By Ross Jones, FOXSports.com When the Jets parted ways with Tim Tebow in April, speculation grew that he wouldn’t get another job in the NFL. Everyone had an opinion on what was next for him. Some teams flat-out said that Tebow wasn’t part of the ‘vision of where we’re headed.’ Other teams, ahem, the Patriots, reportedly “hated” him as a player, which was later denied. An ESPN report even cited members of his inner circle were ‘privately admitting that the NFL run is probably over.’ Well, all of that uncertainty was put to rest on Monday as New England plans to sign the polarizing quarterback. “Every day that would go by, you had your doubts,” quarterback coach Steve Clarkson told FOXSports.com in a telephone interview. “When June 1 rolled around and the last of the veterans were getting picked up, most of these rosters are starting to take shape.” Clarkson, who worked on Tebow’s throwing mechanics in March at his agent’s request, believes he found a “perfect spot” in New England. “He had to go somewhere with an established veteran and an organization with a quarterback who could mentor him. This will give Tim an opportunity to get his feet planted firmly on the ground. “Some other locations like Jacksonville, I think it would’ve been too much for an organization like that to handle. From Tim’s standpoint, he basically needed to redefine himself and now he can do that playing behind someone as great as Tom Brady and an organization that has an understanding of how the media works. This is a perfect spot for him.” So, does Clarkson envision a scenario where the Patriots would take Tom Brady off the field for Tebow? Maybe for a third-and-short type of package? “No. New England has done things their way and no one can argue that. It’s been very successful. But he’s a winner. New England is a winning organization. So, they’re not afraid of him. Nobody is going to question them one way or the other because they have that equity built in.” Since being released, Tebow has reportedly been working out at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Clarkson remembers working with Tebow and trying to redefine his body because he was too bulked up. “[Tebow] felt he had a bit too much of muscle mass which they asked him to do in New York because they were going to run him a lot. But I think it was counterproductive to the type of player that he wanted to be. So he took the time to get himself in more of an athletic shape and to work on his throwing motion.” Questions? Comments? Send them to lacesoutmail@gmail.com and we might respond in our weekly mailbag!
