Tossing aside common sense, the author of this article is against winners. Build the team around Tim and you'll have a championship in 3 years ENGLEWOOD, Colo. The young quarterback dropped back smoothly in the pocket, looked off the safety and dropped a gorgeous touch pass over the coverage and into the corner of the end zone. His surprised target came out of his break to see the ball arcing downward, and reached up to snatch it just beyond a cornerbacks flailing arms. Wooooooooooo! numerous Denver Broncos players exclaimed in unison, marveling at the inexperienced passers chutzpah and skill. Yep, Broncos fans it seems Adam Weber(notes), a rookie free agent from Minnesota, has a little bit of game. More From Michael Silver He threw that ball before the receiver made his cut, and it came down in the dudes hands like, Merry Christmas, Pro Bowl wideout Brandon Lloyd(notes) recalled Monday. Hes thrown four or five passes like that in camp where its been like whoa. Webers got personality, and hes got some swag about him, too. If youre wondering about the plight of that other inexperienced passer on the Broncos roster how far and fast he has fallen in the eyes of his bosses consider that at least some people in the organization believe that Tim Tebow(notes) is the fourth-best quarterback on the roster. As one highly knowledgeable member of the organization told me Monday, If everything was totally equal, and this were a competition based only on performance at this camp, Tebow would probably be the fourth-string guy. Kyle [Orton] is far and away the best, and Tebows way behind [Brady] Quinn, too. And Im telling you, Adam Weber is flat-out better right now. Translation: Tebow, youre not in Florida anymore. Granted, some caveats are in order. Because things are not even close to equal, Tebow, for whom the Broncos traded up to select in the first round of the 2010 draft, would seem to be in very little danger of being beaten out by Weber, a four-year starter for the Golden Gophers who signed just after the lockout ended late last month and has practice squad written all over him. Technically, even after Broncos coach John Foxs announcement Monday that Orton has retained the starting job for a third consecutive season, Tebow remains in a battle with Quinn for the No. 2 spot. Realistically, given the regime change that began last December with the firing of coach Josh McDaniels and continued in January with the hiring of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway as executive vice president of football operations, Tebow will likely spend his second season in Denver as a third-stringer with a highly uncertain future. Less than a month after the Broncos nearly traded Orton to the Miami Dolphins with the idea of handing over the offense to the former University of Florida star, the bottom line is that Tebow, one of the most accomplished and beloved players in college football history, remains popular in the Mile High City only in the eyes of his legions of adoring fans. He has lost his guardian angel (McDaniels), and harps no longer play when he enters the huddle. Surprisingly, free agent rookie Adam Weber is drawing better reviews from some than Tim Tebow. (US Presswire) Obviously, there is an investment, and there will always be an investment in first-round picks, Elway said Monday. But the bottom line is, our responsibility is to do the best we can to win football games, and weve got to figure out the best thing to do to accomplish that. And I think ultimately thats what fans want. That means Orton, who threw for 3,653 yards and 20 touchdowns in 13 games last season and served up only nine interceptions in 498 attempts is in no danger of getting supplanted by the kid drafted to dispossess him of his job. This is a remarkable turn of events from last season, when Tebow started the last three games and engineered an impressive comeback triumph over the Houston Texans. Trailing 17-0 at the half, Tebow went on a passing rampage, throwing for 308 yards, and scored on a 6-yard run with three minutes remaining to give Denver a 24-23 triumph, the Broncos third and final victory of a miserable season. With the lockout depriving Elway, Fox and general manager Brian Xanders of the chance to evaluate their returning quarterbacks in minicamps and OTAs, the notion of trading Orton seemed like a viable one in late July, and talks commenced between the Broncos and Dolphins. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Miami offered a fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft for Orton, while Denver insisted on a third-round selection, and a stare down commenced. Orton, due to make $8.9 million in 2011, wanted his contract renegotiated to ensure that the Dolphins viewed him as their clear-cut starter, and Miami held firm on that front, too. Meanwhile, both teams began training camp, and it soon became clear that Orton was a mile high above Tebow in his coaches estimation. While Dolphins fans reacted to incumbent quarterback Chad Hennes(notes) camp struggles by chanting, We Want Orton, Broncos coaches were privately whispering, We got lucky. As one high-ranking member of the Broncos organization said Monday: Sometimes the best things that happen to you in life are the things that dont happen. Sources say the Broncos view Tebow as a major project who was negatively impacted by the lack of an offseason. Having operated almost exclusively out of the shotgun in college, he still lacks smoothness when taking snaps directly from center: Whereas the Broncos other three quarterbacks anticipate the snap and are already into their drop upon receiving it, Tebow typically is locked in place, meaning hes already behind in his timing upon the beginning of a play. For all the talk about Tebows need to improve his mechanics, Broncos sources say his lack of familiarity with running a pro-style offense is an even more egregious issue. As one executive says, Forget about how he delivers the ball, or how accurate it is. First he has to know where to go with it. Tebows bosses still believe his work ethic and character may allow him to overcome these deficiencies and develop into a starting-caliber quarterback down the road. In the meantime, they are handing the keys of Foxs ball-control offense to Orton, a move that seems to have been well-received in the locker room. Now we can pick up where we left off, says Lloyd, who led the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards in 2010. The offense can get real detailed and creative with the calls, because Kyle is so cerebral. Im not gonna lie: When I heard about [the possible trade], I was happy for