How does Tim Tebow fit into the potential Jaguar offense?

Never in a million years, did I ever think I would be writing an article about noted NFL TIGHT END TIM TEBOW fitting into an URBAN MEYER OFFENSE for THE JACKSONVILLE FREAKING JAGUARS, but here we are. Tebow will reportedly sign a one-year deal with the Jaguars on Monday after not being in the NFL since 2012. The Jaguars currently have Chris Mahnertz, Luke Farrell, Tyler Davis and James O’Shaughnessy on their roster at the tight end position, but the 33-year old Tebow could bring an injection of—ok you know what, I’m turning off my brain for realistically thinking about scheme fits for a 33-year old former QB-turned-TE. I’m just going to let seven-year old me be excited and draw fun plays for Tebow to run.

Tim Tebow, at 236 pounds, isn’t big enough to play the Y position on the team. The Y-TE is normally the in-line blocker, but Tebow has literally no experience blocking(or any TE experience at all, to be fair) so using him there wouldn’t be a good fit for his talents. However, the Jaguars could use him as a potential H-TE, one that lines up in the backfield detached from the offensive line. Meyer’s offenses used this a lot at Florida when Tebow was the QB, and a popular play off of it was the shovel option. The guard usually to the TE side will pull with the speed option look, and the QB is reading the first unblocked defender. If the defender commits to the QB, the QB will “shovel” the ball to the TE who is following the pulling guard. The play has actually made it to the NFL a few times, the Chiefs run it often:

I’m pretty sure there will also be plays for him as the wildcat QB in short-yardage situations, and there could be plays where Tebow, QB Trevor Lawrence, and RBs James Robinson and Travis Etienne in the backfield at the same time. Paul Johnson would be proud of the amount of triple option run out of this formation potentially.

I have no clue how the routes Tebow will run if they have him run routes(my guess is somewhat like Drake in the “Laugh Now, Cry Later” music video) but if they did want to use him in the passing game, my guess would be they would have him run very simple routes. A concept that could be run is a play action split zone look, that the Texans and Chiefs have run a lot. The H-back will be detached from the line of scrimmage, and as the ball is snapped the player will run back across the line of scrimmage as if blocking the unblocked DE. The H-back then runs into the flat for a quick route off of PA.

I’m not sure if Tebow actually makes the Week 1 roster, but if he does then I’m sure the Meyer-Bevell braintrust will find a few plays in their playbook for him on manufactured touches.

In short, I have no thoughts about this signing by the Jaguars. Does he deserve a shot in the NFL as a TE after being out the league for NINE YEARS? Probably not. Was Urban Meyer going to do it anyway? DARN RIGHT HE WAS. Tebow is going to sell tickets, and will more than likely make the Week 1 roster. I have zero clue what shape Tebow is in, but if he’s healthy enough to sign a contract with Jacksonville then that shouldn’t be a problem.

But believe this: Meyer has some plays for him, and he’ll probably score a TD in a regular season game.