Patriots Sign Tim Tebow

I freakin TOLD you guys about 50 pages ago somebody would sell a Tebowing Elvis.

Still puzzled, of course, and as always, interested... Does anybody here still do the training camp reports? It's going to be like the time they got a lineman to catch a punt for a bet... but on every play. Wherever they put him, he's going to be doing something he doesn't really do that well...

Unless of course you're of the mindset that having one guy that does everything almost well enough to be a JAG adds up to 1 real good guy... Meh. Might be he can keep a roster spot, while Josh McD tries to teach him everything from how to do a 3-step drop to what the tree is.

Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

I know there must be something wrong with this idea. I'm not sure where I'm stealing it from, but I think it is from Adam Carolla. Yes, a comedian who is not even a Patriots fan. There has GOT to be something obviously wrong with this idea, right?

Tim Tebow as a sort of punter, but not to replace Mesko.

If they cross the 50 or whatever and face forth and say four, Brady and the offense come off the field. The punt team comes on, but instead of Mesko it is Tebow. The defense HAS to honor the fake even though it is like 4 yards.

I'm assuming Tebow, or any player, can punt 30 yards. Oh the goal there is not to kick it into the end-zone, but down it or force a fair-catch inside the ten or fifteen.

After a few kicks to show the kick really is possible, we already have "fake punt personnel" on the field.

What am I missing? This is not really workable, right? Tebow as 4th down QB/Punter in some situations is not the answer, right?

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

A few weak punts, a waste of a good punter, and you still have an obvious fake situation the defense is prepared for.

All they need is one returner to down the ball since you've likely given them the equivalent of an average return (8-13 yds) in the distance you lost between Mesko and t-bow. Add a few shanks to that too.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

I agree with RayClay. You always want your punter punting, unless there is a specific reason not to.

However, Tebow as the upback presents some interesting fake punt options. I could see a scenario where Tebow is the upback and, in certain conditions (4th and 1 and the defense is sleeping), always run a fake punt.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

While I think it's certainly possible that Tebow could learn (or already knows) how to punt the ball at least 25-30 yards, the problem isn't distance, it's accuracy. In that situation, with a good punter, you could down it inside the 10, possibly even the 5. No QB is going to give you that kind of consistent accuracy.

Also, in the event of a terrible snap, I'd rather have a punter who is going to know how to give a quick kick and salvage decent field position, rather than a scrambler whose first instinct in that situation will be to try to convert the 4th down.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

Another Tebow thread? I am quickly losing interest in this topic.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

RayClay said:

A few weak punts, a waste of a good punter, and you still have an obvious fake situation the defense is prepared for.

All they need is one returner to down the ball since you've likely given them the equivalent of an average return (8-13 yds) in the distance you lost between Mesko and t-bow. Add a few shanks to that too.

Click to expand...

xmarkd400x said:

I agree with RayClay. You always want your punter punting, unless there is a specific reason not to.

However, Tebow as the upback presents some interesting fake punt options. I could see a scenario where Tebow is the upback and, in certain conditions (4th and 1 and the defense is sleeping), always run a fake punt.

Click to expand...

Sicilian said:

While I think it's certainly possible that Tebow could learn (or already knows) how to punt the ball at least 25-30 yards, the problem isn't distance, it's accuracy. In that situation, with a good punter, you could down it inside the 10, possibly even the 5. No QB is going to give you that kind of consistent accuracy.

Also, in the event of a terrible snap, I'd rather have a punter who is going to know how to give a quick kick and salvage decent field position, rather than a scrambler whose first instinct in that situation will be to try to convert the 4th down.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I knew there was a decent counter argument - I mean, heck, it was from a comedian for cryin' out loud.
Still I can see a decent counter argument that this is better than replacing Brady, Ridley, or Hernandez?

thats it. No more holidays for me.
I come back and hear this.

Stunning signing.

I leave you guys alone for 10 minutes and you sign Tebow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTF IS GOING ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, creates a bit of interest in the off season.

Back to Oz for me.

See you in a few months.

OMGWTFJUDD said:

I leave you guys alone for 10 minutes and you sign Tebow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTF IS GOING ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, creates a bit of interest in the off season.

