Wednesday, March 17, 2010
By Vic Ketchman, jaguars.com senior editor
The workout is in the books and draft guru Todd McShay has sounded off. Paraphrasing the assessment McShay made on ESPN immediately following Tim Tebow’s pro-day workout on Wednesday, yes, the Florida quarterback showed significant technical improvement, but the results were not eye-popping.
Florida’s pro day may have set a record for scouts in attendance. It was the most publicized and celebrated pro day in scouting history and Tebow, of course, was the headliner, along with his personal coaches, who were on hand to conduct the workout.
After having declined to throw at the scouting combine on Feb. 28, to allow himself more time to change his mechanics from college-like to pro-like, Tebow lured scouts and media types alike to Gainesville on Wednesday. They came to see if the Heisman Trophy winner could throw like a pro.
Specifically, they came to see if he could tighten his throwing motion and quicken its release. I was told he did, on both counts. His left arm was higher and the delivery was more compact. McShay, a harsh critic of Tebow’s at the Senior Bowl, heaped praise on Tebow for the rapid technical improvement he made.
Here’s what is left to decide: Are the changes Tebow is attempting to make worthy of giving him a pass for throwing the ball low on several occasions, and having his passes wobble at other times, and for reverting to his old form when he attempted to muscle up on a few throws? Those are also observations that were made at Tebow’s pro day.
The common belief is that Tebow’s workout was sound enough that if you went there liking him, you came away liking him, but it wasn’t improved enough to change your opinion if you went there not liking him. In other words, he likely didn’t change his position on a lot of value boards.
In voicing his post-workout opinion of Tebow, McShay softened considerably, but he was overpowering in his opinion of Tebow’s viability as a draft prospect for the Jaguars. McShay said with great conviction that Jacksonville is the worst place for Tebow to go.
McShay explained that Tebow is a work in progress that’ll probably require at least two years of development before he could be expected to be game-ready. McShay used Indianapolis and New England as examples of the most advantageous places for Tebow to play, as he could sit behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and learn to play the pro game. In other words, there would be no pressure on Tebow in those places, whereas intense pressure is what Tebow would face in Jacksonville.
It’s a valid argument. Come on, be honest, would you be patient with Tebow’s development should the Jaguars draft him, or would you demand that he play right away? That’s it, be honest.
There will be those in this town who will tell you Tebow had a knockout pro day. They’ll tell you he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can play in the NFL and be successful. They, of course, are fans of the local kid and the Florida Gators.
He needs time. That’s the consensus of opinion from Wednesday’s pro day, that Tebow took a step forward, but he has several more steps and much bigger steps remaining to be taken.