Broncos rookie Tim Tebow: Bring on the shots

“Certainly, people have speculated about how we may or may not use him in those roles, but since we haven’t really done any of it in pads, I haven’t had the opportunity to evaluate what that may do for our team,” McDaniels said. “… There’s going to be some things that he can obviously do that the other two can’t in that regard. How much we do or don’t do will depend on how productive we are at it.”

At any rate, McDaniels appreciates Tebow’s tough-mindedness.

“I think that’s part of his demeanor. I think that is also part of what he brings to your football team,” McDaniels said. “I think that may be a little unique in terms of the contact part of it.”

Quarterbacks can give an offense a toughness by bouncing up after a big collision, McDaniels said, “and I know he’s had an opportunity in college to do some of the other stuff where he actually is inflicting some of the hitting at the end of a run or something like that.”

Tebow is generating the kind of buzz that John Elway did during his rookie season in 1983. Tebow isn’t nearly as polished as Elway was coming out of Stanford and he’s not only cramming the NFL playbook but he’s been working tirelessly on tweaking his techniques and mechanics as he adjusts to the pro game.

While his detractors say he won’t measure up in the NFL even if he was a great college player, Tebow’s supporters, who include Elway, suggest his athleticism, work ethic and pedigree will translate into success.

McDaniels said he wasn’t going to try to tamp down expectations for Tebow, who planned to work late Friday and rise early on Saturday to catch up on the practice plans he missed while his agent hammered out a contract worth $11.25 million over five years.

“What other peoples’ expectations are of him or how much he’ll play or contribute or compete to play early, I don’t really know,” McDaniels said. “I’m not that worried about it. I think if he’s the best player at some point in some area, then he’ll be able to affect the team.”

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