late fourth-rounder -- to get Tebow. Denver, obviously, wanted to make the deal badly enough to ratchet up the compensation.

So just for clarification, there isn't a chance in Hell (in the opinion of Peter King) the Broncos overpaid to draft Tebow, they just wanted him that badly. There is a difference. That difference can be seen in whether the person reporting this story is gullible enough to just accept what is being said by McDaniels. This person should be gullible enough to not ask questions about why a team that needs multiple draft picks to fill multiple holes caused by trading away the best players on that team is overpaying for a player in the draft. Here, Josh McDaniels is telling the story to Peter King...so that speaks for itself on the gullibility scale because Peter can be gullible at times.

The Broncos went over the recommended compensation for Tebow, there is nothing wrong with this. I get the feeling Peter doesn't entertain the thought this wasn't smart move for the Broncos.

"When I went to Gainesville Monday to work him out,'' McDaniels said, referring to his hush-hush trip to spend the day with Tebow, "we spent about seven hours together.

"We went to go see 'Valentine's Day' together, got a couple slices of pie at a pizzeria, walked around campus together pausing only to sit under a tree for a while and then he tearfully told me goodbye as I departed on a midnight train to Georgia to see Demaryius Thomas work out."

Now, understand that our offense is pretty complicated, and the terminology and the scheme is totally different from what he did at Florida.

The total terminology at Florida:

"Fake the hand-off and then run with the ball."
"Hand the ball off."
"Fake the hand-off and then throw the ball to one of the four receivers who are open."

He's so smart about football that he was able to begin to speak my language and talk apples to apples. He'd already translated what he knew of our scheme into my words. That's something that carried a lot of weight with me.''

I like to think McDaniels' pre-draft interview with Demaryius Thomas went this way:

(McDaniels) "So at this point after the snap, what do you do?"

(Thomas) "Block."

(McDaniels) "No, this is a passing play. What route do you run after the snap?"

(Thomas) "When I don't block, I run straight ahead and wait for the ball to be thrown to me."

(McDaniels) "No, no. You have two options based on what you and the quarterback read from the defense pre-snap. You are supposed to run a curl route if there is man coverage on you, but if they are running a zone, you and the quarterback hopefully recognize it pre-snap and run a drag over the middle."

(Thomas staring blankly) "So, I thought I was supposed to run straight ahead. I don't know what those other routes are. How far ahead do I run straight ahead in these other routes before I can expect the ball to be thrown to me?"

(McDaniels knowing he HAS to draft Thomas to show everyone how smart he is)

McDaniels also said: "The football traits he has is the stuff you die for.''

Come on! I am expected to not make a Jesus-Tebow joke about dying for something? I can't make this joke, I just can't.

That tells me McDaniels will find something this year for Tebow to do. I don't know what it is.

"Hey Tim, I am pretty thirsty. Can you run and get me a glass of water...and can you run to the store and get me some gum as well. Juicy Fruit, specifically."

I am just kidding, Tim Tebow may end up making a wonderful NFL quarterback. It is just too much fun to mock the fact the Broncos took a project quarterback in the 1st round and there is such an incredible amount of love for Tebow among the media and the world in general.

I think Demaryius Thomas isn't the receiver Dez Bryant is, but he's a guy the Broncos will sleep better at night having, and he'll step in for Brandon Marshall. Can he be Marshall? I doubt he'll be the impact player, but he'll have the chance.

It is nice that Peter doubts the wide receiver the Broncos selected in the 1st round will have an impact the receiver they just traded away had. I know Marshall was causing problems, but replacing Marshall with a guy who isn't as good is a downgrade at receiver...and that is not how a team gets better. I know this is simplistic thinking, but I thought to win more football games the Broncos would need to get better at each position?

McDaniels made it clear to me the best quarterback will start. He said Kyle Orton is the incumbent, and the starter, today. In camp, who knows? Maybe Brady Quinn lights it up, or maybe Tebow comes along faster than everybody thinks.

Maybe Tim Tebow will lecture the entire team on the dangers of pre-marital sex (God, I wish Travis Henry was still on the team. I really, really wish he was) or maybe Kyle Orton's neck beard will attack someone in training camp. Peter's point is that we don't know what will happen dammit, so quit speculating by writing all kinds of scenarios down. Just stop everyone! Quit speculating!

Ok, back to Peter speculating...

But the fact Tebow already has a head-start on knowing the offense, and was peeved he had to leave Denver over the weekend to go back home (NFL rules don't permit rookie to be at their team's facilities, other than for a rookie mini-camp, until their class graduates in the spring) is a sign he might come along quicker in the mental part of the game than many draftees would.

See this is the type of "Tebow-love" thing that gets him so much hatred from the world that doesn't like the massive amount of love he receives. Tebow knows basic things about the Denver offense and wants to stay and practice with the team (how many rookies DON'T want to do this?) and now he is smarter than all the other draftees...not draftee quarterbacks, but draftees overall. Tebow may come along quicker on the mental part of the game, but the fact he knows some of the teams plays in his head doesn't necessarily tell me he is ahead of where he should be mentally.

