While glorying in the future yesterday (though USC was given the #1 rank by rivals.com), we were still reminded of the past, of those who are just now leaving and are readying to enter the shark tank drenched in gore.

Gator fans may have been counting their championships to come (with USC and Florida being thrown around as the #1 and #2 recruiting classes for 2010, maybe one of those championships will come at Lame’s expense…we can hope), the story on Tebow and the Jaguars may have slipped notice, but this newly revitalized headline was all over Jacksonville.  With Tebow’s poor showing in the Senior Bowl, NFL prognosticators were all but calling Tim’s career DOA, relegating him to a 3rd or 4th round pick and only if he gave up his silly dream of being a quarterback (which I remember many Doug Flutie fans saying as well, though that was due to size rather than ability, something he quickly proved wasn’t a problem). Though Tim showed typical (at least for him) upbeat leadership and a willingness to learn (he did progress rather well in the week of practice, though much of that may have been due to the low bar set on day one), 50 yards, 2 fumbles, and 4 rushing yards, no matter how limited the time, isn’t something NFL teams are looking for.

Except Wayne Weaver.

While the rest of the NFL is looking at what Tebow isn’t capable of doing, Weaver and the Jaguars are once more looking to get the fans back in the seats with the acquisition of the hometown kid. Sitting pretty at #8 in the first round, there will most assuredly be other name QBs available (Bradford, Klaussen, maybe even McCoy), ones that are more suited to NFL offenses, more able to read NFL defenses, and more comfortable under center. However, bringing in a young guy like that won’t bring in the people until they can be assured they aren’t wasting their money on unknowns who may or may not be able to win. With blackouts being all the rage in Jacksonville last season, Weaver and the organization want to start earning again and right now.

Funny thing is, it wasn’t Weaver that started this talk all up again, but former Jaguar great Mark Brunell, now playing clipboard sitter for the New Orleans Saints, was interviewed in Miami and was all for the Jags taking Tebow, if for the right reasons. Though Brunell believes Tim will do well at the pro level, he cautions his former team to beware doing it for the wrong reasons, saying, &quotI don't think Timmy wants to go to Jacksonville if they're drafting him just to sell tickets. He wants to compete and play. So if they want a good football player, absolutely [draft him]."

He went on further to say that Tim would truly have to come around to an NFL way of playing, as he called the wildcat offense “a nice change up” and made clear that he didn’t really think the Meyer spread offense that became Tim’s bread and butter would work in the NFL. That’s two NFL multi-Pro Bowlers coming out for Tebow in the past few months (Jim Kelly was urging the Bills to give Tebow a look a few months back, saying much the same as Brunell), so you’ve got some respected and talented men of the QB persuasion making the argument that so many “experts” and people who haven’t played a single down of sports in general are against.

While analysts and talking heads on ESPN may be more opinion than experience when it comes to grading Tebow, there are some players who have come out against the idea of Tim playing quarterback, most recently an O-lineman for the Jags.

Uche Nwaneri was a fifth round “sleeper” pick in 2007 and has made quite an impact at both guard and center since arriving in Jacksonville, but I’m willing to bet that many couldn’t even pronounce his name, let alone knew who he was before this weekend’s tantrum over Tebow. After a bank teller mentioned how Tim could “save the Jaguars”, Nwaneri (seriously, I have to recheck the spelling every time I write it) went on the Jags message board and laid out a five point argument as to why Tim won’t be the “Tebow Jesus in Teal Town” (his words). Amidst numerous grammatical and spelling errors (who knew that ”beable” was a whole word and not two as we thought…use the spell check…), he seemed to be reading word for word from the Skip Bayless/Mel Kiper Jr bible on Tim, mentioning his poor defensive reads, lack of experience under center, and blah, blah, blah… Points one and five were about Tim’s inability to throw (which makes all those passing TDs look pretty unbelievable), saying, “thats really something you either have or not, never seen a qb who couldnt ever throw, just all of a sudden beable to throw just because hes now in the NFL.” (this quote is a direct copy…someone get this man an apostrophe).

Uche’s tirade did have a rather thoughtful ending, though, as he said that Tim would be able to “save Jags ticket sales”, at least in the short run, but is that really a reason to draft someone? Brunell made relatively the same point and you have to start wondering if maybe Jacksonville truly is a bad idea for someone trying to play football, not save a floundering business. Tim doesn’t want to be a figurehead, someone like the Queen of England who is all pomp, who ends up coming off as more of a mascot. Perhaps if they wanted to change the name to the Jacksonville Tebows, then Weaver’s plan would make more sense.  As of now, his ridiculous notion of saving the franchise just by being associated with Tebow is looking more and more wrong.

I am not defending Uche’s post by any means here, but if the Jags want to increase ticket sales, they should focus on team chemistry, filling holes in their squad, and winning games, not trying to use Tebow brand duct tape to plug a sinking ship. This method doesn’t address the disease, but simply masks the symptoms, spelling certain doom for not only the Jags themselves, but for Tim. He’s going to have a hard enough road in the NFL as it is, which hasn’t seen a UF quarterback last and isn’t betting on Tebow to buck that trend, and this move would put him even further behind the eight ball.

Plus, who wants to go play quarterback for someone who already doesn’t seem like he wants to block for you?

Good luck, Tim.

Here’s hoping your week is free of chaos, because you’re going to be embroiled again after Super Bowl Sunday, so take advantage of any quiet time you’ve got now, even if it’s only a few hours.

Honestly, though, for a guy who isn’t supposed to become a big deal in the NFL, no one is getting more press. Go Gators.

Joshua Bauer is a Columnist for GatorTailgating.com