TebowMania hits New England

Attention football fans and bible thumpers alike, everyone's favorite Christian -- Tim Tebow has found a new home! After appearing to be dead in the water with no place to go following his unfortunate release from the New York Jets in April which couldn't have come at a worse time given most teams that needed a quarterback this offseason likely acquired one in the NFL Draft, a surprise team emerged. That team? The New England Patriots who agreed to sign Tebow to a 2-year deal with no money guaranteed. With arguably the most successful quarterback-coaching tandem that's ever stepped foot on a playing field in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in place, it's unlikely Tebow will receive many snaps at the quarterback position if any at all this season. From a QB standpoint, New England was both the best and worst possible destination for Tebow. But that's not to say neither party will benefit.

Playing in New England under coach Belichick and alongside Brady will do wonders for Tebow's knowledge of the game even if it means watching from the sidelines while holding a clipboard. For Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner, the move to Foxborough will reunite him with some familiar faces including Pats offensive-coordinator Josh McDaniels who was at the helm of the head coaching position in Denver when the Broncos traded up to draft Tebow in the first round in 2010. Another is tight-end Aaron Hernandez whom Tebow won a BCS National Championship with at the University of Florida. Despite being listed at quarterback as mentioned by Belichick on Tuesday when addressing the media at minicamp, if Tebow does see playing time it'll likely be at another position. And though he's made it clear that quarterback is his ideal position where he's listed at third behind Brady and backup Ryan Mallet on the depth-chart, there won't be any complaining or bickering coming from Tebow regarding his role albeit as a fullback or at tight-end where New England will likely need help in place of the ailing Rob Gronkowski.

Having already undergone a plethora of mechanical throwing adjustments from coaches and former players alike, moving to another position might be the only way Tebow will see playing time this season. Few teams relied on the run in short-yardage situations last year more so than the Patriots which would be right up Tebow's alley. And granted no coach likes to mix it up quite like Belichick when it comes to milking his players for their versatility, it's definitely a possibility. But while his role remains a mystery, one thing that we all know already is that Tebow, who spoke highly of the franchises recent success and thanked the organization numerous times for giving him the opportunity, will give it his all and will do everything possible to help his team win if called upon. But not all players seeking success come to New England and leave having flourished. While Randy Moss and Danny Woodhead were both gambles that paid off, Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth are just an example of a few recent experiments that Belichick and co. rolled the dice on to no avail. During his nightmare season with the Jets last year under coach Rex Ryan, Tebow threw for a whopping 39 yards while completing 6 of 8 pass attempts and ran for another 102 yards on 32 carries while seeing limited action.


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