Tim Tebow 2013
Quarterback Tim Tebow's still an excellent rusher, and his passing's improved as well with the Philadelphia Eagles. Reuters

Now as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, his fourth team since he entered the NFL five years ago, it appears Tim Tebow is making a legitimate run at the team’s 53-man roster.

Competing with Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, and Matt Barkley, the 27-year-old former Heisman winner has reportedly made strides during offseason workouts but there is still some work to be done.

There’s also a question of whether Tebow can actually make a significant impact this season under head coach Chip Kelly’s complex offensive schemes.

Kelly himself has praised Tebow for his gradual development and increasing-grasp of the offense since the Eagles signed him to a one-year deal in April.

"I have seen an improvement from Tim since the day we got him in terms of his knowledge of what we're doing, understanding where everybody is," Kelly said to the Delaware County Times via NFL.com. "There's a whole process, and for him what we have done is different than what he's done anywhere else.

"So in terms of learning our terminology and how we do things, I think each week you've seen an incremental bump in him, so we're excited to see where that takes him and it'll be a good competition as we get into August."

Bradford, who the Eagles acquired by dealing 2014 opening day starter Nick Foles to St. Louis, is the presumed starter heading into the 2015 season, and it seems like Sanchez is his only true competition.

That means Tebow must beat out former USC star Barkley for the third-string spot.

Dealing out grades based off reports during workouts, its Tebow’s athleticism that stands out most when compared to the other three signal callers, according to NJ.com. Even after sitting out of all last season, Tebow is still a strong rusher capable of breaking tackles and making plays down field.

That was Tebow’s calling card and first instinct during his previous three-year run in the NFL. He gained 989 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry over the course of 35 games from 2010 to 2012

His arm strength has also improved, and his throwing motion is much quicker. But from there Tebow’s shown little consistency on his throws and his accuracy has often been off.

It's a criticism Tebow’s become accustomed to hearing, and his failure to become a better passer in the pocket is the reason he hasn’t started for any team at quarterback since 2011. For his career Tebow’s completed 47.9 percent of his passes.

Yet in a high-octane, hurry-up offense like Kelly’s, it seems plausible Tebow can be called upon to run different even trick formations to throw opposing defenses off.

Furthermore, the health and consistency of at least two of three quarterbacks ahead of Tebow means Kelly will need a third passer as insurance. Bradford’s coming off his second major knee injury, and while Sanchez played well last season his turnover and confidence woes were the main reason he was run out of the New York Jets.

Right now, Tebow’s future in the NFL is unclear, but come training camp in August he has the chance to set himself apart from Barkley and help Philadelphia make a run next season.