What if?

by NMVike on Nov 30, 2011 4:28 PM CST

I stumbled upon this article from Viking Update and I was reminded of the rumors back in 2010 that the Vikings were interested in selecting Florida QB Tim Tebow with the 30th pick in the NFL draft. At the time I didn't buy into the rumor, mainly because I didn't have Tebow as a 1st round prospect. But secretly I was sweating it because Childress and Spielman had botched a few picks before and I knew how much time they spent in Florida the year before while courting Percy Harvin.

Well fast forward 1 and a half years and Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are coming to town so I thought now was as good a time as any to bring it up. After the jump I have highlited the parts of the article where John Holler unleashes his Tim Tebow theory.

Sunday will be Tebow’s first visit to Minnesota, but, if my suspicions are correct, I believe that Tebow would be making approximately his 10th Metrodome start if Josh McDaniels hadn’t have jumped in the way.

I have to preface my Tebow theory on facial reaction. I’m a good poker player because I’m pretty adept at reading people. When the Broncos pulled the trigger on Tebow with the 25th pick, the Vikings were sitting at No. 30. ...

There had been speculation that someone might roll the dice on Tebow, but the prevailing thought was that his slide could last well into the second round. After he went off the board, the Vikings started working the phones to trade out of the 30th spot. When Viking Update was in the post-pick interview throng with Rick Spielman and Brad Childress, both admitted that the team started talking to other teams “three of four picks before our pick came up.” While Mike Tice could have learned something from that thought process, it brought up the red flag as to the timing – the trade chatter started when Tebow went off the board.

I asked both Childress and Spielman about their reaction to Tebow going to the Broncos and both of them gave a “tell,” as they say in the poker world. Both seemed to react to the mention of his name and both were highly complimentary of the Broncos for having the courage to take Tebow that high, not the collective head scratching going on in other war rooms.

The more I thought about those reactions, the more I became convinced.

Throw into the mix that the Vikings already had Tebow’s Florida teammate Percy Harvin, who became an electrifying open-field player catching passes and taking pitches from Tebow, and things might have been much different. For an offense to succeed with a Tebow-style approach, you would need a power back capable of 20 or more carries. The Vikings were one of the few teams that could offer that with Adrian Peterson already establishing himself as the game’s premier running back.

Are you convinced?

Poll

Be honest, would you have been in favor of the Vikings drafting Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft?

YES!

33 votes

NOOOOOOO!

77 votes

Well it would have kept Best out of Detroit and Cook wouldn't be our problem, so...

24 votes

134 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.

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Comments

At the time

Yes, however glad it was a no. I also wanted them to take McCoy, but again, glad they didn’t. I guess GM ain’t in my cards, eh? Lol

by Murgo on Nov 30, 2011 5:35 PM CST reply actions

I'd have taken McCoy over Tebow then

And I still would now

"At this point, what we got to lose, right? So we might as well throw caution to the wind and hit people in the face."
--Vikings DE Jared Allen

by NMVike on Nov 30, 2011 7:26 PM CST up reply actions

So tired of Tebow...

The only reason Denever is winning is that defense. When you hold teams to under 20 points like they have the last 3 or 4 game pretty much any NFL qb is going to get some wins no matter how bad he throws. But to answer the question since my phone won’t let me vote, no I wouldn’t take him. I cant think of having any other qb than Ponder.

by Dodger48 on Nov 30, 2011 7:27 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Damn typos Denver* games*

by Dodger48 on Nov 30, 2011 7:28 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

This ^

@}-----You've been Touched-----{@

by Velvetouch on Dec 1, 2011 10:05 AM CST up reply actions

I definitely buy the theory

Remember this tidbit from Childress back before the 2010 draft?

Paul Domowitch, of the Philadelphia Daily News, reports Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress said Florida QB Tim Tebow can successfully change his throwing motion at the next level. ‘Aaron Rodgers was a complete re-do in his throwing motion from Cal, where people didn’t like his stroke and how the ball came out. And he’s doing fine,’ Childress said. ‘Can it be done? It can be done. It’s just a matter of if you as a coach and you as a coaching staff feel like you can fix it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It only takes one person to like him, and they’re going to do everything in their power to make it right.’

