TebowFest...errrrr Florida Pro Day Report

Tebow did what was expected of him, he introduced a new more compact and quick delivery where he held the ball higher and got the ball out quicker.  He also showed better skills with his footwork all aspects he has been working on since a disastrous showing at the Senior Bowl.  All the things that needed to improve did improve and it was impressive from a QB whose major success has come in a shot gun spread option read and react type of offense from Florida. 

Tebow made good throws and showed enough accuracy and arm strength, throwing against air and in shorts and an Under Armor shirt.  There in lies the reality of the situation, while Tim Tebow showed improvements, the fact of the matter is 90 to 95% of NFL scouting is done off of game tape review, or at least it should be and the game tape doesn't lie. 

Tim Tebow has a lot to fix in reading defenses and making NFL level throws when players come open.  All too often in college he's been successful tucking the ball and running with it at points where he should keep his eyes down the field and then make a throw when the receiver comes open.  For Tebow it ultimately comes down to him being able to go through progressions, shift the balance of his foot work and then deliver the football on target. 

Tebow from now until he his drafted cannot improve upon the game tape that is out there on him and that tape doesn't show the skills necessary to be an NFL QB.  He has to be able to make reads with his eyes down the field and then make plays accordingly and at the Florida Pro Day he wasn't able to show that. 

Now on the subtle flip side of things Tebow's intangibles are undeniable, the fact that he is an extremely humble kid who is a hard worker means he's going to do everything within himself to improve on what he needs to improve upon and succeed in the NFL. 

There mere fact he was willing to work so hard with so many former NFL coaches to make the improvements necessary to look good on his pro day says a lot about him as a player.  The question now is can he retrain and refocus his instinct to tuck it and run into moving on to the next route in the play to complete a pass. 

Whether you love Tebow or hate him or are as sick of the never ending coverage of his college career as I am, the only reason he gets the coverage he does is because he is so different as a player.  His willingness to do whatever it takes to win speaks volumes for him as a player. 

In order for Tebow to have success in the NFL he will need to be coached by a coach who is every bit as good of a coach as Tebow will be a hard worker and shows a never ending desire to succeed.  Can he have success in the NFL?  Time will tell, but I am not one to bet against him. 

Elsewhere at Tebowfest, LB Brandon Spikes worked out and ran the 40-yard dash for the first time in front of scouts.  The rumors regarding Spikes were confirmed, he is slow and his 40-time showed that.  The talk regarding Spikes is that he is slow and plays slow and he followed that up with 40-yard dash times in the 5.0 range and above.  Times that would essentially be deemed unacceptable by NFL standards. 

But then there is the all important tape evaluation of Brandon Spikes and his tape says he's a first round talent and that he plays with great instincts and is a solid tackler.  You also can't doubt the physicality of Spikes he's a kid that loves to hit and loves to punish the ball carrier.  Unafraid of contact and he seems to take good angles and attack the ball carrier well. 

Spikes plays the position well and that is all that can be asked of a player of his caliber, to go out and get the job done. 

Speed seems to be a small theme for the two major players on Florida's defense as concerns arose regarding CB Joe Haden after he put of 40-times in the 4.6 to 4.7 range at the NFL combine.  Haden may have alleviated some of those fears by running in the 4.4 range in Gainesville and will likely be the first CB off the board. 

The problem I have with any CB coming out from college right now is that none of them seem to be that blanket man to man lock down cover corner.  The Deion Sanders' of the world seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur as most players seem to excel more in zone than in actual man to man situations.  There aren't a lot of CBs that can step up to the WR face to face in press coverage and then run with the receiver down the field.  That type of CB seems to be long gone, and someone would have to prove to me that things are different with Haden. 

Haden does show the skills you look for in a CB, but the transition from college to the pros may be quite opening for the young CB. 

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