The Jacksonville Jaguars have become an interesting offseason story in the NFL.
Hiring Urban Meyer as their head coach was the first plot twist.
Of course, having the first overall pick in the draft always draws attention so the process of drafting Trevor Lawrence was well documented.
The surprising part of the Jaguars offseason tale was the reemergence of Tim Tebow who was signed by the Jaguars to play tight end.
We have signed TE Tim Tebow. pic.twitter.com/xAsfcZP1sG
— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) May 20, 2021
It is still up in the air whether Tebow will make the final 53 man roster for the 2021 season.
Here are two very basic ways Tebow can show he belongs there.
1. Block
It may seem obvious, but given the fact that Tebow was a quarterback in college and during his limited NFL run, it is not.
The physicality of the tight end position is entirely different than the quarterback position.
To begin with, the tight end should be an effective blocker and more than willing to throw his body in harm’s way to help his fellow offensive teammates move the chains.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski is a classic example.
His body has suffered its fair share of injuries because he is a good blocker.
Opposing defenses know that even if he is not catching the ball on the play that he could be involved anyway.
Do we know if Tim Tebow likes to block or is a good blocker?
At 33 years old, is that the time to learn to be a blocker and start throwing the body around with ample sized defensive players?
2. Catch
The last balls we saw Tebow catch were baseballs during his efforts to break into MLB.
#Mets Tim Tebow goes all out for this diving catch.
📷: @tkoneill11 pic.twitter.com/BfwqnS5g1L
— Bryan Levine (@Bryan_Levine) July 30, 2017
Again, this may seem too obvious, but Tebow was a quarterback for his entire football career.
He was not on the receiving end of the ball.
What experience does he have running routes and getting open?
These also are different physical skills than Tebow came up learning and honing as a quarterback.
The catching he has done thus far with Lawrence has been no or very minimal contact.
Tim Tebow running in TE drills: pic.twitter.com/0bEdhfshys
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) May 27, 2021
We do not know what his ball handling skills look like when he is being chased, tackled, or potentially double teamed.
What We Know
Tebow story direct from the boss @CoachUrbanMeyer pic.twitter.com/SavUmat5hw
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) May 11, 2021
The jury is still out on Tim Tebow, but here is what we learned so far.
- He is in great physical condition and has been compared to an 18-year-old.
- Tebow is a hard worker, no one is going to outwork him.
- He made this decision nearly a decade too late.
Had Tebow not been so determined to make it in the NFL as a quarterback and made this change at a younger age, his chances for success may have been better.
Tebow is a great person and a positive figure in sports.
. @TimTebow is the greatest leader in college football since ____________. pic.twitter.com/58hJX6vGnG
— On3 (@on3sports) June 30, 2021
Whether he succeeds or fails to make the Jaguars final roster is not as important as his gutsy decision to take a chance and see what happens.
He keeps his head down and continues to plug away while ignoring all the public scrutiny he attracts.
Tim might have been among the greatest of the NFL’s modern era. Let’s be honest, he was the victim of the cancel culture. I watched EVERY play from scrimmage he was involved in. The guy was great. Some want to trifle over technique. I don’t care if he walks backward whistling the Star Spangled Banner during the play. He took the most sorry excuse of a football team and made them divisional champs while being the ONLY change in personel. He took them to being the #1 rushing team in football. He has many other stats that prove him to have been better than an average QB. While in Colorado, I saw how Tebow was taking all the oxygen out of the room by given all the attention and accolades that he was. He was becoming the face of the new generation of the NFL. The face of the brand, in any business, must be carefully considered. Businesses pay millions of dollars for something as simple as a swoosh on a shoe. Tim Tebow didn’t fit into the NFL’s notion of what they wanted the brand to look like. Now, it is Colon Kaepernick’s face. Ironic.