Former GM wouldn't have traded for Tebow

The question for Charley Casserly was this: If you were in Mike Tannenbaum's shoes, would you have traded for Tim Tebow?

"I would not have made the move, because I don't think Tim Tebow is the ultimate answer at quarterback," the former general manager of the Redskins and Texans told Newsday yesterday.

"Every time Mark Sanchez struggles, you have to ask yourself: What am I dealing with here? What about all the questions and the speculation and controversy? You don't like to make decisions based on that, but you have to be aware of it with certain people you're coaching, and quarterback is one of them."

The Jets have taken great pains to say that Sanchez, who recently signed a three-year contract extension, remains the starter. It's what Tannenbaum has said the last two days. It's what coach Rex Ryan reiterated Thursday at LSU's pro day, saying there's "no doubt about it."

But Casserly believes there's something unique about an NFL quarterback's psyche that makes this a difficult proposition, one he would have resisted despite the potential benefits Tebow can offer.

If this were anyone besides the wildly popular Tebow, who led the Broncos to the playoffs after coming off the bench, maybe Casserly makes the move, because Tebow's skill set really does offer some tactical advantages. If not for the potential threat to Sanchez's psychological well-being, there is plenty to like about bringing in a player like Tebow. Just not one named Tebow.

"Tim Tebow causes defenses problems, and you have to spend time as a defensive staff getting ready for the packages they have," Casserly said of Tebow's deployment in the Wildcat, in which he has the option to run or pass.

"He brings the power running game, and the option game, and he throws the ball better than a running back. So that diversification causes teams to spend time in meetings and on the practice field, and be less prepared for the other team's core offensive plays."

In the end, though, the balancing act of bringing in Tebow and managing Sanchez's development is too tricky for Casserly to have made the trade.

"It'll be interesting how it plays out in New York, because in Denver, he was a phenomenon," Casserly said. "He has a following, so it's different. You put that together with a quarterback who's coming off a tenuous season who you're trying to solidify as your starter, that's not easy."

Others familiar with Tebow's skill set argue that if he's used the right way, he can help the team and ultimately Sanchez.

One former head coach steeped in the nuances of the Wildcat offense suggested that Tebow can provide a huge upside for the Jets' offense, especially with coordinator Tony Sparano at the controls. Sparano ran the Wildcat when he was the head coach in Miami.

"When they get to the red zone , you have a ballcarrier and 10 blockers," the coach said of a formation featuring Tebow lined up as the quarterback. "You can also have a passer and a receiver with nine blockers. You can up the numbers whenever you want to, and that's an advantage in outnumbering the defense. If you minimize the flaws and maximize the assets, you'll have success."

Former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt thinks Tebow will be a huge positive. "I think this is a great trade for the Jets," the NFL.com analyst said. "Tebow's a winner. He's one of those guys that's got the 'it' factor. I don't know what 'it' is, but he has it, and he made plays in high school, at Florida and in Denver."

Brandt said it's a major advantage to have defensive coaches spend extra time preparing a separate package to defend the Wildcat.

"You've got to get ready for two different types of offense, one with the regular quarterback and the other in the special packages," he said. " are going to have to spend a lot of time with it, and we've seen that work. I think Sparano is really good at this kind of stuff. You'd rather have Tim Tebow than Ronnie Brown, or Tim Tebow than Brad Smith. Smith was pretty versatile, but Tebow is more versatile."

And what about Sanchez's psyche?

"It's not an issue if you win football games," Brandt said. "In baseball, managers bench lefthanded hitters against lefthanded pitchers because they're playing the percentages. People are trying to win. That's part of it."

Brandt doesn't think Tebow will turn into a consistently accurate quarterback, but he's not betting against him.

"Sometimes you get a quarterback coach and somehow you unlock the door and all of a sudden he becomes more accurate," he said. "But he's a very unique guy. He can go 1-of-9 and then complete seven of the next eight. All you have to do is look at that throw he made against Pittsburgh in the playoffs. If he could be half that good half the time, it would be great."