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New Eagle Tebow has added appreciation for football

 
Tim Tebow, warming up at the Eagles’ practice facility, is competing with Matt Barkley for the No. 3 quarterback job.
Tim Tebow, warming up at the Eagles’ practice facility, is competing with Matt Barkley for the No. 3 quarterback job.
Published May 29, 2015

PHILADELPHIA — A slimmer Tim Tebow threw passes in shorts while a horde of reporters critiqued his mechanics and analyzed his arm motion. Welcome to Philly, Tim.

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner from Florida spoke to a large gathering of media for the first time Thursday since signing a one-year contract with the Eagles last month.

Tebow, 27, praised coach Chip Kelly and teammates, explained his new appreciation for football after being out of the NFL for two years and emphasized that his role is quarterback.

"I think you just go out and you compete and you try to earn whatever you can," said Tebow, with his fourth team. "It's just about competing, trying to get better every day, and that's the goal."

Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez are the two top quarterbacks, so Tebow will battle Matt Barkley for the No. 3 job.

"Sometimes when things get taken away, you don't realize how much fun it is to come out here and play this game," Tebow said. "You can't play it forever, so I'm going to enjoy it. It's a blessing."

Tebow was an analyst last year with the SEC Network and ESPN. He also spent time the past two years with former major-league pitcher Tom House working on improving his mechanics.

"I think he's improved," Kelly said.

Others have suggested Tebow also could help at special teams, but Kelly said he sees Tebow as a quarterback.

Tebow didn't show great accuracy Thursday, especially downfield, and often held the ball too long. One tipped Tebow pass was intercepted.

Kelly also said running back LeSean McCoy, who was traded in March, was wrong to suggest he favors white players over black players. "We put a lot of time in looking at the characters and factors that go into selection and retention of players, and color's never been one of them," Kelly said.

Fowler has surgery: Jaguars top pick Dante Fowler had successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. The defensive lineman from Lakewood High and UF will miss the season. He is expected back in Jacksonville next week to begin rehab with team doctors and medical staff.

Peterson tweets frustration: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson took to Twitter to express his frustration over criticism he is receiving while staying away from the voluntary portion of the offseason. Peterson has come under fire after saying he wanted a long-term commitment from the team after missing most of last season while addressing a child abuse charge. Peterson says he knows "hundreds of players" that wished the team would have honored their contracts as he is being asked to do.

Broncos: Left tackle Ryan Clady, a key to protecting Peyton Manning, tore his left ACL and will likely miss the season. Clady hurt his knee setting up to block during a voluntary practice Wednesday.

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Jets: Quarterback Matt Simms, a backup for two seasons, was released.

Seahawks: Mark Rodgers, the agent for quarterback Russell Wilson said there has been progress on a contract extension, but there is no deadline for an agreement. Wilson has one year left on his rookie contract, which will pay $1.5 million, and the team could keep him under control after next season by using the franchise tag.