Not Can, rather, Will Tebow play in the Wild Horse?

In the media age we live in, often times if a statement is repeated over and over again by an "expert," such as the fellas over at NFL Network, it is accepted as fact. In a recent discussion with Jammie Dukes of how to best use Tebow, Brian Baldinger argued that since the Broncos traded up in the first round for Tebow, they have to find a way to play him - now. A good way the Broncos could take advantage of Tebow's athletic ability would be to use him in 'Wild Horse' packages, and as the Broncos struggled rushing in the red zone last season, many have assumed that the Broncos will use Tebow in the red zone.

To me though, it's not a matter of can Tebow help the Broncos in the red zone (obviously the former SEC rushing touchdown record holder could help in the red zone). No, that's not the question to ask, but rather; will the Broncos risk injuring Tebow by using him in special packages instead of letting him focus on his throwing mechanics, working behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn.

Statements by Head Coach Josh McDaniels suggest the Broncos won't be rushing Tebow onto the field in Wild Horse plays.

“If we felt like that was something we could do well and that our guys could actually function in and help us win games, we might try it. We’ve doodled around with it here … We don’t have guarantees or plans..."

It is no lie that every coach in the NFL is a liar, that's part of the job, so reading into McDaniels words too much would be foolish. Yet, I can't shake the thought that while he could do it, Tebow won't be used more than very rarely in special packages this season. McDaniels has strongly emphasised that Tebow is Just a quarterback, not a Wild Cat Michael Vick-type player. Unless Kyle Orton has unexpected struggles in his second season starting for the Broncos, and Tebow really separates himself from Brady Quinn in Training Camp, I don't see Tim Tebow getting much playing time for the Broncos as a rookie.