Back to Oz for me.

See you in a few months.

Click to expand...

Are you silly enough to think you can escape him here?

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

lurker1965 said:

I know there must be something wrong with this idea. I'm not sure where I'm stealing it from, but I think it is from Adam Carolla. Yes, a comedian who is not even a Patriots fan. There has GOT to be something obviously wrong with this idea, right?

Tim Tebow as a sort of punter, but not to replace Mesko.

If they cross the 50 or whatever and face forth and say four, Brady and the offense come off the field. The punt team comes on, but instead of Mesko it is Tebow. The defense HAS to honor the fake even though it is like 4 yards.

I'm assuming Tebow, or any player, can punt 30 yards. Oh the goal there is not to kick it into the end-zone, but down it or force a fair-catch inside the ten or fifteen.

After a few kicks to show the kick really is possible, we already have "fake punt personnel" on the field.

What am I missing? This is not really workable, right? Tebow as 4th down QB/Punter in some situations is not the answer, right?

Click to expand...

Whats wrong with it is that you would be better using a real QB such as Tom Brady.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

This was the Jests' plan when they put him on the punt team. End of conversation, end of idea.

Joker said:

yeah...that is almost all correct ...except the part "the media will eventually tire" you suggest. The media will switch to making up straw man scenarios in lieu of actual quotes, as they have done literally thousands of times since BB has taken the reins. Have you forgotten John Tomase's "story" the week before the Pats/Giants Super Bowl?

Again, for the 100th time, it's not Tebow playing for the Pats that is the problem...it's the unrelenting national interest in everything even remotely related to the "Chosen One". This is not an image that is suddenly going to evaporate. I related a news story from WPRI on Monday evening's broadcast. "What do you think of the Pats signing Tim Tebow???"...the anonymous person on the street answered "I don't really follow football very much but Tim Tebow???...oh yes, I'll definitely watch the Pats games now"...and therein lies the rub. Tebow "fans" do not necessarily translate to "football fans", but they do represent a very sizable faith based demographic to the media. The media will cater to this demographic for the same reasons the Pats will market new jerseys of their newest member of the 90 man roster because the promise of sales outstripping a Brady or Gronk jersey are too irresistible to pass up.

BB will keep a lid on the press presence in Foxboro...but no one can stop the twitterers from introducing any and all kinds of fabricated rumors with every misstep the Pats or Brady makes. Think about it, if the Pats stumble out of the gate to, say, 3-3 or 2 and 4, do you honestly think that sports links coast to coast will NOT be headlining "when will Belichick make the move to Tim?"....

There are real question marks with this year's Patriot squad...the secondary...the edge rush...in fact, any kind of a pass rush...Gronk's health...the question marks surrounding the WR's...these are very real concerns to any Pats fan. How the Tebow presence is a benefit to ANY of these concerns eludes me. I'm a BB believer so I believe he has a plan to get the Pats off and running out of the gate. I really hope it plays out like that. I'm with the side of the fanbase that believes the roster is better served with depth at one of the weak positions than carrying a third string QB with a worldwide celebrity status.

Click to expand...

You had me up until the bolded part. I think the reports will be about the sudden decline of Brady (since that would be the reason for the stumbling out of the gates) and the end of the Patriots dynasty more than it would be about Tebow.

Palm Beach Pats Fan said:

Please list for me the #3 quarterbacks available right now as free agents who are clearly better than the one we signed, and don't just say "all of them" without any names (a copout).

Please list names and tell me what they have accomplished and why you think that they are clearly better.

Include Kafka if you wish. What specific skills from Kafka have you seen that made replacing him on the roster a absolute abomination.

And please don't say "Oh I'd rather get a pass rusher since we only keep 2 QBs anyway" . With 90 players in camp you need at LEAST 3 QBS to get on-field reps for all of the extra DBs, TEs, and WRs.

Click to expand...

