Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano confirmed Tim Tebow will be used for one to 20 plays but didn't say much more.
New offensive coordinator Tony Sparano has a new weapon on his unit, Tim Tebow, but Sparano revealed few details on what the Jets' plan for the versatile back-up quarterback will be.
"I won’t give you the vision on what I think his role will be in the offense," Sparano said today on a conference call with reporters. "But I would just say that, to the best of my knowledge, I believe what Coach (Rex Ryan) said is he can play one to 20 snaps, somewhere like that, and I would say what coach said is 100 percent correct."
He added, "as far as how we’ll use Tim, or what we will do with Tim in that way, we’re going to keep that to us."
When asked about the Wildcat offense, which Sparano championed while the head coach in Miami, Sparano responded, "if that’s the direction that we go." He did hint that a direct-snap package led by Tebow would be more diverse than the Wildcat plays run by former Dolphins running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.
"The element of being able to throw the football out of that brings a complete different dynamic into the picture here," Sparano said, adding: "Whether we run Wildcat, or a version of, or something else, I’m not going to tie myself down to just one thing."
Sparano, who took over for Brian Schottenheimer in January, said using Tebow at other positions, such as running back, fullback or H-Back, are "on the table." But the Jets' first goal with Tebow, he added, is to continue to develop him as a quarterback. He coached Tebow at the Senior Bowl and can tell that Tebow has already made significant progress with his fundamentals during his first two years in the league.
The self-proclaimed "no-nonsense coach" said he is not concerned about a Tebow package throwing off the development of starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, or managing the dynamic of a highly scrutinized quarterback situation.
"We're just excited to add another good football player to our team," Sparano said. "Sanchez is one (heck) of a player, and I am so excited about the opportunity to coach with him, and the chance to work with him. And Tim Tebow is a good football player, too. I think when you put both of these guys in a room and they're playing checkers, they're going to compete at it, and they're going to go like heck to win. I think the more of those people you can get around your football team and in this environment, the better off your football team is going to be. I think we helped our team tremendously. I don't think it's a problem, and the two of them right now, along with Greg McElroy, have done a great job."
Sparano praised Sanchez, saying that despite his 26 turnovers last season, he improved in several areas. When the Jets decided to trade for Tebow in March, Sparano said he was "involved in the conversation" with Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum and was "completely on board."
The Jets drafted three players with college option experience -- Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill and Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway and guard Robert T. Griffin -- but Sparano said that was a "coincidence" and didn't relate to a Tebow package.
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