Here are a collection of other comments Childress made about Tebow prior to the draft, pulled from an old Blecher Report article:

Childress says: "I got a chance to talk to (Tebow) a little bit in Indianapolis (at the February scouting combine). I have a lot of coaching friends around here that I talk to and I got a chance to watch him darn near every Saturday last year."

Childress said at the NFL owners meetings last month in Orlando, Florida, that he had talked to Gators coach Urban Meyer and Harvin about Tebow, and both gave the quarterback high marks.

Childress said in March, “I have not had a chance to really pull him apart [on tape]. And I have not seen his latest workout. I was not down there. I just think he’s the ultimate competitor. And it’s kind of fun to talk to Percy about him and Urban about him. From that aspect, shoot, he’s an A-plus.”

The Vikings also held a private workout for Tebow prior to the 2010 draft with Childress and their QB Coach present. Childress got himself out of hot water and bad press by signing Brett Favre and taking us to the NFC championship, and it stands to reason that drafting Tebow (a very popular guy, even today) would have been a good PR move, and would have helped sell tickets. Add all of that to the article above, and it’s a pretty convincing argument that the Vikings were going to draft Tebow if Denver hadn’t.

SKOL Vikings!

by CCNorsemen on Nov 30, 2011 8:38 PM CST reply actions

well Chilly was a QB guru so I'm sure he could have tanked Tebow just like he did TJ.

I guess Tebow can thank his good God that he didn’t get picked up by Childress.

The Vikes aren't in a remodeling or reconstruction they are in a burn the place down and start praying they don't mimic the Lions rebuilding process.

by Grime on Dec 1, 2011 10:38 AM CST up reply actions

HA!

"At this point, what we got to lose, right? So we might as well throw caution to the wind and hit people in the face."
--Vikings DE Jared Allen

by NMVike on Dec 1, 2011 1:23 PM CST up reply actions

Tebow at qb in the NFL is a conspiracy. He is great for the NFL, but a lot of guys with his skill set weren’t even given the opportunity he is getting. His persona and charisma and his transparent religious faith make him a marketing lighting rod. Love him or hate him, he gets rating. The Viking Bronco game was flexed into early national game on Fox. Not because of Ponder.

by LoveHate on Dec 1, 2011 11:04 AM CST reply actions

Not a Tebow fan...

…. but you can’t argue with results. He would get zero ratings if he were 1-5 instead of 5-1. Winning changes everything. It’s a good story that can’t keep going like it is…. or could it? I’m guessing the Vikings will be the beginning of the end of Tebowmania.

by Vrooman on Dec 1, 2011 11:35 AM CST up reply actions

It would seem that the Vikings worst deficiency is the one area that Tebow can’t take advantage. I hope to see three deep with a safety at the line of scrimmage on every down.

by LoveHate on Dec 1, 2011 12:29 PM CST up reply actions

Yup...

… their O plays into our D’s strength. But I’ll be watching to see if Tebow and Bronco RB’s can exploit their outside speed against our LB’s. Should be a fun game to watch.

by Vrooman on Dec 1, 2011 5:03 PM CST up reply actions

Conspiracy

I do not believe that word means what you think it means.

by Birdman84 on Dec 1, 2011 3:22 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Is that a Princess Bride reference?

Inconceivable!

"At this point, what we got to lose, right? So we might as well throw caution to the wind and hit people in the face."
--Vikings DE Jared Allen

by NMVike on Dec 1, 2011 4:18 PM CST up reply actions

Anybody want a peanut?!

The Vikes aren't in a remodeling or reconstruction they are in a burn the place down and start praying they don't mimic the Lions rebuilding process.

by Grime on Dec 1, 2011 4:29 PM CST up reply actions

Could You Imagine...

…our running game with Tim Tebow, Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin? My goodness. Then I wouldn’t have to bitch about having terrible receivers because it wouldn’t matter!

Follow @austinnarber

by bleedpurple426 on Dec 1, 2011 11:14 AM CST reply actions