Michael Vick signing back with the Eagles is one of the best things that could have happened for Tim Tebow and the New York Jets.
The team is looking to trade Tebow after using him sparingly last season and now that there is another solid quarterback off of the market for teams in need, that makes the possibility of Tebow much greater. Vick had been rumored to be possible in Kansas City with old coach Andy Reid, as well as in Arizona with new coach Bruce Arians.
Now any team that saw Vick as a possibility must turn elsewhere and with a weak draft and quarterback free agent class, Tebow could be a true option fort a number of teams, including the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.
The Raiders are possible because they love to pull off deals like this and their fans, whiel crazy, might rally around someone like Tebow. Carson Palmer was solid, but he is older and hasn't won much in the playoffs, while Terrelle Pryor is completely untested. Tebow at least has starting experience and he has won a playoff game.
Tebow is also possible in Tampa Bay, where head coach Greg Schiano was frustrated last season by the turnovers by quarterback Josh Freeman. Two years ago Freeman was one of the surprises in the NFL, but he regressed last year and threw a career-high in interceptions. Even if Tampa didn't want to start Tebow, they could use him to light a fire and compete with Freeman in training camp and then use him like the Jets claimed they wanted to.
A wild card in all this is the Seattle Seahawks. Yes, they have Russell Wilson, but they also have Matt Flynn, who is now one of the most overpriced backups in the NFL after the team paid him starters money last offseason. Wilson defeated him for the job in training camp and after making the playoffs and getting one postseason win, Flynn is likely done in Seattle.
Head coach Pete Carroll has been known as an out of the box guy and with the Jets in need of a quarterback, a Flynn for Tebow deal could be a strong possibility. Tebow could serve as insurance for Wilson and he can provide some excitement and change of pace if Carroll decided to use him in games.
Carroll got to see firsthand what he did in college while winning a BCS championship and a Heisman and he could take a flyer on him. Tebow was awful for the Jets last season, but they barely used him, putting him on the field for just 70 plays, in which he gained just 102 yards rushing and 40 through the air.
Both the Raiders and the Buccaneers missed the playoffs last season and the fan bases in both cities have grown tired of the same old thing each year. The Raiders would be instantly energized and if Tebow went to Tampa Bay, the fans would be thrilled as he is from Florida originally and played his college ball there as well a bit north in Gainesville.
The future for Tebow in the NFL is still uncertain, but these three teams offer situations that could end up helping the quarterback. The fact that Vick is out of the fold gives him a few more options that he might not otherwise have.