Tony Sparano not too chatty about Tim Tebow's role
Tony Sparano kept his game plan close to his chest, refusing to reveal his in-game tactics for Tim Tebow.
"I won't give you the vision on what I think his role will be in the offense," the Jets' new offensive coordinator said during Thursday's conference call, his first interview since the Tebow trade.
Sparano said the backup quarterback will get anywhere from one to 20 snaps a game, but when asked how a Tebow-led Wildcat will differ from the package he used with the Dolphins, Sparano replied: "If that's the direction that we go . . . whether we run Wildcat or a version of, or something, hey, I'm not going to tie myself down to one thing."
Sparano isn't worried that Tebow's presence on the field will disrupt Mark Sanchez's growth. He said the goal is to develop Tebow as a quarterback, but running back, fullback and H-back all are positions that are "on the table."
Sparano, who coached Tebow in the 2010 Senior Bowl, already has seen "eye-opening" improvement in his passing ability. "He's completely different now than he was when he came out of college," he said.
Sparano watched "every single snap" of the last two seasons to familiarize himself with his new team, and through that videotape study, he found that Sanchez (56.7 completion percentage, 3,474 passing yards and 26 touchdowns) had his best statistical year last season despite 18 interceptions. "I'm excited about where he is," he said.
The Jets agreed to terms with receiver Stephen Hill, his agents told Newsday. The 43rd overall pick in last week's draft signed a four-year deal worth a little less than $5 million, according to agents Jared Fox and Alan Herman.
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Rookie minicamp begins Friday for the Jets, who signed 10 undrafted free agents and invited an additional 23 for a tryout. Quarterback Matt Simms, son of Giants Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms, will be one of those players trying out . . . The Jets waived guard Trevor Canfield.
