This morning Broncos training camp kicked off in Dove Valley south of Denver. For the first time in years I have no plans to attend. Of course were the Broncos interested in giving me a media credential I am sure I could find the time to attend a practice or two. Broncos, your move.

I am not planning to go for two reasons.

First, I already used a big chunk of vacation for the World Cup Europe extravaganza back in June. You are welcome.

Second, I can’t imagine a worse hell than sitting in 95 degree heat surrounded by morons that do their shopping at broncogator.com.

I don’t call these people names (strictly) because they shop at broncogator.com. I also assume they will spend the entire practice making arguments why their messiah Tebow should be the Broncos starting quarterback. I imagine every completed Tebow pass will be greeted with cheers to match Mark Jackson’s touchdown catch to finish off The Drive (a play 98% of them will not be familiar with). Each poor Orton pass will result in a rain of boos not seen since Jay Cutler’s return to Mile High last pre-season.

While these idiots look on each move by OLASTT (refresher: Our Lord And Savior Tim Tebow) as validation of his righteousness, I think they are missing the key point and something they can never see in a practice.

I am not sure Tebow is smart enough to be an NFL QB.

In the months before and after the NFL draft much was made of Tebow’s throwing mechanics. He spent many videotaped hours shortening his wind-up and working on dropping back to prove to NFL teams that he could make the transition to becoming a more traditional NFL drop back passer.

I have little doubt that Tebow can succeed in this. Let’s face it, you can say many things about him but OLASTT is a physical freak and an incredibly hard worker. If his problem were solely teaching his muscles to do something different, I have no doubt he can be successful.

But that isn’t his main problem. Even with perfect mechanics OLASTT needs to learn how to read defenses, find the open receiver and complete the pass, all while the defense tries to kill him. These are the things I worry about. I am not sure that underneath that spiky, greasy hair Tebow has the brain for the NFL.

I am not talking about his Wonderlic score or anything like that (though apparently that isn’t going to help his cause), I am talking about what I saw watching the guy for three plus years in college.

Urban Meyer’s system doesn’t require much from a quarterback’s head. A read option running game that is so simple it has become the default offense of most high schools in the country. A simple passing game where UF’s faster wide receivers beat the defense and Tebow has his choice of wide open receivers.

To succeed in that system doesn’t require intelligence. Yet the NFL requires a ton. Look at Alex Smith, another quarterback who succeeded in Meyer’s system. All indications is that he is smarter than OLASTT (higher Wonderlic, graduated with a 3.7 GPA in two years in Economics) and he certainly seemed nearly equally athletic coming out of college yet it has taken him 6 years just to become a mediocre NFL quarterback.

The part that concerns me is OLASTT’s ability to react when things break down – and after last season I think we can expect that a lot with this offensive line. A successful QB in the pros is able to maintain poise under pressure, continue his reads and find the open receiver. Look at OLASTT’s highlight reel. His ‘greatest’ plays were when he gave up on a pass play under pressure and just took off. When he did try and stick with the pass his senior year to improve his draft prospects, his decision making wasn’t always the best. And he didn’t seem to learn from his mistakes. Yes, that is the same game.

In the NFL with bigger, stronger defenses looking for any chance to rip the head off a rookie getting Favre-esque treatment by the media that is a recipe for disaster.

NFL game speed intelligence isn’t the same as normal intelligence. Josh McDaniels may have been impressed by OLASTT being able to regurgitate plays to him when talking at UF before the draft but going from that to being able to read defenses on the run is like going from a multiple-choice test of a chapter in a history book to a debate with the top student in Harvard Law School.

Unfortunately, all of the glowing coverage and worshipers descending on Dove Valley that will inevitably make the argument OLASTT should start will not be able to see any of this. The only time he can demonstrate that he has the head to play in the NFL is during a game. A real game. Not the fourth quarter of a pre-season game where the competition is probably less talented than most of the teams he played in the SEC.

Hell, even Bradlee Van Pelt, the worst joke of the Shanahan era not named Maurice Clarett, was good in the 4^th quarter of a pre-season game.

Kyle Orton will never inspire legions of children to wear jorts and look up passages from scripture but he succeeds in the NFL not because of his athletic abilities but his brain. He balances limited athletic gifts by not making mistakes.

Jay Cutler, for all the scorn I have heaped on him was capable of making the right decision. His problem is that his arrogance tends to override what he knows is the right decision. He should dump it off to the back in the flat but is absolutely sure his great arm can fire the ball past the defender to his receiver down field.

The prevailing wisdom is that the Broncos will use Tebow on short yardage and goal line situations. Despite the brain-dead argument of a local writer who should probably spend less time in the tanning booth and more time thinking through his columns before turning them in, this is exactly how he should be used. Not only are these plays geared to his run-option strengths but they also limit his decision making. There is no sitting back and reading the defense while the play develops – it is make one quick decision and go, which is exactly how OLASTT plays.

This is the logical step for him. Let OLASTT learn what the speed of the pro game is like, while running plays he is comfortable with. Adjusting to the NFL while also trying to learn how to essentially play a new position is just too much. If OLASTT actually does have the brain to succeed in the pros, it will be in baby steps. Let him read the compressed defense and limited passing options of a 3^rd down and 3 before asking him to drop back on a 1^st and 15 from his own twenty with the entire field in front of him and any of hundreds of defenses opposing him.

I have never looked in his eyes, so I can’t speak to the power of his gaze turning me into a teenage girl like The Wiz from Seinfeld; but I have watched a ton of his games and nothing I have seen says there is the sharp, quick decision making going behind those inspirational eye-blacks that will be necessary to be great with the Broncos.

So, when OLASTT does get on the field this pre-season don’t focus on his passing and don’t cheer his running. Every time he scraps a pass play in favor of taking off down the field should actually cause you to cringe if you are a Bronco fan. Focus on whether he sits in the pocket, makes his reads and hits the open receivers.

Sometimes the easiest looking play is the most difficult.

Tagged as: alex smith, broncos, denver, florida, gators, tim tebow, training camp, uf