I wouldn't be surprised if McDaniels invented some sort of red zone or goal line package for Tebow.

He wouldn't design a package for Tebow like most coaches do, he is fucking INVENTING one that doesn't even exist in any other playbook in the entire world. I really hope McDaniels designs a jump-pass for Tebow on the goal line, those were always interesting to watch when he was at Florida.

Now, this would be interesting for team chemistry, because whoever wins the starting job (I assume Orton) will have to swallow hard to be OK with getting yanked a couple of times a game for Tebow.

Obviously Denver saw how much yanking Vick-McNabb in/out of the game could disrupt the flow of the offense in Philadelphia and immediately knew he had to do the same in Denver.

I wouldn't worry about Orton. Kyle Orton has no ego. This is a guy who got benched for Rex Grossman. After that, there is nowhere to go but up in terms of shots to his ego. Kyle Orton can handle being benched for Tim Tebow because being benched for a University of Florida quarterback isn't anything new to him.

There're going to be doubts about him. Great doubts -- and I understand that. Some people don't think he has the natural traits of a great quarterback.

I just think he is a quarterback working on his throwing motion coming out of a college offense that isn't well known for preparing the quarterback for the NFL. I don't doubt his work ethic or if Tebow can become a great quarterback, but I doubt if he was worth a 1st round pick. That's pretty much it, but doubting Tebow can do anything is becoming a Tebow-hater in the eyes of many.

Here's what I think: Do Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods swing the club the same way, hit irons the same way? No. But they both win tournaments. There're different ways to throw, different mechanics, and you can still get the job done.''

This is not a good comparison. Tebow's motion compared to Tom Brady's motion is like comparing Tiger Woods swing to Charles Barkley's swing. That's a more accurate comparison. Throw in the fact I hadn't seen Tebow go away from his primary receiver too often in college and hasn't taken too many snaps from behind center and I can't help but be skeptical of his ability to be a good NFL quarterback.

It's going to be fun to watch.

No, it's not. Hearing about Tebow all the time will continue to be unbearable.

I was intrigued by Tampa's draft, if only by the pairing of two defensive tackles (Gerald McCoy and Brian Price) and two wide receivers (Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams), all in the top 101 selections.

By the way, Tampa Bay is headed completely in the right direction. More on this in my NFL Draft grades, but they are headed for positive things.

Williams, obviously, jumps out as the 101st pick in the draft. He had academic troubles at Syracuse, broke curfew, was suspended by coach Doug Marrone and later quit the team. It's a classic risk-reward draft choice; many teams in the league didn't have Williams on their draft board.

Only a wide receiver desperate team would take him, really. Hence the Bucs got him. He quit the team at Syracuse. QUIT THE TEAM. Why draft him, no matter his talent? This was after he got suspended and broke curfew.

But Dominik said: "He's a starting receiver. I think he's going to start for us at some point this year. He's excited to play football, and we all know it's a risk. Quitting is obviously a big hurdle to get over. That's not good. But he's a good kid and a passionate football player

Passionate except for the fact he wasn't passionate enough to not break curfew, get suspended from playing football and quitting the team. Of course if Greg Paulus was my quarterback I would have quit too possibly.

Let's get to the Peter King mailbag now...

From Steve Curfman of Cary, N.C.: "Knowing now that Jimmy Clausen lasted until the 48th pick and would have been there at 37, do you think the Redskins are kicking themselves knowing they could have had an LT (Trent Williams) and QB (Clausen) for the next 10 years as well as their third- or fourth-rounder next year, or are they content with having an LT for the next 10 years and a Pro-Bowl caliber QB in Donovan McNabb for the next 2 or 3 years and without that 3rd/4th rounder next season?''

First off, this is all hindsight. There is no way the Redskins could have known they could get Clausen at #37 and still get a good left tackle in the draft and save the draft picks they instead traded for McNabb. No one expected this to actually happen.

That being said, I remember when the McNabb trade went down and Peter said this:

I like Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen knowing they probably couldn't get the college quarterback of their dreams, Sam Bradford, in trade with St. Louis -- and going out and getting a 2010-ready passer who will upgrade their team drastically at the most important position on the field.

I said n the post:

Obviously I don't know much inside information and the Redskins might, but I wouldn't trade a 2nd round pick and 3rd or 4th round pick for a 33 year old quarterback based on the assumption the Rams are picking Bradford. What if Bradford is still available at #4?

I am using hindsight now (I wasn't when I wrote that statement), but there was always the possibility a quarterback would fall in the draft. I thought a team like the Redskins, which had offensive line issues, may have been better off showing some patience and seeing how the draft shakes out. Maybe McNabb would have been traded at that point, that's the risk you take, but I am not a fan of trading draft picks when the team you coach has multiple holes that need to be filled.

PK: Very good question. I believe Mike Shanahan liked Clausen, but the only quarterback Shanahan truly liked in this draft was Sam Bradford; if he couldn't get Bradford, he felt why not get the tackle he liked for that scheme, and a quarterback he thought he could win with for the next four years.

