Tim Tebow Might Make Philadelphia Eagles Roster, but Far from Finished Product

When Tim Tebow completed his first four passes in the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason opener, we saw how his refined mechanics make him objectively a better passer. And when he proceeded to complete two of his last eight attempts and get sacked three times, we also saw that Tebow still has a long way to go as an NFL quarterback.

Such has been the case with the enigma that is Tebow throughout training camp. The former Heisman Trophy winner has periods at practice where he’s razor-sharp, making good decisions, and throwing the ball with touch and precision. Then there are stages of vintage Tebow, with balls wildly overthrown or into the dirt, forced upon covered receivers or simply held for far too long.

Tebow has shown just enough improvement to push Matt Barkley for the Eagles’ third-string quarterback job, enough to make you see how he might crack the 53-man roster. He’s also demonstrated he still has a long way to go before he’s a viable signal-caller on Sundays, and that he may never reach that point at all.

YR	CMP%	YDS/ATT	TD/INT	RATING
2012	75.0	4.9	0/0	84.9
2011	46.5	6.4	12/6	72.9
2010	50.0	8.0	5/3	82.1

Even taking the issue of consistent accuracy out of the equation, the biggest thing Tebow showed he still lacks was an ability to execute Philadelphia’s offense at its typical breakneck pace.

When Barkley and Mark Sanchez was in the game for the Eagles, they dropped back, went through their progressions and let it rip. The deeper Tebow went, the more he seemed to have trouble making his reads and pulling the trigger—hence the incompletions and crippling sacks.

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly came to Tebow’s defense after his performance, the signal-caller’s first NFL action in nearly two years.

“There’s a couple of those where Timmy held the ball and looks like, ‘Why is he doing that?’ Well, the receiver ran the wrong route,” Kelly said, via PhiladelphiaEagles.com. “He's looking for a receiver to run a shallow cross, and we didn't get a shallow cross. We don't get that a lot in training sessions where if the receiver doesn't run the right route, now what do we do?”

Michael Perez/Associated Press

But if it doesn’t happen a lot during practice, or "training sessions," as Kelly refers to them, why is Tebow indecisive on an almost daily basis? To be fair, he only signed with the Eagles in April, so he hasn’t been in the offense very long, and that’s on top of being out of the league for the better part of two years.

Of course, there’s a reason Tebow was out of the league, and these recurring issues are all examples of things that have been holding him back. Yes, he fixed the wonky throwing motion, but even the 28-year-old admits these are the areas in which he must continue to get better.

“Decision-making, timing and accuracy,” Tebow defined as the areas he could improve most last week. “Those are the three things that are really important for quarterbacks in the NFL. You have to have great decision-making, you have to have timing—knowing the offense, your footwork, everything like that—and then accuracy, putting (the ball on the receiver).

“I think I’ve improved, I’m continuing to try to improve every day. It takes time, but it’s been happening, and I just want to continue that process.”

Unfortunately, time is not on Tebow’s side. The Eagles have three preseason games left, and as of right now, he is clearly and significantly behind Barkley.

PLAYER	CMP/ATT	YDS	TD/INT	SK	RUSHING
Barkley	12/20	192	0/1	0	1 attempt, 2 yards
Tebow	6/12	67	0/0	3	4 attempts, 15 yards, 1 TD

There’s a line of thinking that Tebow’s athleticism could give him an advantage over a more traditional quarterback like Barkley in Kelly’s offense. However, that’s always been overrated. Just because Tebow has the mobility to be a threat on the zone-read option does not mean he warrants a roster spot, and he can’t operate the play while riding the bench as a third-stringer anyway.

Plus, Barkley actually looked very impressive in the Eagles’ preseason opener, completing 12 of 20 passes for a whopping 192 yards. Kelly will take that kind of production over a run-first quarterback every time.

None of which is to say Tebow couldn’t make the team. He’s shown a great deal of improvement and may continue to make strides.

There’s also the possibility the Eagles trade Barkley, at least in theory. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the club was shopping the 2013 fourth-round pick prior to the draft, and if another team was willing to make a move, that would open the door for Tebow as well.

As far as his play meriting a spot is concerned, it's hard to see it. Tebow simply isn’t a polished passer, and at his age, it’s reasonable to believe he may never be. It’s even less likely he’ll make that leap in the final few weeks before cuts are handed down. Tebow’s attempt to make it back to the NFL is admirable, and we shouldn’t rule him out just yet, but the feeling here is that he might come up short.

All quotes and camp observations are the author’s unless otherwise noted.