An open letter to Tim Tebow…

Dear Tim:

The purpose of my letter is to strongly encourage you to play in the Senior Bowl next month because it will greatly enhance your draft value. Forget all the negative talk about how it might affect your draft status, that teams will get down on you or that you can only hurt your chances. Forget that all your throws in practice will be under constant scrutiny or that scouts might get down on you or that you won’t be able to run the option — which is what you do so well. All of that is just plain bull. First, scouts don’t have a say in the draft, and second, all you need is two teams to love you, not all 32.

The Senior Bowl is an easy game for any quarterback, especially one as talented as you. There are just two coverages, no blitzing, no zone dogs, and the speed of the game is very slow, so the game is very offensive friendly. You’ll get to work with NFL coaches, who will instantly adore your preparation, your personality and your leadership skills. Your personality is so infectious that you’re a coach’s delight, so anyone who’s around you will fall in love with you as a player. And we all know that love is blind (just ask the Jets about Vernon Gholston). As a result, any of your weaknesses will be overlooked — which is a very good thing around draft time.

The physical demands of the game will not be challenging, nor will the mental part. What will greatly benefit your game is the time you spend with the quarterbacks coach as he prepares you for the game. You’ll gain firsthand knowledge about the rigors of preparing for an NFL game, which will help you prepare for all those NFL combine interviews. You can go into your combine meetings with teams using coachspeak – and more important, you’ll leave the week of preparation with all the coaches talking about how easily you grasped the system. It’s a win-win for you.

All the football stuff is very important, but the biggest reason you should play in the game is to create competition for your rights. Once one NFL team falls in love with you, there will be others that follow suit. The NFL is a copycat league, especially when it comes to evaluating quarterback talent -- and if you leave Mobile, Ala., with love from one team, you’ll find love more love from other teams. Then, in the weeks leading up to the draft, stories can be written about how many teams actually love you and are desperate to draft you. Again, a win for you.

Now, I know all this deception might not appeal to your religious beliefs, but let’s put those aside for the time being — especially when it comes to draft positioning. A little white lie doesn’t hurt anyone from time to time, plus you won’t be lying -- your agent will just be posturing. It’s something they do all the time. Consider it the way of the world.

Play in the game, get more people in the Tim Tebow camp, and before the week of the draft, your position will be greatly improved.

Wish you well,

Michael

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