There wasn’t much comment from Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer about how Tim Tebow’s transition to tight end unfolded during the team’s offseason program, but he did say in early June that “he’s working as hard as anybody” and has been doing a good job.
Neither the hard work nor the good job Tebow’s been doing is enough to lead Meyer to make predictions about where he’ll be in September.
In an interview with Mackenzie Salmon of USAToday.com, Meyer was asked about Tebow’s chances of making the 53-man roster. His answer centered on the differences from college football while placing Tebow among a large group of players who need to show the team something this summer.
“The tough part is 53 and that’s new to me,” Meyer said. “That’s the reality of the NFL, that you have 90 players. So to me, he’s one of 90. He’s a guy that’s, you know, what’s the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me, it’s all the same. This is their livelihood, this is a job, this is a way to make a living. And the reality is that a good percentage of your roster’s gonna get cut or transition out of here, which, to me, that’s completely new. In college, you’ve got your 85, 95 guys and you fit them in and you put the puzzle together. It’s much different here.”
A couple of differences between Tebow and others looking for spots on the fringes of the roster come to mind. One is the name recognition that moves merchandise in a way that prospective tight ends Ben Ellefson and Tyler Davis don’t. The other is the relationship with Meyer that got Tebow in the door in the first place and we’ll see if those things are enough to land him a roster spot.