FanPost

Tim Tebow and the Wildhorse

This one isn't even my opinion, it's just a random thought.

In light of the spate of recent posts about the potential of the Wildhorse formation, I just wanted to throw out a suggestion:

What about Tim Tebow in 2010?

Who the Broncos will pick in the 2010 draft is anyone's guess, mostly because we haven't figured out yet where Chicago will let us pick. Also, we don't know who will go out and what the supply and demand will be like. One thing we do know: Tim Tebow will be entering the draft next year, and it is highly likely that he will be available for our 1st-rounder, possibly even for our 2nd-rounder.

So: would Tim be a great fit for us? As far as character goes, absolutely. The guy is a Boy Scout off the field, a fierce competitor on the field, and refuses to ever quit. Ever. Besides, he lives and breathes for his team, and that is without a doubt the hallmark of a McDaniels offense. What about his talent? Unquestionably, he is one of the top 5 college football players ever. He runs like a fullback, is fearless, and can sling it around when necessary. His pocket mechanics leave something to be desired, but who better to teach him than McDaniels? If he can turn a noodle-armed game manager into a Pro Bowl-caliber player, he can surely do wonders for Tebow. Finally, Tebow is very versatile (another McD trademark): run, pass, catch, and all with the fire of Brian Dawkins.

But what about Orton, Simms, or Brandstater? That's why Tebow is perfect for the Broncos. He'll have the best O-line in the NFL blocking for him, he'll have a wildly creative coach scheming for him, and he'll enter a team with no uncertainty at QB, so he can maximize his impact without causing a locker-room controversy. He can sit on the bench for a few years and learn the game while contributing on a situational basis. Specifically, the Wildhorse seems perfect for him.

Several articles have been done here about the Wildhorse, like The Dude's, Flunkie's, and Vortex7's. Check them out for more info on exactly what the formation is and how it's different from the Wildcat. The most significant difference, in brief, is that when you split the QB out wide (with the RB under center), it makes defenses respect the formation much more if your QB is a genuine threat to catch/run the ball either on a route or from a motion to under center. Also, it makes for a much more effective play if your QB/WR can take a hit in the middle of the field once he does catch the ball. Tim Tebow: check, check, and check. A quick note: some people still think that the single-wing formation (Wildhorse, Wildcat, and their siblings) is a fad in the NFL, quickly going the way of the dinosaur. Not so. Granted, it is unlikely to ever become the default offensive formation for even one team, let alone the league. Still, offensive coordinators are getting more and more creative, and with the success teams like Miami have had with it, coupled with the continued prominence of the spread offense and dual-threat QBs coming out of college, the single-wing will not disappear.

Finally, some of you might shake your head and think it is unwise to "waste" a high pick on a gadget player who will get payed good money to sit on the bench the majority of the time. I can respect this, but consider: while we certainly have some areas for improvement in the draft next year, they are either not glaring holes (D-line, ILB) or are unwise for high picks (interior O-line). So we're really not going to be letting an area of desperate need slide in order to get a high-profile player. Also, consider the effect frequent (and highly effective) use of the Wildhorse would have with Tebow: now, a defensive coordinator must spend time each week planning for it, thus decreasing time on other gameplans. In addition, it always causes defenders to stop and think, decreasing their reaction time. Lastly, it has the potential for monster output: look at NE vs. MIA in 2008.

So, in conclusion: Having Tebow run the Wildhorse for Denver on a semi-consistent basis in 2010 and beyond gives us big-play potential, improves the likelihood of success for our entire team performance, allows us to groom and/or train him at our leisure, provides us with a wonderful locker-room presence, and hedges our bets in case Orton regresses or Brandstater does not pan out.

I'm usually not one of "those guys" who posts things like this. Still, my first thought when I saw the Wildhorse vs. NE was "That's great, but wouldn't it be nice if we had a guy like Tebow running it," and the more I thought about it the better it sounded.

Just throwing it out there!

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR.