I've gotten lots of e-mails about Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan's comments on the radio about Tim Tebow. I kind of avoided talking about it, because it's really a non-starter, but I figured I would transcribe the whole thing for you guys since there is a lot of interest in it. Here is what Khan said on WOKV Monday morning when a caller asked him about Tim Tebow:
"You know something? I think I can tell you this. I had a long chat with Wayne (Weaver) that year. Obviously the Rams drafted Sam Bradford, and I was talking to Wayne then on what they ought to do. I should have an offline conversation with you, OK? I'm going to absolutely talk your ear off. Some of the stuff might not be politically correct, but I share your sentiment. I think, when is the next time Jacksonville is going to have an athlete like Tim Tebow? Coming from being raised in Illinois, I couldn't see Red Grange playing for anybody other than the Bears or Dick Butkus playing for anybody other than the Bears. I don't want to get into 20/20 hindsight, and God help us, the draft record has not been the best with the Jaguars."
The host of the show then asked Khan if he would have drafted Tim Tebow. "100 percent I would have. Absolutely," Khan said. "The first Jaguars game I came to was in '10, we played Denver here. There were a lot more Tebow jerseys in the Jaguars stands than the teal jerseys for any player, let's face it. You hate to get into 20/20 hindsight and finger pointing, but certainly if I had anything to do with it. We probably won't have a chance like that again."
To me, it's not really a big deal. Khan said he'd have drafted Tebow, but everyone assumes this means he would have taken Tebow with the 10th overall pick, but he never specifies that. It's possible Khan meant the 10th overall pick, but it's also possible Khan meant just in general. Some have also pointed out this could just be a PR move by Khan to extend the "olive branch" to the legion of spurned Florida Gators fans who "would have" bought tickets.
Oddly enough, when Khan was in talks with the St. Louis Rams he went to their personnel people after talking with Wayne Weaver, to get a second opinion on Tebow. What did they tell him?
Wayne gave me very logical, very clinical answers on reasons why he wouldn't do it. I went back to the Rams, their player personnel folks, I said, you've got to tell me, if you were Jacksonville, would you be drafting Tim Tebow? They said absolutely not. It was like they were reading from the same script Wayne had read from.
I said, there comes a time where emotion trumps rationality and this, if I was an owner, would be one of those moments for me.
Really to me, the bigger picture here a subtle shot at the Jaguars draft failures. In my personal opinion, that may mean general manager Gene Smith's seat is already rather warm and if rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert doesn't improve significantly in his second season, it could get rather hot.