Tim Tebow and Jaguars: Jacksonville Needs to Act Now or Never

If there is a lightning rod that resonates with everyone in Jaguar Nation, it is the growing sentiment that Tim Tebow must be the savior of the team.

But right now, it would appear the Jacksonville franchise is taking a “stand pat” approach to dealing with the Denver Broncos quarterback and whether or not to acquire not only the former Florida Gator star, but the media circus that surrounds his every move.

Whether this is the proper approach or not, I don’t have an answer for.

What I do question however is what the front office will do if (OK, not if but when) the third-year star becomes available? Do they jump all in and take a chance on him? Do they allow other teams to hit him with a sales pitch? Does some team like New England or New Orleans scoop him up?

Jacksonville might very well be creating a media circus of its own by not doing what fans consider “the right thing.” But taking Tebow on as a player, a marketing marvel and someone who still needs plenty of help with his passing game, the Jaguars may pass at such an array of “issues” to deal with.

And in that case, it is the right move to make.

For everything the team is right now, with a young quarterback trying to find his own identity, a general manager who may be the most scrutinized in the league and a new coaching staff, staying the course may be just what this team needs.

There are 12 million reasons for the Jaguars to put their faith in Blaine Gabbert, who has a better arm and accuracy than Tebow. There are millions of reasons to believe Tim Tebow coming to Jacksonville does more for the community than just win football games.

But like I said before in the decision of Peyton Manning going to Denver, the fact remains you win Super Bowls with Peyton Manning, you only win playoff games with a Tim Tebow.

In five years, that might change.

So the front office in Jacksonville must move quickly to decide how it wants to pursue this “situation” before it snowballs into something bigger than it might be.

Tebow plays a game where you are a hero one day and a forgotten man the next. I doubt seriously that anyone will forget him, or he will fade into the sunset as quickly as an Akili Smith or Tommy Maddox. But his place in the NFL goes a long way toward fan support.

Jacksonville, although the sellouts show otherwise, had a hard time filling EverBank Field last year. Tebow would certainly fill the stadium and then some. But don’t use him for the marketing tool he is and can be. Use him because he is a winner. And realize that if the team goes down that path, Gabbert is a backup or possibly a traded player with this team. That hurts Gene Smith’s credibility.

This “Tebow Thing” is a slippery slope from all angles, and the main thing the Jaguars don’t want to do is get caught slipping on this when they should be taking a stand and sticking to it, one way or another.