NFL Draft 2012: John Elway Should Look Closely At Tim Tebow's Back-Up Situation With Broncos

By now it’s widely known that Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow was hurt in the second half of the Broncos season-ending loss to the New England Patriots. Tebow suffered torn cartilage in his rib and a bruised lung among other chest injuries, and yet he played through it, showing a toughness his teammates have to love. Yet if the Broncos are going to love Tebow as their starter over the long-term, the Denver Post’s Dave Krieger says the injury also shows the Broncos must address Tebow’s back-up.

Tebow’s development will continue with a full off-season workout and another year as a starter. But if something were to happen to Tebow, the entire offense has been constructed around a skill set which very few quarterbacks can match.

“The injury simply reminds us that Tebow is not indestructible, as he sometimes appeared during the season, taking the hits of both a running back and a quarterback and bouncing back to his feet every time,” writes Krieger. “It should be a reminder to the Broncos’ front office, if it wasn’t determined to address this issue already, that it’s dangerous to run an offensive scheme only one quarterback on the roster is equipped to execute.”

Brady Quinn is already on the roster and he could stick with Denver, but Krieger says the Broncos could also address the need via the draft with an option quarterback to back-up. Perhaps a late round flier on Georgia Southern’s Jaybo Shaw would be an option.

Tim Tebow Injury: Broncos Quarterback Suffered Torn Cartilage, Bruised Lung

While it likely would not have affected the course of the NFL playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos last weekend, Adam Schefter is reporting that Tim Tebow was playing through some injuries from the third quarter on. That didn’t contribute to the Broncos being down, but it might have affected their ability to come back.

“At the start of the third quarter, Tebow tore cartilage on his first rib where it attaches to his sternum, bruised his lung and had fluid buildup in the plural space of his chest, according to an NFL source,” writes Schefter. “The injuries came as the result of a hit in the pocket when Tebow was pressured after throwing a pass. Even so, he was determined to finish the game with his teammates regardless of the score.”

Tebow will certainly score points with his teammates for the choices he’s made lately. He refused a studio appearance for this weekend’s NFL games and he played through this game with an injury. No one can question where his focus is at this point, which is likely just on getting healthy, resting up and then beginning to work out and adjust for next season as the Broncos starting quarterback. It will never be business as usual for Tebow, who will always be an iconic figure, good or bad, but Broncos fans have to love this focus.

Tim Tebow's Future Success Will Depend On Denver Broncos' Ability To Evolve On Offense

Tim Tebow performed well enough under the microscope and attention of, well, everyone on planet earth to warrant the announcement that he will be the Broncos starter at quarterback heading into next season. That said, there is still plenty of work to be done to make him a solid NFL starting quarterback, and he's among the first to admit as much. ESPN's Bill Williamson has a list of several factors that could help Tebow, and one of them is particularly crucial: having the Broncos' offense evolve beyond its current option-heavy attack.

The limitations of Tebow's option offense ultimately killed them against a veteran playoff team like the New England Patriots. In fact, it led to a season-worst performance on offense.

"The Broncos used a few versions of the option offense," writes Bill Williamson. "The team must spend the offseason marrying the option and a more traditional offense. Teams were catching up to the Broncos. In a 45-10 divisional playoff loss to New England, the Broncos had 14 negative plays. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the most negative plays any NFL offense had this season. Denver was 1-4 in its last five games and Tebow’s production slid in the losses. The Broncos have to work to keep ahead of defenses. If Denver trots outs the same offense next season, it will be halted much like the Wildcat was in Miami."

There's every reason to believe that the offense will grow and evolve, because it's obvious that Tebow must grow in his accuracy and pro level intelligence to take advantage of what the defense gives him. To do so, the offensive plan must expand. Williamson is dead-on when he says that evolution is vital for the Broncos' offense.

Peter King Says Denver Broncos Should Draft Quarterback Competition For Tim Tebow

The Denver Broncos had a season that no one could have predicted, moving from the second choice in the NFL Draft just one year ago to taking out the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs. John Fox did a great coaching job in his first year in Denver and Tim Tebow definitely deserves credit for guiding the team to the AFC West title. But Peter King of Sports Illustrated also says it’s not enough and that the Broncos should further bolster the position for the future.

King writes, "Denver should backstop Tebow with a second- or third-round prospect and either Brady Quinn or an option type of quarterback like Tebow, in the event of an in-game injury; that way the Broncos won’t have to revolutionize their offense in the middle of a game.

“Finally, this: Denver cannot enter the 2012 season with the same predictable play-calling, with that inside handoff or Tebow sprinting into an option. It limits the offense way too much. The reality of Tebow’s 2011 season is he had some great moments and eight wins. But he also plateaued. He simply has to be more accurate to have a chance to be a long-term NFL quarterback.”

A prospect like that could be Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M or Nick Foles of Arizona State. Certainly that sort of pick would be a lightning rod for discussion and sports talk in Denver for the months leading up to the season. It’s debatable whether that would help or hinder Tebow, who already has enough attention and scrutiny as it is.

John Elway Plans To Mentor Tim Tebow On Technique In Broncos Offseason

Tebow will likely always have his detractors, but as long as he's carrying the Broncos to the playoffs, it really won't matter in the end. Tebow is committed to the cause and it seems like the Broncos are as well.