That is a good answer then. If Shanahan didn't like Clausen, McCoy, Tebow or any of the other available quarterbacks, then he shouldn't worry about losing out in this Clausen/Williams possible scenario where the Redskins didn't trade for McNabb. Of course if Shanahan really liked Bradford he could have traded the #4 pick and the 2nd/3rd round pick he gave up for McNabb for the #1 pick. Maybe it wouldn't have worked or maybe the Rams wouldn't have gone for it, I am just brainstorming right now.

I guess what I am saying is that as much as Donovan McNabb improves the Redskins, I still see him as a short-term fix, while I think the Redskins could have acquired a guy with some of the picks they traded away who is a long-term fix. If Shanahan really liked Bradford, he had the ammunition to trade up and get him.

From Tonyof Wilmington, Del.: "Mr. King, do you find it at all interesting that so many question the Tim Tebow pick when Vince Young was considered to be first-round worthy when he was picked? Both had some mechanics issues, and both relied a lot on their athleticism as opposed to being pure passing QB's.

I don't see the comparison between these two quarterbacks. Contrary to popular belief, Tebow isn't half the athlete Vince Young is, nor did Vince Young's throwing motion require as much work as Tebow's throwing motion did. Young's throwing style looked ugly, but the motion was fairly correct compared to Tebow's throwing motion. The biggest misconception I have heard about Tebow is that he is a great athlete, when he isn't. He's obviously a great athlete compared to the rest of the world, but compared to Vince Young and other "running" QB's, I don't think he possesses that type of running ability or athleticism. He is a great athlete, but there is no comparison to his athleticism and a guy like Vince Young. When he ran at Florida, he often ran over defenders, which won't work as well in the NFL.

The one thing Tebow has going for him is that he is a hard-working, he has the build to be an NFL quarterback, and he already has a huge fan base. He can make it in the NFL, but just don't compare him to players he is not similar to.

Most notably Tebow was more of a winner and appears to have far better intangibles and leadership ability. Why are so many willing to dismiss Tebow, particularly when Tebow appears to be strong in the areas where Young has struggled, i.e. the mental part of the game?''

Tim Tebow played four years of college football, while Vince Young only played three years. That's a difference in the two players. Young was an athlete at quarterback in college and the NFL and I don't know if Tebow is an athlete at quarterback or not.

PK: It's an interesting point. I think the biggest thing they have in common is bad classic NFL quarterback mechanics. Young is still working on that aspect, as well as his accuracy. Tebow has a long way to go with his mechanics, but he'll have a good teacher in Josh McDaniels.

Thanks for the Joe Morgan-esque answer Peter. We now have as much information after you have answered the question as we had before you answered the question.

From Peter of Lincoln Park, N.J.: "The Thursday draft stinks. The justification Roger Goodell is touting is the ratings. But I would assume the ratings are higher for the same reason the Thursday slot stinks -- because people aren't watching the draft together. Our group used to have a draft party every year, but couldn't do it this year. What are your thoughts?''

The NFL doesn't care if people get to watch the draft together or not. They know ratings were up 30% and that is all they care about. Case closed.

From Steve of Milton, Ontario: "Peter, it seems the clock is ticking rapidly on Jamarcus Russell's days as a Raider. If so, where could you see him going? One team stands out to me as a great spot for him to salvage his career: Washington. Donovan McNabb can mentor him, and allows Russell a couple of years to develop; if any coach can make Russell a competent NFL QB, it's Mike Shanahan;

I would love to see McNabb try to mentor JaMarcus Russell. I love the idea of giving Russell a few years to develop. The only thing Russell would develop after being on the bench for a few years is a massive gut and possibly some splinters in his ass. Nothing says, "long-term" plan like taking a failed #1 pick who is overweight and then giving him a few years to learn under a quarterback who has been accused of being out of shape a few times himself.

He made his own bed with his lack of effort and now he'll have to lie in it. Washington is as good a choice as any,

We all know one team is going to take Russell, but which team will it be? It has to be a team with a head coach whose ego tells him he can fix Russell when others could not, it has to be a team with an owner who would let a coach sign a #1 pick that has been a bust, and it has to be a team that apparently few other options for the backup quarterback.

though I could see a place like Philadelphia (even after drafting Mike Kafka) because scouting adviser Phil Savage would give him a strong recommendation.

I hate piling on JaMarcus Russell, I really do. What kind of owner or General Manager would listen to a recommendation from a scouting advisor about Russell? Every other NFL team has information on Russell and are aware of his strengths/weaknesses. Some team is going to sign him after the Raiders let him go, but I think the only recommendation that would work to convince a team's General Manager to sign him would be, "The Raiders know what they are doing. We are not the Raiders so he has to be given a shot to play for a team that isn't dysfunctional." That's almost the only recommendation for Russell I could listen to as an owner or General Manager.

Whew, NFL draft week is almost over and then I will go back to bad journalism that encompasses all sports.