Jaguars to signal Tim Tebow: A have a look at present tight ends on Jacksonville’s depth chart, different QBs to modify

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However he is not going to play quarterback. He is attempting to make it work as a good finish. 

Tebow, who has not performed within the NFL since 2012 and has been out of soccer solely since 2014, spent the final a number of years enjoying minor league baseball within the New York Mets’ system, making it as excessive as Triple-A earlier than retiring earlier this yr. He had a tryout with the Jaguars previous to the draft, and CBS Sports activities’ Jonathan Jones confirmed on Monday that the crew will signal him to a one-year deal. 

The Jaguars connection to Tebow is clear, because the crew is now coached by City Meyer, for whom Tebow performed his faculty soccer on the College of Florida, profitable each the Heisman Trophy and two nationwide championships. Now, although, Tebow can be attempting out a place he has by no means performed on the skilled stage. 

It is a transition few former quarterbacks have been capable of make. Because the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, we will discover solely 4 cases of a participant who entered the league as a quarterback, performed quarterback, after which switched to a different place with any diploma of success. (This implies gamers like Antwaan Randle El, Julian Edelman, and extra who have been quarterbacks in faculty however then modified positions previous to coming into the league don’t depend.) Solely two of these gamers made the full-time change; two of them went again to enjoying quarterback. 

There’s former Ohio State and Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who converted to broad receiver and had one terrific season in 2016 (77 catches, 1,007 yards 4 touchdowns) however discovered himself unable to repeat that success. There’s present Washington Soccer Crew tight finish Logan Thomas, who started his profession as a quarterback with the Arizona Cardinals. He performed deep bench roles for the Payments and Lions in 2018 and 2019 earlier than having a breakout 2020 marketing campaign, throughout which he caught 72 passes for 670 yards and 6 scores. He figures to open the season because the Soccer Crew’s beginning tight finish, and can look to construct on that success. 

Then there are two gamers who grew to become hybrid kinds: former Pittsburgh Steeler Kordell Stewart and present New Orleans Saint Taysom Hill. Stewart obtained the nickname “Slash” early in his profession as a result of he was a quarterback/broad receiver, and he was really fairly good at it. However finally he switched again to simply QB, and have become the Steelers‘ starter for a number of seasons, even making a Professional Bowl. Hill has been each a backup quarterback and broad receiver/tight finish/particular groups ace throughout his time with the Saints, however he is additionally going to attempt to beat out Jameis Winston for the beginning QB job this coming season. He’ll presumably nonetheless contribute at these different spots if he loses out, although. 

In different phrases, whereas a change might be made, it is exceedingly uncommon that it really works — and even rarer that it sticks. Tebow, although, doesn’t have all that a lot in the best way of competitors within the Jaguars’ tight finish room. The one different gamers on the depth chart are Chris Manhertz, James O’Shaughnessy, Ben Ellefson, Tyler Davis, and Luke Farrell. If you have not heard of these guys, don’t be concerned; they’ve mixed for simply 101 catches for 1,016 yards and 4 touchdowns of their respective careers. 

Nonetheless, these gamers are literally tight ends, which Tebow will not be. He faces lengthy odds to make it to coaching camp, not to mention earn himself a spot on the roster for the common season. And even longer odds than that to wind up contributing to the Jaguars on any stage.