Tebow-Newton

It would be interesting to follow Tebow's career with the Broncos potentially parallel with Cam Newton's career with the Bengals.  The pocket passing era of Manning-Brady is nearing an end.

Cincinnati Bengals

Should the Bengals take Carson Palmer's trade-me-or-I-retire threats seriously and draft a quarterback in the top two rounds? Palmer doesn't strike me as a guy who's playing unnecessary head games with the Bengals, and I think there's a decent chance he means it when he says he's done playing for Cincinnati. Bengals owner Mike Brown says he has no intention of dealing Palmer, but Brown had better at least have a backup plan in place, and by that we don't mean Jordan Palmer. (Come to think of it, Carson Palmer can pretty much end the Bengals quarterbacking career of both Palmer brothers in one fell swoop). Palmer has put his house up for sale in Cincinnati, and that should at least get the Bengals management studying the tape of all the draft eligible college quarterbacks. Sure, Cincinnati has plenty of other needs to address, but given that it's sitting at No. 4 in the first round, it may be the logical year to land a franchise quarterback and then trade Palmer for the best deal to be had. Missouri's Blaine Gabbert and Auburn's Cam Newton would likely be the two QBs the Bengals would consider, and if nothing else, landing Newton would give Cincy some star power and perhaps help turn the page on the franchise's Palmer era.

Denver Broncos

Though both John Elway and John Fox are being evasive on the topic, does second-year quarterback Tim Tebow have to win the starting job from Kyle Orton this offseason?  Think of it this way: Tebow just has to avoid losing it. The Broncos new brain trust can't come out in February and say Tebow is their opening-day starter in 2011, for all the obvious reasons. First, there goes any real leverage you might have in Orton trade talks if you signal that he's definitely not in your plans this season. Secondly, it does Tebow no good to be elevated without having to work for it and earn it.  Though a lack of motivation is hardly his character flaw, why not make Tebow prove himself and improve his game over the course of the entire offseason? After all, he showed flashes of potential in his three-game late-season starting stint, but he hardly removed all doubt regarding the worthiness of his first-round draft status. Fox and Elway have time to fully evaluate Tebow's progress, and they'd be wise to take it. The reality is, he was picked in the first round and that means he's going to get his starting shot in Denver at some point. And it's likely going to be this year. The Broncos know where Orton can take them, and they have loftier aspirations than that. But Tebow's time has not yet fully arrived.