PHILADELPHIA -- After a day of talking about the Philadelphia Eagles' signing of Tim Tebow, here are 10 random thoughts about the move:
1. Chip Kelly has often said that his spread offense would benefit from a mobile quarterback, but that it's not an offense like the ones designed for Tebow at the University of Florida. Kelly doesn't have his quarterback making power runs. His read-option is based on the defense's approach. The quarterback makes a read and then decides whether to hand off or run. If Tebow can master that, his mobility would be an asset in Kelly's offense.
2. Sam Bradford is getting paid nearly $13 million for the 2015 season. Mark Sanchez is getting paid about $4.5 million. Tebow's deal is for around $650,000. That pretty much tells the story.
3. As of the NFL owners meetings last month, Kelly didn't yet know when Bradford would be cleared for football activity. That means for some of the offseason workouts, the Eagles could be down to Sanchez, Matt Barkley and G.J. Kinne throwing the ball. Kelly likes to have five quarterbacks, sometimes all throwing simultaneously. That would be enough reason to sign an additional quarterback.
4. I don't want to fall into the trap of simply dismissing the Tebow signing entirely, though. I do think there's a possibility that Tebow makes the Eagles' roster. He would have to make it as the third quarterback, which means he has to beat out Barkley and Kinne. That shouldn't be beyond the scope of a former Heisman Trophy winner. But the main thing is that Tebow would have more upside than Barkley or Kinne. If there's a chance he really blossoms in Kelly's offense, he's worth a low-cost gamble.
5. The speculation that Kelly signed Tebow as a possible two-point conversion specialist is interesting. The NFL is expected to vote to change the point-after rules in May. If those changes make the two-point conversion more attractive, then sure, Kelly is likely to go for it more often. And yes, Tebow's run/pass capabilities would make him an effective weapon from the 2-yard line. But I have to think that's not the main reason Kelly signed Tebow. With Bradford, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews potentially in the backfield, and with tight ends and wide receivers on the field, Kelly should be able to come up with some effective ideas that don't require changing quarterbacks.
6. Ultimately, the Tebow signing is probably timed for the start of offseason workouts. It probably doesn't have anything to do with the Eagles' plans regarding Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. But I do think that if Kelly had any promising preliminary trade talks with the Titans or Buccaneers, then he wouldn't have had much interest in adding Tebow.
6a. In other words, this doesn't mean the Mariota dream is dead. But it doesn't suggest that the Mariota dream is any closer to becoming a reality than it was before.
7. Tebow has done a lot of work with Tom House, the former big-league pitching coach who corrects throwing mechanics. That has to be tough to undertake after having some success as a college and NFL quarterback. The mere fact that Tebow sought and followed House's advice tells you he is serious about resurrecting his football career. And he has no further to go than Bradford, who is coming off two ACL tears.
8. It has been fascinating to see the reaction to the Tebow signing. He really has a large and rather devoted following. And that's fine. People really seem to react strongly one way or the other to Tebow. But I still think this is second in terms of the surprise factor and the impact it will have to the 2010 signing of Michael Vick. The Eagles seemed as unlikely as any team to bring in a guy upon his release from prison. So it was surprising. And Vick wound up being the starting quarterback, paving the way for Donovan McNabb to be traded to Washington. Not sure if Tebow will have that kind of impact, but it will be interesting to find out.
9. Another way to make the No. 8 point: When the Eagles sign a left-handed quarterback, it makes headlines.
10. At least Tebow doesn't come with the risk of disrupting team chemistry and alienating many fans. Vick did. To his credit, Vick conducted himself very well under difficult circumstances and became a fine teammate and a much less polarizing figure -- at least among Eagles fans. Tebow's only challenge is really on the football field. It will be fascinating to see what he does with the opportunity.
