The Nuclear Option - Post Trade Deadline

So much for the power of wishful thinking.  My furtive hopes of a Mallett trade have been dashed.  With that said, here's my analysis on opportunities for Tebow right now:

On the List

• Jaguars:  As I wrote yesterday, Jacksonville has run out of football reasons to avoid Tebow.  If they genuinely want to win games, they will sign him, even if only as a red zone battering ram.  Unfortunately, I am increasingly convinced that GM Dave Caldwell believes his job is to understand the value of losing.  If that is the case, signing Tebow is the worst thing he could do, because Tim may win just enough games to lose the number one draft pick.  If it is going to happen, this is the week.

• Rams:  Did you watch the last 4 seconds of Monday Night Football last night?  Enough said.  Give Jimbo Fisher two more games to confim that Kellen Clemens ain't got it, then see what he does on bye week.

The Jaguars have run out of football reasons to not sign Tim Tebow

Florida Times-Union sportswriter Gene Frenette wrote a column last December titled Marketing Not Good Reason to Sign Tebow. He argued that Tebow's popularity in Jacksonville was a bad reason to bring him to the Jaguars:

The Jaguars should only go after (Tebow) if they have a specific role in mind and believe he can help them win.  Nothing else matters.

Frenette is right.  Successful NFL franchises make personnel decisions based on football reasons.  Signing Tebow for ticket and jersey sales would do a disservice to the Jaguars, the fans, and Tebow.  If the Jaguars do not have a good football reason to bring him to Jacksonville, they should not bring him here.

However, the flip side of this premise is equally true.  The decision not to sign Tebow should also be based solely on football reasons.  If Tebow can help the Jaguars win, then nothing else matters.

Why has Tim Tebow not been hired yet?

A while ago I proposed The Nuclear Option: that Tim Tebow should start the 2013 season not on a roster rather than accepting a backup position.  My theory: several starting quarterbacks would be be injured or benched during the first half of the season.  Their backups would prove to be inadequate, creating openings for new starters.  If Tim were on a roster as a backup, he would be unavailable to fill those positions.

So far, everything is proceeding as I have foreseen (bonus points if you can name that movie).  The season is not even half over, and 9 teams do not have the same starting QB they began the season with:

• Rams: lost Sam Bradford to season-ending knee injury. Backup Kellen Clemens starting.
• Browns: benched Brandon Weeden, then lost Brian Hoyer to season-ending knee injury. 3rd stringer Jason Campbell starting.
• Bucs: benched and released Josh Freeman. Rookie backup Mike Glennon starting.
• Jaguars:  Blaine Gabbert out for several weeks with injury; backup Chad Henne starting.  
• Vikings: benched Christian Ponder for Josh Freeman.  Freman out with concussion so Ponder starts again.
• Bills: EJ Manuel out for 6 to 8 weeks with knee injury.  Backup Thad Lewis starting.
• Texans: Matt Schaub out with ankle injury.  Undrafted rookie backup Case Keenum starting.
• Bears: Jay Cutler out for 4 weeks with groin tear.  Backup Josh McCown starting.
• Eagles: Vick out for several weeks for injury.  Backup Nick Foles is out with a concussion.  Third stringer Matt Barkley starts if both are out.

But one event has not unfolded as I had foreseen:  nobody has hired Tim Tebow yet.  WTF?

The Nuclear Option - Week 7 update

The trade deadline in 9 days effectively closes the door on major roster improvements. The odds of obtaining a starting-caliber player diminish greatly after then.  For the rest of the season, coaches are stuck with the players they have now, plus any left-over free agents they can scrounge up.

With that in mind, let's take a look at potential opportunities for Tebow:

The Nuclear Option - Week 6 update

Some development since last week. No need to wait for Monday night's game, as neither Luck nor Rivers is going anywhere. Let's take a look at potential opportunities for Tebow:

The Nuclear Option - Tuesday Morning Update

Wow, lots of changes since I last wrote about The Nuclear Option just a few days ago.  Most of the immediate opportunities have dried up for now.   The Jets, Raiders, Browns, Bucs, and Titans are going to go with what they have.  The Bills are going with chewing gum, duct tape, and unknown free agents.  The Jags are still in a state of denial.  Mallett is still a trade prospect at the deadline.  Details:

The Nuclear Option plays out

Last spring, in a blog post titled The Nuclear Option, I argued that Tim Tebow would be better to start this season not on an NFL roster.  I based my premise on the following assumptions:

1. No team would offer Tim a fair shot at competing for a starting position.
2. As a backup, he risked a repeat of the Jets debacle.
3. Several teams would lose their starting QB to injuries in the first half of the season.
4. Several more teams would discover their hoped-for starting QB stunk.
5. By midseason, several teams would be looking for a QB to salvage their season.
6. A desperate coach trying to save his job might be willing to take the risk with Tim.
7. If Tim was on another roster, he would be unavailable to take that opportunity to play.

So now we are 1/4 of the way through the season, and  the nuclear scenario has played out even faster than expected.  Below is a list of NFL teams whose franchise QB plans have already self destructed: