Tim Tebow signs with New England Patriots

Breaking News broke just shortly after 5pm eastern standard time, that Tim Tebow signed with the New England Patriots and is expected to be in mini camp on Tuesday.

The Patriots are known for their no nonsense style of organization, and it will be very interesting to watch how they will handle the media circus that follows Tebow.  After being cut this offseason by the New York Jets, it was almost certain that Tim Tebow’s NFL career was all but over as many teams were not willing to take a chance on the former Heisman winner.  Unless something tragic happens to Tom Brady, it is obvious that he will be the starting Quarterback for the Patriots going into the 2013 season, but where does that leave backup Ryan Mallett?

Tim Tebow has been scrutinized about his below average throwing arm all throughout his career and it was evident that he was not worthy of being a starter last season as he received limited snaps.  Although it is very cliche for NFL Head Coaches to say to the media that “every player has a chance to compete for the job,” backup Ryan Mallett should not have anything to worry about with Tebow now on the roster.  In 2012, he combined for a total of 39 yards off of six completions last year as a backup to Mark Sanchez.  Tebow played multiple positions in New York; even playing a bit of Special Teams as a Punt Protector.

Reports have surfaced that the Patriots have signed him strictly as a Quarterback which is his true position and this news has to be a relief to Tim.  This has to be the perfect situation for him, as he has the opportunity to learn from arguably one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and one of the best coaches of this century.  If anyone can handle to media tirade that will take place once he arrives in Foxboro, MA for mini camp it is Bill Belichick, so he has nothing to worry about in that area.  This Breaking News has shook up the league for the time being but we will all have a front row seat for “Tebow Time” at least for the Pre-Season.  Make sure you tune in on September 12, as the New England Patriots take on the New York Jets at home for a Thursday night matchup.

 

Better shutdown corner? Revis or Sherman?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3G0WEDw_K4

The Seattle Seahawks All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman is known for getting under the skin of his opponents due to his effective trash talk on the field.  He has openly voiced his opinion as the best “Shutdown Corner” in the NFL, however some disagree with his claims.  On the other hand, Darrelle Revis has been considered the best cornerback in the game today even though he suffered a major injury that would ultimately ended his season.  After a spectacular year in 2012, does Sherman actually have the game to back up his talk?  It can be argued that people have forgotten about the seasoned veteran Revis because he missed last season, so I will compare the two DB’s best season.

According the “hawkblogger.com” this is how the two cornerbacks fared against each other in the categories below:

As you can see Revis was targeted 85 times in 2011, and only 35 times the pass was caught by the receiver.  Although Sherman was targeted more often and gave up more receptions last year, he forced more turnovers than Revis with eight interceptions in 2012.  Both players are very close statistically when you analyze the numbers presented above and it is almost like splitting hairs.  

The fact of the matter is that Darrelle Revis was injured during last season, which means that somebody must assume the throne of “Best Cornerback of the NFL” right?!  Sherman stepped up to the plate and produced on the field and backed up the smack he talks on  social media as well.  As for Revis who was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, time will only tell if he can return to the top of his game that we are used to since he entered the league.

Will Chip Kelly’s Offense Work In the NFL?

On January 16, 2013 the Philadelphia Eagles made headlines as they signed former Oregon Ducks offensive genius Chip Kelly.  Kelly has made a name among one of college football’s top coaches because of his face paced, high octane spread offense that he created while at Oregon.  When news surfaced that he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, people began to speculate whether or not if that type of offense would work in the NFL, due to the time and preparation that opposing coaches would have to prepare for the intricate offense.

I believe the offensive scheme will work, but there will be some changes to the scheme because of the limited roster space comparative to the size at the collegiate level.  For the skeptics that believe that Chip Kelly’s offense will not work in the pros, they need to look at the productivity that Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers had as they shredded defenses throughout the 2012 season.  Just a reminder, people also believed RG III would struggle in the NFL because of his lack of experience under center during his career at Baylor.  He finished last season with Rookie of the Year Honors and a playoff birth as he used a college style offense in all but three games last year.

Chip Kelly will have his share of bumps and bruises initially as he makes the transition to the NFL, but ultimately the Philadelphia Eagles offense will be noticeably better than last years 29th ranked offense in points per game.  With new additions with to their roster, Coach Kelly and the Eagles are expected to make noise in the playoffs after being absent for the past few years.  Just sit back, and get used to watching the fastest offense in NFL history.