Urban Meyer on Tim Tebow’s odds of making the team: ‘He’s one of 90’
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Tim Tebow, a former NFL quarterback and professional baseball player who was brought in this offseason to compete for a roster spot, has an uphill battle to make the team. But many expect he may be able to do it, owing to his relationship with Jacksonville coach Urban Meyer, who coached him in college at Florida.
In an interview with USA TODAY, the first-time head coach was candid about the 33-year-old’s chances of making the final roster. He said the concept of having to cut players has been an adjustment to what he’s been used to.
“That’s new to me. That’s the reality to the NFL, that you have 90 players,” Meyer said. “So to me, he’s one of 90. What’s the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me, it’s all the same.”
Meyer wouldn’t go into detail about how Tebow’s grasping the position or where he stands among the current group, but he did elaborate about the difficulty of having to make permanent personnel decisions during the offseason.
“The reality is that a good percentage of your roster is going to get cut or transitioned out, which to me, that’s completely new. In college, you’d have your 85, 95 guys and you fit them in and you put the puzzle together. It’s much different here.”
The Jaguars certainly need tight end help, as returning No. 2 tight end James O’Shaughnessy is the most experienced of the bunch. That opens a door for Tebow to compete for a roster spot, but he’ll have to demonstrate an aptitude for his new position on the field first. Tebow will have to prove a lot if he’s going to end his nine-year hiatus from a 53-man roster.
