You thought the AFC North blog would be one of the Tebow-free places on the site. Well, you thought wrong.
Tim Tebow officially signed with the New England Patriots, the team announced on Tuesday. How does that have anything to do with this division?
Tebow reunites with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was Tebow's coach in Denver. McDaniels wanted Tebow so much in the 2010 draft that he traded three picks to the Baltimore Ravens in order to get the unconventional quarterback with the No. 25 overall pick.
The Ravens certainly made out on that deal. Baltimore used those picks on linebacker Sergio Kindle (second round), tight end Ed Dickson (third round) and tight end Dennis Pitta (fourth round). While Kindle never got his career on track after falling down two flights of stairs before his first training camp, Dickson and Pitta have become key components of the offense. Pitta caught 61 passes and seven touchdowns last year, and Dickson had 54 receptions and five touchdowns in 2011.
Before getting traded to the New York Jets in 2012, Tebow did win a playoff game, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011. He threw for a career-high 316 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime for a 29-23 victory.
Some members of the Steelers defense told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review last week that Tebow belongs in the NFL.
"He won some games, had some success,” linebacker Larry Foote said last week when Tebow had been sitting on the free-agent market for over a month. “We know it first-hand. I think he should be somewhere at least competing for a job. I think he's earned that.”
Said cornerback Ike Taylor, who gave up that winning touchdown: “Tim Tebow is real decent,” Taylor said. “As far as being a competitor, he's one of the best competitors I've seen.”
