Who's going to be on the other end of that headset now?
We’ve been mocking the moxie out of the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft with all of the team bloggers at Fanball.com for a couple of weeks now, and it’s been interesting.
You see, now matter how hard you try, it’s almost impossible to be totally impartial when compiling a mock draft all by your lonesome. Prospect X seems like such a good fit for Team A that you purposely drop him past Team B even though somewhere in your gut yesterday’s lunch is conspiring to tell you that you really know they’ll take him.
But when you’ve got 32 mini-GMs, all experts on their respective team’s needs, philosophies and histories, it flows a little more like the real McCoy. A few reaches (certainly I’ll be included in that category by more than a few once you read my pick), a few steals, some value picks and some motivated by dire need.
So when the 26th pick rolled around, I had a few solid options.
The first name that popped into my head? Ricky Sapp, an outside linebacker from Clemson. He’s got the crazy athleticism that Arizona covets, and after losing last year’s pick at rush linebacker, Cody Brown, to injury for the entirety of his rookie season there’s a certain savvy to this option. Plus, it’s not like we got a lot of help from this spot when it came to rushing the passer, even if the Cards managed to put up a lot of sacks. Allowing somewhere in the atmosphere of 400,000 points in two playoff games can’t happen again. Especially when Kurt Warner’s retirement has the vacuum power to leave this offense sucked clean of their former level of explosiveness.
Which leads me to my next point.
With the 26th pick in the 1st annual Fanball.com NFL Mock Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Tim Tebow, Quarterback, University of Florida.
Hello? Anyone still here?
Screw it, I’ve talked to myself before. Wasn’t hoping to do it again, but maybe someone’s computer froze and they’re stuck looking at this for the next few minutes.
I know the knocks on Tim Tebow. I know his release was slow in college, I know he played in a spread system, I know he got some of his production from running the ball, and I know people love to say he only made one read at Florida.
Sorry, I don’t buy it. Because I also know that Tebow is one of the greatest college players of all time. I know he won on an unprecedented level. I know he’s a leader. I know he’s got titanium character and an iron will. I know you’re probably sick of those arguments from the pro-Tebow crowd, dwindling as it may be.
So, let’s try another approach. Tebow’s got no accuracy you say? Really seems odd when you realize that he never completed less than 64.4% of his passes over a season in four years of football. That’s what completion percentage measures — accuracy.
His arm isn’t strong enough? I don’t buy it. As a junior, on throws of over 15 yards (through the air), he completed more passes at a higher percentage for more touchdowns than the likely top pick, Sam Bradford. And before you tell me that his success was due to Percy Harvin taking a five yard slant for a 60 yard score, remember that in that same year only 42% of Florida’s receiving yards came after the catch while 60% of Bradford’s yardage was due to wideout YAC.
And you’ve got to be brimming to slap the “spread system” argument across my face, right? Alex Smith was a cinch example for a while but has looked a little better lately, and besides Tebow is not a slight-framed, weak-armed, small-handed guy. And please, I’d love for someone to tell me that comparing to Vince Young is a negative right now. Anyone? Oh right, no one’s here.
And finally, the pinnacle of ‘HaTebow’ propaganda — his release will never work at this level. Well, you’re entitled to your opinion, but don’t tell Aaron Rodgers or Phillip Rivers. Rodgers has a different release now than he did coming out of Cal. Admittedly, his changes weren’t as drastic as what Tebow’s trying to do, but his arm is stronger and more accurate after already proving that a mechanics makeover is at least possible. And Rivers’ side-armed sling was supposed to be a huge fault. After 62 TD passes over the last two seasons I think it’s safe to say that he can play a little ball.
Tebow’s working hard with great NFL minds to shorten the windmill, and when you look at his body of work, at how many times he has, believe it or not, completed passes and scored touchdowns against the greatest competition in college football it’s hard to believe he won’t fix his release if that what he damn well wants to do.
So why Arizona? Why not? The NFL quarterback whose demeanor most resembles Tebow’s just retired as the most successful passer in franchise history. Matt Leinart has inspired more confidence in Maxim publishers and the Solo cup company than he has in Cards’ fans. I’d love to see him step up and become what he was drafted to be, but at some point patience turns to puerility.
He’s got the hyper-athletic aura that led to the drafting of Calais Campbell and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and others, so he fits the general mold of Arizona draftees. And Ken Whisenhunt seems like the kind of guy who would revel in figuring out a way to fully utilize Tebow’s skills.
But maybe more than anything else, Arizona is a safe place for Tim. The offensive line will have to be bolstered at some point, but it’s not an awful group. And the skill players are the best in the league this side of New Orleans. Getting to ease into the league in a weak division while surrounded by Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Beanie Wells, and Tim Hightower sounds like a dream scenario for any quarterback. Benefiting from the knowledge passed down from Warner via Leinart would be invaluable as well. Tebow wouldn’t have to start right away, and when he does, you’d have a lightly-seasoned passer with all-world intangibles, scintillating production, and one heck of a left arm.
Sounds pretty good to me. Hope it sounded at all to anyone else.
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