Tim Tebow may have missed the opportunity to work with some of the league’s best tight ends at the “Tight End University,” camp run by George Kittle and Greg Olsen, but it seems he may be able to receive some help with his game, after all.
Pro Bowl Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller, who was among the TEU attendees, said that making the transition to tight end, a position Tebow hasn’t played since his freshman year of high school, wouldn’t be easy.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy,” Waller told TMZ Sports. “Changing positions at any level, not to mention the professional level, is going to be difficult. Football’s in his blood, so I feel like he’ll find a way. He’s physical. He’s athletic. I wish him nothing but the best going forward. It’s a tough transition. I was getting my butt kicked when I first moved to tight end. You just stick with it and grind through the process and things get better.”
[exco_embed id=”e5869bc6-faf6-4b7a-8c06-b5610c96a8fe”]
A receiver in college at Georgia Tech and at the beginning of his NFL career, Waller moved to tight end at the professional level, as well. But that’s a much more natural transition than going from quarterback to tight end, and Tebow’s work is cut out for him. Luckily, he may not have to do it alone.
Waller didn’t hesitate to say he would help Tebow out if the 33-year-old Jacksonville Jaguar were open to it. Though catching passes was more natural for Waller than it is for Tebow, the former said his learning curve with blocking was probably similar to Tebow’s.
“If he thinks he can learn from me, then I would love to help him and help make his transition smoother,” Waller said. “I tried to find any information I could from watching guys play or asking people when I moved [positions], so I’d love to continue to pass on [information] and help him become a better player.
“You’re used to catching passes and getting open, but the blocking transition, we’re probably facing the same mountain as when I started to where he’s started,” Waller said. “It’s a whole different game, but he should buy into the technique and have a want to do it.”
Signing Tebow was an offseason gamble for a Jaguars team that desperately needs more tight-end help. He’s been considered a long shot to make the team, but it seems he’ll have some resources available if he’s truly committed to improving at his new position.
[lawrence-related id=46376,46317,46307,46292,46286]