Tebow begins his NFL career Friday; Evil Tebow sets sights on Orton

The Denver Broncos open mini-camp today with our boy Tim Tebow listed as quarterback and only as a quarterback. That Broncos coach Josh McDaniels made a point of saying Tebow would only be a QB was a victory alone. Considering where Tebow was at the Senior Bowl to now, the great experiment of a spread quarterback making it in the pros looks better each day.

Tebow does not care about becoming the first spread quarterback to make the transition, but he does care that his background might prevent him from becoming a starter as soon as possible. But what if Tebow could start quickly? That was the idea passed by SI's Peter King in between sips of gourmet coffee. When McDaniels visited with Tebow in Gainesville, Tebow picked up the Broncos system so quickly, he started using their offensive language. That meshes with the reason why Tebow kept rising on draft boards (the Bills and others reportedly wanted Tebow in the last first round), but Pillow Soft Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen fell like frat boys who can't handle their liquor. Tebow had a better understanding of schemes, which overrode any concerns about throwing mechanics. That also backs up why draft gurus were ripping on Tebow. All they saw was tape, not Tebow's ability to understand the game. 

Tebow also has the benefit of being McDaniels' boy, while last year's starter Kyle Orton was plug between two eras. Orton is not a lame duck yet, but Tebow has the advantage of being the teacher's pet. If anyone benefits from that, it is Evil Tebow, who can put the bullseye squarely on Orton's back. Tebow will say all the right things, because he is programmed that way. But Evil Tebow will want to KILL KILL KILL. You know Evil Tebow has already circled the Broncos' opener at Jacksonville.

McDaniels has said that all jobs are up for grabs. As unlikely as it is that Tebow removes the incumbent, stranger things have happened. (Trent Green's knee exploding in a preseason game to give Kurt Warner a chance, for example.) If the Broncos start the season poorly or are out of the playoff race, you might see No. 15 if his mechanics get better. All of this is still several months away, but you cannot help but feel positive about Tebow and Evil Tebow in Denver.