Last night, Tim Tebow quite possibly finished his college career at Florida. And what a college career it was -- two national titles, one Heisman trophy, one Heisman runner-up, and a celebrity status (and media lovefest) that few college players ever achieve.
But how does that translate to the pros? Will Tebow be a good NFL quarterback? Should the Bears, with Jerry Angelo's newfound commitment to "getting that position right," take a risk on Tebow-as-NFL-QB? The answer is not as clear cut as it would seem.
For example, Mel Kiper, ESPN draft expert and caretaker of the most well-coiffed hair in sports, thinks Tebow should switch positions in the NFL -- maybe to tight end or h-back, with the occasional carry in the wildcat offense. Tebow famously rebuffed that assessment, but if Kiper can be a stand-in for the NFL scouting establishment, then it's clear Tebow's quarterbacking ability isn't held in the highest regard by scouts.
But what of the establishment? The establishment gets plenty of things wrong. Malcolm Gladwell spent 3,000 words in the New Yorker earlier this season explaining why no one has any idea what it takes to be an NFL quarterback; it's nearly impossible to predict who will thrive in the more compact, difficult pro environment. If you look at NFL quarterbacks and where they were drafted, it's a crapshoot. Even sure things like Peyton Manning are coupled with failures like Ryan Leaf.
So the question then is, do the Bears want to take the chance? Should they? Should Chicago give Tebow a chance to play quarterback? We're not merely hypothesizing. We're asking. Leave your response in the comments.
