“As a quarterback, I just don’t see it…” - Mel Kipler

“Star power is incredible, and Tebow is an iconic figure… people would legitimately think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if he was a Jaguar?’” Wayne Weaver

Tim Tebow holds an insane amount of Florida and NCAA records, from most consecutive games with a rushing or passing TD (which hit 31 with his rushing TD this week, an NCAA record) to his SEC record interception percentage (about a 1.61). He has amassed a 25-5 record as a starter with this weekend’s hard-nosed victory over Tennessee and is 4 TDs away from Herschel Walker’s SEC record 49 rushing TDs. At Florida, he is within striking distance of records by Emmit Smith (career rushing attempts) and Danny Wuerffel (total touchdowns) and already owns the record for career completion percentage there.

His Heisman season saw him score 55 total TDs (another record) and set SEC records for TDs in a game (7 against Spurrier) and yards gained in a season (4181).

So why is everyone so flabbergasted with Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver’s comments to questions about Tim Tebow this week?

Look, the Jaguars aren’t living the high life right now. After their 5-11 2008 season, they lost 17,000 season ticket holders and are facing blackouts for pretty much the whole slate of home games. They are routinely thrown into discussions about movable franchises, but Weaver has been stalwart in his dedication to keeping the team in Jacksonville, as he believes it is an essential part of the community fabric there.

However, in a town with an economy that relies heavily on service based industries, the 1.3 million inhabitants aren’t ready to shell out the money for a losing team, no matter what “flex packages” or incentives are provided. Times are tight and the Jags, like any other business, are feeling the pressure. Weaver, though, believes that hometown boy Tebow may be the cure to the team’s economic woes.

And why not?

Tebow’s announcement that he was going to be driving up the road to Gainesville to be a Gator after high school was heard by an excited crowd of thousands at Nease High School who all turned out to hear something they already knew by that point. It was no secret by the time of his public comments that he had chosen Florida over Alabama, yet the rally was huge, so imagine the response if he was carried back home to Jacksonville to complete the circle. They’d line up on I-10 and 301to carry him home. There are Draft Tebow stickers circulating Jacksonville these days and, although Weaver pushed the question aside, there appears to be a survey going around the five counties to see what effect Tebow would have on ticket sales.

Of course Weaver’s comments were pretty evasive, as talking about a player before they’re drafted can be pretty touchy, but there was no mistaking his admiration for Tebow and his belief in what he could do for the Jaguars’ franchise.

There, I think, is the problem with this whole thing.

Many teams have room and use for Tebow, some even have the coaching and programs to make him useful as a quarterback, but Jacksonville seems to be looking at him as a short term solution to marketing. Coach Del Rio doesn’t go with a spread offense too often, if ever, and the tools to utilize Tebow just don’t seem to be in place in Jacksonville. Now, that could change, but...

Weaver’s comments, although encouraging to Gator fans who too often hear how their QB won’t translate to the NFL, aren’t much more than a business man trying to gauge the reaction to a possible business decision. The Jaguars are looking for answers right now, something to get the fans interested in spending money again, and Tebow looks like a great short term answer, but they just don’t seem to have the team or coaching to utilize the Heisman winner.

Tim Tebow is a proven winner, with great leadership skills and a drive to improve/succeed that I haven’t ever seen in a football player. His athleticism is not in question, nor is his place in the history of the NCAA. As of now, Tebow may very well be one of the top five, if not the best player to come out of college.

So, why do people in the know talk about his inability to translate into a top NFL draft pick?

Many say that he can’t play QB in the NFL. They question his arm strength and ability to read defenses, his slow delivery and awkward release, and his speed on the run. Didn’t they question Montana and Brady’s arm strength once? Does Donovan McNabb really have that much speed?

Granted, he doesn’t run like Mike Vick or Vince Young, but what have they done since their first round drafts? And weren’t Ryan Leaf and Rex Grossman expected to really bring it in the NFL, only to lay golden eggs all over the field?

Look, the chance of a first round pick succeeding moderately these days are, at best, 50-50. There are no guarantees in the game and you have to realize that every rookie is going to be a coin toss for your organization. Saying Tebow should abandon the quarterback position for tight end, full back, or, as he started in high school, line backing is ridiculous. It’s like spending all your time in college studying to be a marine biologist, only to be told, after graduating with honors, that you’d be best suited to be driving the boat for other scientists.

So, apart from Weaver and Jacksonville, who I believe see the financial savior of their franchise, yet have no idea how to use him once the season begins, you have to wonder if there are other teams that could properly utilize Tim’s skills.

Here are several possible scenarios that would allow Tebow to succeed in the NFL.

1. New England – Perhaps the best fit for Tebow and the greatest chance for him to succeed in a system that would know how to utilize him. He’d have time to develop into the pocket passer he is striving to be, would be involved in a spread offense he understands (Meyer has often stated he models part of their offense after Belichick’s), and would be properly utilized by an offensive minded coach who would know how to harness and focus that winning drive and ability. Could he have a better mentor than Tom Brady, who is THE underdog who succeeds? In addition, the hopes and dreams of the future would not be forced to rest between Tebow’s massive shoulders, as would happen in Jacksonville. If he became a Jaguar, one losing season might ruin football for him as fans would most likely turn on him and rookie expectations would be simply ridiculous. With the Patriots, we wouldn’t see him much at the beginning, maybe on third downs or fourth and goals (wasn’t that how he started here), but the ensuing seasons would see a more polished and able quarterback. He wouldn’t be a dollar sign; he’d be a tool for winning.

