When free agency starts in the NFL, the wide speculation so far has been that Denver Broncos head coach John Fox will pursue Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams to share the rushing load with Knowshon Moreno. It makes sense since Fox coached Williams there since the back was drafted in 2006. And new CBA rules have unrestricted free agency start at four years in the league--Williams is entering his sixth season.
But might Fox pursue another of his former players? Quarterback Jake Delhomme is expected to be released from the Cleveland Browns once the league starts up again. While there is some speculation that Carolina would like to bring Delhomme back, the lure of Delhomme's old coach could be too much to ignore.
Bill Williamson over at ESPN believes as much:
If Orton is traded and Tebow is the starter, I think Denver will look for a veteran backup. If Delhomme ends up leaving Cleveland, I would think he’d be the favorite to be Tebow’s mentor. Fox and Delhomme have a long history together in Carolina and there is a mutual respect. I think it’d be a natural fit.
At 36, Delhomme's good days are behind him and I would hope no one would be calling for him to take the field after the first bad pass Tebow throws.
When it comes down to it, if he is released, does Delhomme want to mentor Tim Tebow with his old ball coach or does he want to step into Carolina where Cam Newton wants to be an entertainer?