The New England Patriots will sign Tim Tebow, league sources told ESPN's Ed Werder.
The Patriots are signing Tebow, who is expected to participate in the team's mandatory minicamp Tuesday, as a quarterback, according to sources.
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Patriots spokesman Stacey James would not confirm Tebow had already signed when contacted Monday by The Associated Press, saying he did not "anticipate any additional transactions to announce tonight."
The move will reunite Tebow with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was the Broncos' head coach when Denver traded into the first round to draft the Heisman Trophy winner in 2010.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick often has spoken with admiration for Tebow's versatility, intelligence and character. Belichick covets what he has described as tough, smart, versatile football players.
Last month, Yahoo! Sports cited an "organizational source" as saying Belichick disliked Tebow as a player and there was "no chance" of him landing in New England. Belichick dismissed that notion last week, telling ESPNBoston.com that the report was completely untrue.
Ironically, Tebow's last NFL start came in Denver's blowout playoff loss in Foxborough toTom Brady and the Patriots following the 2011 season.
Tebow, 25, figures to compete with Ryan Mallettfor a backup job behind Brady. The Patriots also released reserve quarterback Mike Kafka on Monday.
One of the NFL's most polarizing players, Tebow was released by the New York Jets in late April following a disappointing season as a backup to Mark Sanchez.
The Jets traded a pair of draft picks to Denver in the March 2012 deal to acquire Tebow but failed to establish a consistent role in the offense for the versatile quarterback, who attempted just eight passes, rushed for 102 yards on 32 carries and was used mostly to protect the punter.
Coach & Company
ESPN NFL Insider John Clayton talks about the Patriots signing Tim Tebow, discusses how Tebow will fit in and says Tebow must have agreed to switch positions before agreeing to terms.
"Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped," Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a statement when Tebow was released.
Tebow helped the Broncos win the AFC West in 2011 and beat Pittsburgh in a wild-card playoff game before being traded to New York when Denver signed Peyton Manning.
Tebow's NFL career appeared over this offseason when the Jets couldn't trade him at draft time and wound up cutting the left-handed quarterback, who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy at Florida. There even was speculation he couldn't get an offer from any Canadian Football League teams.
Tebow has been criticized for his throwing motion but has said he wants to play quarterback, not switch positions. Still, the Patriots could need help at tight end after Rob Gronkowski underwent a fourth operation for a broken forearm and faces back surgery.
Belichick values versatility in his players, having used wide receivers Troy Brown, Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater at defensive back when injuries hit that position.
Belichick also has been willing to gamble on players discarded by other teams. Some have succeeded, such as wide receivers Wes Welker and Randy Moss and running back Danny Woodhead. Some haven't, including wide receiver Chad Johnson and defensive linemanAlbert Haynesworth.
The media circus that surrounded Tebow at Florida, Denver and with the Jets could be minimized by Belichick, who keeps a tight lid on players' interactions with reporters.
