Tim Tebow: Why Jets Should Trade or Start QB Before the October 30 Deadline

Tim Tebow and the New York Jets have two weeks to decide if they want to call an audible on his arrival in the Big Apple. After playing limited snaps and seeing the team go to 3-3 after six weeks, the Jets need to make a call on Tebow.

New York either needs to trade the backup QB by the October 30 NFL trade deadline or find a way to give him the ball and see what he can do.

Unfortunately, the rest of the AFC East is making it hard to rule the Jets out of the playoff picture. In keeping with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, you could argue that mixing things up would be a mistake for the Jets.

For that matter, the rest of the entire AFC is making it hard.

Heading into this week's rivalry game with the New England Patriots, all four AFC East teams are 3-3. That is good for the lead in the division and is third in the entire conference for the Jets, who suddenly control their own destiny.

Only two teams in the AFC have a winning record, and it looks like at least 10 teams will be in the playoff picture down to the final few weeks of the season.

Since that is the case, it's hard to argue that Tebow's role on this football team has done anything but help the Jets win. Even Patriots coach Bill Belichick was singing his praises this week, noticing that he's been all over the field for this Jet offense.

Cries for his role as a starter have been prevalent since the Week 4 loss to San Fransisco. But I watched that football game, and a Joe Namath-led Jets team wouldn't have been able to stop the 49ers' ground game long enough to compete in that contest.

There have also been recent rumors that Tebow could be on his way out of New York, after the team worked out free agent Kevin O'Connell this week.

Should the team find room for O'Connell, Tebow would have to either be cut or moved in a deal, and Greg McElroy would become the backup behind Mark Sanchez.

Reasons to Trade Him

Aside from public distractions and the seemingly weekly bounty on Sanchez's head, Tebow hasn't done much to prove he deserves to start. His fake-punt pass to Nick Bellore was a highlight in the team's 35-9 win over the Indianapolis Colts, but that's hardly a reason to make him the starter.

In the loss to Pittsburgh, Tebow ran one drive effectively into Steeler territory before coming out of the game around the red zone.

ESPN's Merril Hoge sees little in his game to warrant a change at the QB position, though Hoge has been a noted Tebow critic for the QB's entire career, especially when he was with the Denver Broncos.

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"A full-time move to Tim Tebow would be a disaster." -@merrilhoge on Jets' QB situation. #HeardOnSportsCenter

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 14, 2012"

If the team feels the same way about Tebow, then this should be a no-brainer decision.

The Jets gave up a fourth- and sixth-round pick to acquire the polarizing athlete from Florida and would need to get some sort of similar return to consider moving him just over a month into the experiment.

With teams like Arizona and Jacksonville unhappy with their QB situation, would either want to relinquish draft picks to help kick-start their offense? What about Philadelphia, which has seen the turnover bug hit its offense with the injury-prone Michael Vick taking too many hits.

Sanchez is signed through 2017, so it's not likely he's going anywhere any time soon. Tebow has more value than any other player on the roster, so if the Jets want to give up on this experiment, add some draft value or maybe bolster the defense, this is the right move.

Reasons to Start Him

Mark Sanchez has been less than perfect this season, and that's a severe understatement. The running game has carried this team in wins, although Sanchez did give the Jets a chance to win against the Texans earlier this month.

If Shonn Greene is running the ball the way he did against the Colts, it's hard to argue that the Jets need a QB with a penchant for running.

But if you're of the belief that this was a flash in the pan, like I am, then it makes sense to have Tebow orchestrating an offense that relies on moving the ball slowly and taking time off the clock.

At the very least, these gadget plays that offensive coordinator Tony Sparano has been running are few and far between. Tebow has been effective in limited action this year; why not use that to your advantage?

Of course, you can bet that teams are game-planning for his inclusion in the Wildcat package. But weren't teams planning for that when he was with the Broncos, too? We all know how that turned out.

"Starter" is a loose word at almost every NFL position except QB and both kicker and punter. Why not add some fluidity to the position, fooling opposing teams by letting them see both QBs in the game?

Conclusion

As the October 30 deadline approaches, the Jets will know more about their future as a playoff team. Games against the Patriots and Dolphins, two division foes, will help unveil the AFC East picture a little bit sooner than later, as both games are scheduled to be finished before the trade deadline.

If the Jets are anything but 3-5, this conversation is likely null and void. It's hard to imagine Rex Ryan and the rest of the Jets brass making a decision like this without some sort of reason.

Call me a pessimist, but Sanchez gives them plenty of reasons each week. Playing in Foxborough this week and then against Miami, we'll have an opportunity to see if this team is prepping for life with Tebow as the future of their team or life with him as a distant memory.