NFL: Why Tim Tebow Should Be Philadelphia Eagles' Starting Quarterback, And It Isn't Even Close
As many NFL fans already know, the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to sign quarterback Tim Tebow to a one-year deal.
Although Tebow missed all of last season as a free agent, this signing comes as no surprise because head coach Chip Kelly runs his type offense. It's very unlikely Kelly will be able to draft Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota because the Eagles don't have a pick until No. 20.
So, what now? Tebow is expected to fight for the job once he gets added to the team and make his case for final 53-man roster. If the Eagles want to go with their best option, they should start Tebow.
Why the Eagles got rid of Nick Foles for Sam Bradford still remains a mystery in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles' quarterback depth chart currently consists of Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley and G. J. Kinne, who has never started a game in his career.
Okay, let's break that down.
Bradford has done some pretty good things in the NFL, but he just can't stay on the field. He won the 2010 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, but he has torn his ACL in each of the last two seasons. Bradford didn't play a single game last season after he torn his ACL in preseason. There's a reason why the St. Louis Rams got rid of Bradford; the best reliability is availability. Bradford just has too many injury issues and question marks to go with as the starting quarterback. Bradford has one more year remaining on his contract.
In a bit of irony, Tebow and Bradford played against each other in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. Tebow was named the Most Valuable Player of that game as Florida defeated Oklahoma, 24-14.
Then, there's Mark Sanchez. Do the Eagles really want to go into battle with Sanchez again? The Eagles were primed to win the NFC East division last season, until the real Sanchez showed up, and the Dallas Cowboys won the division. Sanchez and Tebow were previously members of the New York Jets in 2012. That year, Sanchez was the starter and threw 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, and gave fans the infamous "butt fumble." Despite that horrific season, Tebow never started a game as Sanchez won just six of his 15 starts. Do the Eagles want to mimic that 2012 Jets season or last season? If so, then start Sanchez.
Neither Matt Barkley or G. J. Kinne have started a single game in the NFL, and it has already been confirmed that the Eagles have been trying to trade Barkley this offseason. Sorry, no takers. This is a three quarterback race between Tebow, Sanchez and Bradford.
Bradford can't stay healthy, and he has a $13 million cap hit.
Sanchez is a one touchdown for every interception kind of quarterback who will cave under the pressure.
Insert Tim Tebow.
In his (so far) career, Tebow has thrown and rushed for 29 touchdowns and thrown just nine interceptions in his 14 regular season starts as a quarterback. Is that really reminiscent of a quarterback who "can't throw?" On the flip side, Sanchez has throw 82 touchdowns and 80 interceptions in his 70 regular season starts, and he has a lower passer rating than Tebow. In 2011 Tebow took over a 1-4 Denver Broncos squad that ranked 24th in points given up all the way to a playoff victory against the No. 1 ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Now, it would be irresponsible for me not to bring up Tebow's completion percentage. Tebow's completion percentage is presently 47.9 percent, which will obviously have to improve. But, this is what we have to remember. While Tebow is skipping balls into the dirt and lowering his completion percentage, Sanchez is throwing the ball to the other team for turnovers. Would you rather incompletes or interceptions?
It should also be mentioned that Tebow has eight game-winning drives in his 16 quarterback starts including the postseason. Bradford has just five game-winning drives in his 49 starts. Does that mean Bradford is a "choke artist?" Not necessarily, but we haven't seen clutch abilities by him like we have from Tebow.
Aside from the fact that Bradford has health issues and Sanchez is a turnover machine, Kelly runs the perfect system for Tebow to succeed in. The Eagles run the most spread option plays in the NFL by a wide margin.
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