Kyle, that hed get out of this situation where he was being doubted and unwanted and go where someone wants him. I thought, Good for him. But when it didnt happen, it was a sigh of relief. Orton, a seventh-year player who was acquired by the Broncos in the infamous Jay Cutler(notes) trade with the Chicago Bears before the 09 season, is grateful for Foxs no-nonsense approach to coaching. As a rookie in 2005, Orton was thrust into the lineup because of an injury to Rex Grossman(notes), another former Florida quarterback, and helped guide the Bears to eight consecutive victories and an NFC North title. The next season, Grossman was named the teams unquestioned starter and held onto the job in 2007 despite a blatant lack of consistency. Ex-Broncos coach Josh McDaniels (left) showed favoritism for Tim Tebow. Under new coach John Fox, that's changed, to the delight of quarterbacks Kyle Orton (right) and Brady Quinn. (Getty Images) Of getting a chance to win the starting job, Orton said, Thats all you can ask for as a player. Ive been in a situation in Chicago when you didnt have a chance to compete. Thats the worst thing there is. The way [Fox] motivates guys with positive reinforcement is great. He doesnt shoot you a bunch of crap. Quinn, too, appreciates the apparent lack of politics in Foxs decision-making. Given that his entire career has been marked by drama and unmet expectations from his draft-day plunge in 2007 that rivaled Aaron Rodgers(notes) experience of two years earlier for the most uncomfortable stint in green-room history, to his aborted stint as the Browns starter midway through 2008 (he was pulled after 2½ games), to his afterthought status in Denver last season after McDaniels acquired him in a March trade for running back Peyton Hills, who went on to rush for 1,177 yards in 2010 hes a resilient quarterback in search of a fair shot. The opportunity to compete definitely wasnt there for me last year, Quinn says. It seemed like there would be one [in the spring], but once we got to camp, there really wasnt an opportunity. I really wasnt sure why. I never got an explanation. The rugs kind of swept out from underneath you. Its tough sometimes.
Ive been through a few different circuses quarterback competitions, controversies, trade talks. My rookie year, we traded our starter [Charlie Frye(notes)] after the first week. And really, going into that next week in practice, had Derek [Anderson] not played well at any point he was probably coming out. That was pretty crazy. Fox, who coached the Carolina Panthers from 2002 through last season, watched Quinns struggles from afar and wondered whether he was inheriting a broken spirit. The coach says he has been pleasantly surprised. Ive been impressed with him, Fox says. I think he had a very rough go in Cleveland. A lot of times, that gives you scars. Mentally, its tough to get over that. Last year [in Denver] Im not sure he got much of a look. I assured him hed get a look this year. Quinn isnt the only Broncos player or member of the organization whos treating Foxs arrival as a sort of Prague Spring. After the repressive, paranoid, standoffish McDaniels spent two seasons doing his best impression of his mentor, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick other than actually producing a winning team the guileless, personable Fox has breathed warmth and optimism into team headquarters. Hes what the doctor ordered here, Elway says. We needed a little football rehab. Fox is the perfect guy to change the attitude and get these guys looking forward to playing football again. I dont think hes a players coach that term has a lot of different meanings to a lot of people but I think hes a guy that players like to play for. Right now, the odds of a certain young quarterback playing a meaningful game for Fox in Denver anytime soon look fairly long. And for those of you who dont know Tim from Adam, yes, were talking about the Broncos probable third-string quarterback and the unfortunate fourth-stringer, an undrafted rookie who some believe is a better player. How upside down are things in the Mile High City right now? If Tebow can hold off Adam Weber, thats about the best outcome he can expect, at least in the short term. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_denver_broncos_quarterbacks_082311&print=1
The Saints are stacked now that they added Ingram. I wonder how many losses it will take before the Broncos turn to the only QB they have who is a proven winner?
So, you think Tebow is the best QB for Denver? Based on what I saw(I didn't watch the Dall/Den. game, but was at Invesco for the Buff. game) & mostly what I heard(my son was at Bronco practice on Thursday, Tebow deserved to be demoted to 3rd string based on what he saw; plus B.Q. had the best game of the 3 against the Cowboys), KO should be the starter, BQ should be 2nd & TT should be 3rd. I get what you're sayin' about TT, I too, love his work ethic, he's smart & a natural leader, but at this moment, I don't know if he's ready & I don't think he's the best QB in camp. Two things; I'm NOT a Bronco fan & just about every other shirt at Invesco had TT's name on it. Patience for KO and/or BQ will be slim - Denver better win, which I'm skeptical about happening.
Peyton can win where lesser QB's would lose with some of the lineups he has had. The same with Brady. Tebow does not have the experience to actually run the offense like those 2, but the coaches could build a team around his strengths and Denver would be a 10 win team. The kid just has those traits which can't be measured. IMHO, if he knew that the job was his, the team would rally around him. After 3-4 losses the first 6 games let's see what they do in Denver.
Just watching ESPN First Take & Skip Bayless just had 3 minute or so rant on Tim Tebow, making a pretty good case for TT being the starter for the Denver Broncos. I found it difficult disagreeing with him on his points.
Kyle Orton & the Bronco offense better turn it around soon or it'll only get worse. Chargers leading 13-10, midway through the 2nd quarter.
bumping my own post I'm sorry Broncos fans but my prediction came to pass. They need to give Tebow an honest shot and give him 4 games as starter. let the team rally around him and he will do the same. He may not be Peyton but he will give it his all and has the desire to win
Tim Tebow named starter for the Broncos next game, at Miami in two weeks. And a bit of a homecoming to boot!
My sense is, that Elway & Fox don't want to build around Tebow. Do they want him to fail? I can't imagine that, but TT's elevation to starter seems rather half-hearted on managements part.