If Jets and Tim Tebow part ways after season, where does QB land?
Quarterback Tim Tebow's unproductive stint with the New York Jets could very well end after one season, according to a source close to the situation. Though such a move would contradict Jets owner Woody Johnson's sentiments earlier this season, the ongoing question becomes what's the best fit for a quarterback of his skill set?
Early speculation would link Tebow to the Jacksonville Jaguars, his hometown team and suitor when Tebow was being shopped by the Denver Broncos last offseason. However, not everyone in Tebow's camp believes Jacksonville is the best place for him. Specifically, some people close to Tebow believe he essentially needs to reboot his career and take the time to learn the subtle nuances of quarterbacking that he hasn't picked up by this point in his career.
Not all of that is Tebow's fault. After all, he has been with three different head coaches in three years, all running different systems. Beyond that, there is the subtle issue of Tebow not realizing that his way of playing – built more around running and less around precision passing – doesn't really lend itself to long-term success.
When Tebow was taken as a first-round pick, then played extensively in his second season and had some success, some people close to him say he was fooled into thinking that there wasn't anything truly wrong with how he plays. In fact, he could slough off this misbegotten season in New York because he's only played sparingly.
But that would be ignoring the reality that Tebow is a horrible practice player with little understanding of how to run a standard NFL offense. Even the simplest zone coverages remain a mystery to him. Combine that with his dyslexia and you have a guy who sometimes spaces out on the play call between the huddle and the line of scrimmage.
[More: Jets stick with QB Mark Sanchez as starter vs. Jaguars]
What Tebow needs to do is play on a team with an established quarterback and a very strong coaching staff that can drill him in the basics of playing the position. The New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints (with Sean Payton) and the New York Giants are obvious places where Tebow would have a chance to sit and learn for a year or two, perhaps even as a third-stringer.
While that idea might not appeal to Tebow, there is a serious downside if he doesn't follow that advice: His career could be over in another year or so if he doesn't learn the art of being a quarterback.
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