Imagine Tebow after two or three years eating, sleeping and breathing football under Elway and Manning; he might not be a great QB after that, but it is hard to imagine he would not be good. He has the physical and mental ability plus the much discussed work ethic and (publicly, least) realism; if you want to know every single area Tim Tebow must improve as a passer, he can and will give you a laundry list better than anyone elses.

Instead, he gets Ryan and Schottenheimer; may God help him, because his coaches cannot. He is truly on his own, still without ever having had the benefit of a true NFL off season. I wish him the best, but the sole thing he is missing is the training and experience that I simply do not think available with the Jets; if he finds a QB coach worthy of the name to knock his mechanics and pocket presence into shape, he will do it on his own and out of his own pocket. Which, while far from empty, is also far from bulging; he was slated to get about $1.5 million this year, if memory serves (though some typical cap legerdemain obligated whoever traded for him to eat $2.5 million.) There was really no reason for Denver to trade him, especially not after reuniting Brady Quinn with Orton in KC (apparently the Chiefs think no more of their Division rivals offensive line than I do.) I have heard rumors he ASKED for the trade (which I consider very plausible given how Denver has jerked him around since he entered the league.)

I fear this is going to be one of those "what might have been..." stories like when Houston fresh from the expansion draft team drafted David Carr. It is not uncommon for young QBs, particularly those with much to learn about the pros, to perceive the NFL throughout their career in whatever form they experienced it in the first few formative years. If a QB spends his first five years running for his life behind non-existent protection and throwing to blanketed receivers who cannot get open, he is going to learn that "in the NFL you have maybe 3 seconds before the rush gets there, and must fit the ball into openings the size of a postage stamp to avoid a pick." Even if he manages to find his way to a team with decent blocking and/or receiving, AND wangle the starting job, how long will it take him to adjust to the new reality? When will he stop reflexively flinching and throwing the ball in the stands before his receivers are half-way through their routes, or check back to a receiver who was tightly covered half a second ago?

I hope Timmy invested wisely, because unless the Jets say to Hell with it and make him a TE/FB, his chance of NFL stardom may have just been destroyed by Peyton Mannings fraternal rivalry. The really absurd thing is that Mr. first ballot HoFer only managed two Super Bowl appearances and one victory in, what, eleven years? That was with a ton more offensive talent than he has in Denver, plus a Tony Dungy defense for half of it. People act like Manning will come in and instantly, single-handedly, put Denver in the Super Bowl. He has never done that in his career, and I do not expect him to start now that he is the 36 years old, as immobile as ever and recovering from an injury that could have left him paralyzed.

Two years, and we are shopping for a new QB. It has become something of a habit in Denver; since 2006 we have started Plummer, Cutler, Orton, Tebow and now Manning. Five starting QBs in seven years, without double digit wins in any of them. We did manage more in 2005 with Plummer, as well as our only playoff win since Elway retired—until last year. "Since Elway retired" is much of the problem, because every Broncos starting QB takes over knowing he has three years (ma to win a Super Bowl or he is out of a job. I guess it is only right we have a QB who will be retired in three years, but what passer in his right mind would want to play for a team like that?