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          New England Patriots

          Scenario: You want Tebow in New England?

          Jim Rogash/Getty Images
          • ESPNBoston.com
          Mar 19, 2012, 11:59 AM ET

          What will Peyton Manning joining the Denver Broncos (the scenario reported here by ESPN) mean from a Patriots perspective? For starters, it means they'll face him next season (Denver is on New England's schedule). What it also means is that Tim Tebow's days in Denver are over. Sources told ESPN that once Manning signs on the dotted line, the Broncos will trade Tebow.

          For the sake of a lively discussion, we pose this question: Would the Patriots be interesting in dealing for Tebow?

          ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton, for one, sees a possible fit for Tebow in New England.

          "Here's an interesting proposition, just a rumor. Let's say you have Manning going to Denver," Clayton said on ESPN Radio over the weekend. "Tim Tebow is probably going to be traded. He's not going to Jacksonville, they've already got Chad Henne. New England. You trade him to New England and groom him to be kind of a role player, and then you trade Ryan Mallett in some way. It's just a rumor."

          No one in their right mind thinks Tebow would unseat Tom Brady or even backup Brian Hoyer. Heck, he might not even replace Mallett as the No. 3 man on the depth chart. But you could nevertheless make the argument why he'd be an intriguing option for the Patriots.

          The case for Tebow in New England: Why not take a flyer on a guy with Tebow's athleticism, size and football IQ and turn him into a multi-positional weapon? We've certainly seen Bill Belichick do it before, with receiver Julian Edelman moving into the defensive secondary as the latest example. And don't forget, too, that Edelman was a college quarterback before Belichick converted him into a receiver. Could Tebow have some value to the Patriots as a halfback or even a tight end or receiver? With him in the backfield, that could also open things up for the Patriots to add a few Wildcat plays to their playbook as well. Could he be a special teams contributor, too?

          The guy knows how to win. Let Belichick coach him up and find out what diamond lies underneath. At the very least, teams would need to pay attention to Tebow wherever he was on the field, particularly in situations near the goal line. We know Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels likes Tebow; he's the guy who drafted him in Denver in the first round a few seasons ago. And back before Tebow was drafted, Belichick was an unabashed fan, even taking him out to dinner in the North End. We highly doubt the Patriots would surrender one of their two first-round picks for Tebow, but perhaps a second-rounder or third-rounder? The Pats gave up a third-rounder for Mallett, why not one for Tebow?

          The case against Tebow in New England: Belichick is unlikely to carry four quarterbacks on his roster, so the acquisition of Tebow could mean trading Mallett. Would the Patriots really want to trade away the guy who could potentially be Brady's replacement someday? And for all the skills and intangibles that Tebow brings, he's yet to prove he can be a consistent NFL quarterback. Sure, he could be coached up to play other positions, but could he become a consistent contributor at any of those spots? The Patriots have many other needs and can't afford to be using a draft pick (or picks!) to take a flyer on an unproven commodity.

          This isn't even taking into account the hype factor that comes with Tebow. Would he be a positive force in the locker room or a distraction? Is it worth taking that chance when the return on the investment is likely minimal? Quarterback-needy teams would likely be after Tebow as well, which could drive the price up.

          Your thoughts:? What's your take on this fictional Tebow scenario? Would you like to see him in New England, and at what price? Vote in the polls above and sound off in the comments section.