However, you can’t expect old Bill to jump up and snatch him with his first pick in 2010, so Tebow would have to avoid Jacksonville and, perhaps, some others in order to end up a Patriot, so this optimal scenario may never see the light of day. So…

2. Tampa Bay – In the rollercoaster of quarterbacks to come through Tampa in the past five years, you’ve got to think that Tebow would be able to exceed what has come before him if he was drafted by the Bucs. First year coach Raheem Morris is still trying to fill Gruden’s shoes and is giving Byron Leftwich another chance at an NFL career, but you can’t expect him to remain in place if he doesn’t start succeeding in an already tight NFC South. Originally, I kind of liked Tebow to step in to the role vacated by the much beloved Mike Alstott, and he still could, but he would also have a chance to be a starting QB if they can find the right offensive system for him. With the firing of their Off Coord. right before the season, Tampa doesn’t really have an offensive identity yet, which may help in creating one should they decide to take Tebow in the first round (one in which they will most likely have a high draft pick ff this season plays out the way most expect). Tim would have a chance to be the centerpiece of a franchise here, would be expected to lead, but would have to be patient as they built around him. As opposed to New England, a lot of the wins would fall on Tebow’s shoulders and there would be more trial and error, but he would remain in Florida, which would yield similar benefits as the Jaguar idea.

The downside? He’s going to a team that has no expectation to win, no proven tools to defy those expectations, and a history of using quarterbacks like tissues. He would have to take more of the responsibility on his shoulders, which he has proven he can do, but factor in that his protection, both on and off the field, would weaken. Not only would he have to remain tough on the field, but those first couple years of learning would force him to toughen up as concerns the local media, which he has NEVER had to deal with in Gainesville. Yeah, it could work, but what if we look at one more optimal scenario…

3. Minnesota – Harvin’s already there. Peterson is a force to be reckoned with. Favre has maybe one to two seasons left in the tank. This could work magnificently. The Jaguars were probably watching the Vikings in the offseason to learn what a name can do for your sales, as Favre’s arrival boosted ticket and jersey sales into the stratosphere, but with a 40 year old at QB, this experiment definitely has a cutoff point, so Minnesota needs to start planning for the future now (and Tavares Jackson isn’t it). With so many offensive pieces in place already, Tebow would be placed in one of his best opportunities to win on his own terms, as a quarterback, with people who know who he is and how he works. Having Harvin to his right would be one of the biggest confidence boosters you could ask for, exceeded only by the fact that his running back may go on to break just about every record at the position. The Vikings, as you’ve seen this year, have no problem adapting their offense to suit a QB, and Harvin’s arrival, coupled with the Dolphins success last year, has already yielded a wildcat formation, one which Tebow would be right at home with. Can’t you just imagine the headaches defenses would have trying to match up to a trio of weapons, all capable of making plays? This takes the cold New England home weather out of the equation and gives him a team with more weapons than Tampa can offer. Yes, he’d be asked to start within a year, maybe less if Favre gets confused and old again, and would not get the teacher he would in Brady, but he would have the chance to win in a town where people appreciate what a tough athlete can accomplish. Minnesota could succeed in ways they haven’t since the Moss/Culpepper heydays and they didn’t even have a big name running back.

Peterson could win without a QB, so much of the pressure is taken from Tebow here. Tim will not be the face of Adrian’s franchise here, a blessing if you ask me, and the game won’t be forced on him in every situation, as it would in Tampa. Granted, you are going in to a division that is currently looked at as one of the hardest in the NFL, mostly due to some amazing talent at quarterback, and the weather in Green Bay and Chicago will be hard to accustom to, but this fit makes sense in so many ways. The Vikings are just a few years removed from greatness and the addition of Tebow may just be the final piece in the offensive puzzle. This could work, so many things point at it, but…

We’re getting ahead of ourselves here. The season is three weeks old and we’ve just handled our first SEC battle with question marks, though we did handle it. Tebow isn’t thinking much past Kentucky right now, probably isn’t even allowing the words “National Championship” or “Heisman” or even “NFL” to be spoken, so he is most definitely not worrying about where he’ll end up next year. If he is, though, I can promise you that he isn’t wondering how good a tight end he’ll be or if he can bail out a Jacksonville team looking for a payday. He’s looking to play quarterback at the next level, looking for that next challenge so he can show the unbelievers what a winner can make possible with hard work and dedication to a cause.

Tim Tebow will play in the NFL; we just have to hope that someone will be smart enough to truly give him the opportunity to do it as a quarterback. Otherwise, this year will be our last chance to see the greatest college player in NCAA history, because the Tebow we see next year won’t even compare.

Owners, you know what you have to do.

Joshua Bauer is a Columnist for GatorTailgating.com