B/R Debate: What Are the Pros and Cons of Tim Tebow and the New York Jets?

Tim Tebow. Those two words, that one name, incites more debate than virtually any other in sports.

Have the New York Jets set themselves up for another meltdown, or have they covered their bases at the most important position on the roster? What exactly are the best- and worst-case scenarios for Tebow with the Jets?

To debate that topic, we bring in B/R Jets featured columnist Ryan Alfieri, who can also be found on Twitter.

Since you're the guest, I'll let you lead us off.

Ryan: Let's take a look at this from a football perspective. Rex Ryan said Tebow will play in a wildcat role, and he could get as many as 20 snaps per game. Both statements are false. 

First, Tebow's offense is a read-option, not a wildcat offense. The Wildcat implies that a running back is taking the snap, which is not the case. Tebow can throw the ball to some degree, which makes the offense more of a tweaked version of the read-option he ran at Florida. 

Second, I would be surprised if Tebow ever got 20 snaps per game. To me, this is just gamesmanship from Rex—by throwing out such a high number, opponents will spend more time studying Tebow's offense. I think giving Tebow somewhere between 4-8 snaps will maximize his effectiveness. 

In a perfect world, Sanchez is playing well for the most part, and Tebow is thrown in to gain a few chunks of yards and frustrate a defense. However, it will be an incredibly fine line to walk in terms of maintaining Sanchez's rhythm and maximizing Tebow's effectiveness. 

Erik: You hit the nail right on the head. If I have one pet peeve, it's that people mistakenly call the "read-option" the "Wildcat."

Fundamental difference: The Wildcat is based on running backs, and there's virtually no threat of a pass. The Wildcat worked wonders for Tony Sparano in Miami for two reasons:

1. It caught everyone by surprise.
2. They had the personnel at running back to make it effective.

There's no surprise with the option. With Tebow, though, Sparano has something he never had in Miami: A quarterback that can throw. He may not be very accurate, but he can make throws. The threat alone is enough that defenses have to prepare for it.

As for the personnel, the Jets don't quite have the personnel to run the option effectively. They'll need to find at least one more receiver that can pick up yards after the catch, as short and intermediate throws are even more so a necessity for Tebow than they are for Sanchez (if you can believe it). 

However, all this could be for naught if one simple thing happens. I said earlier this week, and I stand by it: the best-case scenario for the Jets is for Sanchez to play well enough to make the Tebow factor a non-factor. 

Ryan: I would agree with Sanchez playing well enough to keep Tebow on the bench, but it is just not very realistic. Mark is bound to have a bad stretch, and there is no way the Jets were willing to keep Tebow on the bench after all of the energy they put into bringing him in New York. 

However, I do think they have their personnel to run it. As bad as their right tackle was (and Ferguson had a poor year by his standards), the Jets have a much better line than Denver did in 2011. Teams are hesitant to rush Tebow because of his running ability, and would rather him throw it with a clean pocket. Most defensive lines were in "contain."

The Jets receivers may not be quite as talented as they were in years past as a whole, but there is only one man, Holmes, that is known for yelling for the ball. Chaz Schilens and Kerley are going to take what is given to him. If Holmes is at his best, he is terrific at picking up YACs. 

I also tend to think that when Tebow is in the game, the Jets will use more vertical route concepts. Tebow is not a good short to intermediate thrower, but he can put up a pretty good deep ball. It doesn't make much sense, but that is who he is. Plus, the Jets have a nice tight end in Dustin Keller to get both QBs out of bad situations. 

For me, the real issue is finding an identity on offense. I know they want to get back to running the ball, but there are only so many snaps in a game to get everyone the ball (especially if you keep going three and out). 

Erik: The change in offensive system might do more harm than good for Sanchez, who will now have to learn a brand new system in his fourth year, what is supposed to be a big year of growth for him.

What's more, if people thought the conservative and vanilla scheme of Brian Schottenheimer was holding Sanchez back, Sparano's offense will make that look more exotic and exciting than the Russian gymnastics team.

But at least Sparano is consistent, and as you said, he should help them find an identity on offense. 

To clarify, Tebow is known for his deep throws because they produce the highlights, but the numbers don't lie. He is way more accurate on short and intermediate throws over the middle, where he went 62-for-85 (72.9 percent), than he is on deep throws and outside-the-numbers passes, where he went a whopping 42-for-138 (32.8 percent).

Finding more threats at receiver is important, and though Dustin Keller and Holmes are great options, they should get another sure-handed receiver capable of creating YAC over the middle, as well as an outside-the-numbers threat to add to the mix, and even another blocking tight end if they want to run the option effectively for Tebow. Of course, the emergence of Jeremy Kerley could solve the over-the-middle YAC problem from within rather than drafting another wide out.

As far as the line goes, you're right, they have talent across the board except at right tackle, and though they won't necessarily need to greatly upgrade the spot for Tebow, they will for Sanchez. He just holds onto the ball too long, and unless that changes, he'll be victimized off the right side by Wayne Hunter's inability to hold blocks.

Ryan: Actually, from what I have heard/read, Schottenheimer's system was very complicated, and it had an effect on Sanchez. He spend more time thinking than just playing at times. Sparano's system may have more gadgets, but it is generally simpler and has more of an emphasis of pass protection. To me, that works in Sanchez's favor. 

But in terms of adding weapons, I think building around Tebow would be a mistake. You have to go into your offseason almost pretending that Tebow is not there and build the offense around Sanchez. If Tebow is going to be a complimentary player, treat him as such. Spending money and picks to help Tebow sends the wrong message. I think adding another stud receiver just give the Jets one more mouth to feed in an offense with a lot of moving parts.

In the end, this comes down to how the coaching staff reacts to Tebowmania. In order for this to work, Rex cannot let the chants for Tebow cloud his vision when deciding how much everyone should play. Sanchez is going to struggle at times, and Tebow's name will be called. But Rex has to remember which player give him the best chance to win, not the one that is going to get the fans the most excited. 

If handled correctly, this Tebow trade may actually help the Jets win a few games, but we will have to wait until the fall to see how this whole thing plays out. 

Erik: I see where you're going with the perils of building around Tebow, but even Sanchez could benefit from more weapons, specifically the kind that can pick up YAC on short to intermediate throws over the middle of the field. That's Sanchez's strong suit just as much as Tebow's.

Even with Holmes and Schilens, the Jets still need more play makers at receiver. They may not have to invest a top pick in one, but should look to add threats anyway. Holmes is good but he can't do it alone.

The chants for Tebow will come, ultimately, when Sanchez struggles, as you alluded earlier. As much as Rex can't let the chants for Tebow impact him, it may not be entirely up to him. Don't forget that the Jets are always making moves to grab the back page headlines, and if it's up to Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson, they may force Rex's hand.

Ryan: I just think maybe bringing in another big name at the receiver position would be a mistake. Schilens has a lot of upside, Kerley is a good slot guy, and Holmes should hold his own as a number one. Sometimes, less is more, and having more young, hungry guys on the team looking for whatever they ca get in terms of targets could be a good thing. 

Erik: Those three names are promising, but Schilens and Kerley haven't shown enough to earn a vote of confidence just yet, so they may want to bring someone else in to compete or to at least be a back-up. We've seen the Jets be content at positions in the past, and it's come back to haunt them.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that, and with that, our debate looks like it's drawing to a close.

I'd like to thank Ryan once again for joining me in this spirited discussion, and I welcome you back anytime to debate with me about Jets-related topics.

For the readers, be sure to check back at the AFC East blog often for more debates on a wide range of topics across the AFC East and your favorite teams.

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