Jets may use Tebow to cover kickoffs - New York Daily News

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While Tim Tebow (15) will backup Mark Sanchez at the QB position, his overall role with the NY Jets could be evolving.

The mystery behind Tim Tebow's countless roles with the Jets may include a wrinkle that has flown under the radar. Although the Jets brass has openly discussed his value as the team's personal punt protector and backup quarterback, coaches have also bounced around the idea of using their newest versatile weapon in a different capacity: Kick returner and kickoff coverage team.
 
Special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff, who has returned to the team after missing part of OTAs and minicamp after undergoing leg surgery in May, said Tebow would "possibly" be used as an up back/situational kick returner.  
 
"There are certain situations where he might be on the field that he could be utilized possibly to block or possibly to field a ball," Westhoff told the Daily News. "If a team squibs it at you or pops it at you, he might be the perfect guy to put in that could make an adjustment. If they kick it deep, he could block. If they squib it or pop it, he could be guy that we'd have with a ball in his hands.… Jerricho Cotchery did a nice job for us in that role. Brad Smith, before he became they guy, did some of that for us. So, it's just a situational thing."

It's unclear how much special teams work Tebow will get, but Westhoff promised that will help keep the opposition on high alert.
 
"His role with me won't be a paramount role. I'm not counting on Tebow coming in and being a hardcore four-team special teams player," Westhoff said. "That's not what we want. We have a limited role for him, but it will be one that presents problems. That's what Tebow is all about. He presents problems to good football teams in a lot of aspects. You have to be aware of it. If you're not aware of it, it could jump up and smack you."

In other words, the Jets have left the door open for all options with Tebow.
 
"I think there might be some value there on kickoff returns," assistant special teams coach Ben Kotwica told the News. "It's something that we've talked about. I don't think there's any option with Tim that we've taken off the table. So, that would be something that would be new to him as well. In what we've asked him to do as the personal protector (right now), he's done an excellent job."
 
Westhoff and Kotwica didn't believe that Tebow's larger frame â€" he weighed 249 pounds during minicamp last month with an eye on playing this season around 250 â€" will hinder his speed on the punt or kickoff coverage team.
 
"Of course, you got to be able to cover," Kotwica said. "The aggressiveness and speed ... he's got it. You watch him run down the field and he's one of the first guys down there."

Kotwica isn't overly concerned about Tebow's ability to consistently tackle on coverage teams, either.

"When he's in coverage, he'll be looking to tackle the returner," Kotwica said. "And from what I've seen, I've got a pretty high degree of confidence that he would be able to do that."

Tebow's role on offense and special teams will come into focus during training camp, a role that may also include a spot on kickoffs.

"There's certain guys that ... if you ask them to go be the personal protector, you go ask them to be the fullback, you ask them to be the quarterback, you ask them to be the tight end, they simply get things done," Kotwica said. "I think you'd be hard pressed to say that Tim is not one of those guys that gets things done."