Caldwell says Tebow won’t be an elite NFL passer

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andre “Bubba” Cadlwell, who caught 56 passes for 761 yards and seven touchdowns from former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow in 2007, told his team’s official Web site that the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time National Champion does not have what it takes to be an elite passer on the next level.

“He needs time. He needs to sit behind one of those good quarterbacks for about three years because I know he’s going to put in the work and the effort to be a great quarterback. He’s going to learn. I don’t think he’s going to be an elite passer ever. But he’s a playmaker. He’ll get the ball there. He probably can’t make the prettiest looking passes. But he’s going to use what he has to his advantage. Running. Scrambling. Making passes. He’s got a strong arm and I think he can make the throws, but they may not be the prettiest.”

For what it’s worth, Caldwell is simply speaking his mind. He was asked a question and gave an honest reply. Seeing as he’s been catching passes from two-time Pro Bowler Carson Palmer for 21 NFL games and two full seasons of practice, Caldwell is certainly in the position to speak on the topic.

Asked to give an assessment of where he would draft Tebow if he was an NFL general manager, Caldwell was specific. “Late second round,” he said.

10:15 p.m. UPDATE: Caldwell wished to clarify his comments via Twitter this evening, and OGGOA is more than obliged to provide him with an additional forum:

“People are taking my comments about Tebow not being an elite passing QB wrong. Tebow is a college football great. What I meant is that he probably won’t throw as good as [Peyton] Manning or Carson [Palmer] – guys like that. But he can do so many other things that they don’t which make him a great QB but just in a different way. He’s a playmaker in so many ways not just only throwing the ball.”

OGGOA believes Caldwell was perfectly clear in the first place.