We can play that game at every position all day long. Moss, T.O., and Lloyd are all better WR's than most of the Wr's on the Patriots roster but that doesn't mean you put them on this team, and Deadrick and Love were proven NFL D-Lineman and they were released and rookie UDFA's signed and given the chance to replace them. As for Tebow I would take any prospect who can play QB in this type of offense over him because he cannot play QB in the Patriots offense. If he goes to a read and react team like Philly, Washington, SF, or Carolina etc.. then he may have a shot at making their rosters as a 3rd string QB but he has zero chance of ever being the QB in this offense, and anyone who has watched him play the position should know that beyond any doubt. He flat out sucks as a drop back passer and the only way he was able to play QB was for the Bronco's to completely change what they were doing to accommodate him and his limited skill set. That isn't going to happen here, they have been using the same system and evolving it for over a decade to fit Brady's strength's and those of the skill players around him and they aren't going to throw the whole thing out and go read and react to suit Tebow's needs. If they want to put him on the practice squad to be their go to guy to get their defense ready for read and react QB's then that's fine, other than that he's essentially useless and they should release him and let him try once again to find a team that will take him.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

I hate to use the " C" word but Tebow being a punter would be a circus and not the fun kind.

Tebow is here to be a third string QB and scout team QB when preparations for certain teams occur . The upside to him making the team is that over the next few years he can learn to do something else like Edelman .

BB loves versatility .

It's really not that complicated .

What's ironic is that the vast majority of incessant, repetitious posts in this thread are from posters whining that there's gonna be too much attention paid to Tebow.

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

xmarkd400x said:

I agree with RayClay. You always want your punter punting, unless there is a specific reason not to.

However, Tebow as the upback presents some interesting fake punt options. I could see a scenario where Tebow is the upback and, in certain conditions (4th and 1 and the defense is sleeping), always run a fake punt.

Click to expand...

Well, the Patriots actually snuck Mallett out on the punt team in the AFCCG. . . .

Re: Why won't this Tebow idea work? Please help me figure this out

Couldn't Tebow just stand somewhere where the snapper could still get it to him and have Mesko in his usual spot? A few paces back and a little out of the way?

Then all the threat of a fake punt is still there, the opportunity for either still exists, etc. It achieves all of the same outcomes, except it also has good punting by Mesko.

Not that one play is a trend line, but I'm remembering that fake punt attempt by Patrick Chung in some critical game that was botched.

PatsWickedPissah said:

What's ironic is that the vast majority of incessant, repetitious posts in this thread are from posters whining that there's gonna be too much attention paid to Tebow.

Click to expand...

I'm not even going to reply to them anymore. I have heard it all. Tebow is this, Tebow is that.

Now this is all ASSUMING that he actually belongs to our plans somehow. If he is a training camp body or someone we just want to "take a look at", then this conversation is useless in its entirety.

However, if he was signed under the assumption that he would be in the 53 player roster, then here are five aspects that help the Tebow signing make sense (especially #3):

1) McD has probably sold this to BB with some pretty convincing arguments

BB wouldnt make a decision like this, unless someone sold the idea to him in a very convincing manner (remember that now I am talking under the hypothesis that some long term plans regarding Tebow are in place). I would bet that someone is McD, who probably feels like some of his current legacy is riding on Tebow breaking through eventually.

2) We can handle the media, so the biggest downside is gone

Media won't question Brady's position as #1 QB in favour of Tebow as they did with Sanchez, no matter how bad Brady plays. Also the Foxboro Iron Curtain will handle the general attention better than any previous teams Tebow has visited.

3) Tebow is a tactical advantage regardless of whether he plays or not

That is as long as opponents believe we might use him in some schemes. Last season, most teams said that when preparing to play Jets, they had to spend inconsiderable amount of time preparing for a guy who might or might not play.

4) Tebow is a great locker room player, from what I have heard

Whether he stays here as a QB project, or a conversion project, or whatever.. as long as he is here he brings a lot of positive vibe to the locker room, especially in the work ethics department. Everyone here calling him a cancer do not understand the difference between player poisoning the locker room and bad management poisoning it (media never poisons the locker room, they just stir the poisons that are already in there).

5) Tebow still has some $$$ following him around

I know business side of this sport is boring, but truthfully fans usually forget that jersey sales is actually the most important aspect of this sport these days. We don't really need this extra that TT can bring, but it's still a positive.