The New York Jets have an elephant in the room and its name is Tim Tebow. What does the team do with a quarterback that they do not plan on using anymore? Newly appointed general manager John Idzik must figure out the best way to get rid of Tebow before the team is forced to pay him salary. According to Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, the Jets will attempt to shop Tebow around to teams during the NFL Combine.
Tebow is set to earn a base salary of $2.6 million in 2013 and if the Jets do not plan on moving forward with the quarterback, they certainly do not plan on paying him the money. The organization could try and trade him when free agency begins March 12, but it is highly unlikely they will get anything in return. If push comes to shove, they will be forced to just release him.
The scouting combine brings out the big decision makers for every team. This will be the best opportunity the Jets have to convince someone to take Tebow off their hands. But where are the likely landing spots for the quarterback? The biggest frontrunners at this time are the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots. New England could look to take Tebow and play him in more of a hybrid position of a fullback. However, his best chance at redemption could come in Jacksonville. The team has struggled to put people in the seats and with Tebow's star power in the state of Florida, he could be what the team needs in order to start selling more tickets. While Tebow has the most history in Jacksonville, team general manager David Caldwell did not seem that into the idea of bringing him to Florida.
"He is a member of the New York Jets, so I can't imagine a scenario where he would be a Jacksonville Jaguar. I can't imagine a scenario where Tim Tebow would be a Jacksonville Jaguar, even if he's released," Caldwell said.
So what if no one comes calling for Tebow? There is a general consensus between sources that he could take his game north and try the Canadian Football League. It does seem unlikely that a trip to the CFL would solve Tebow's throwing issues and for a player that has been adamant about playing in the NFL, it seems crazy to think he would up and leave for Canada.
Idzik has already had a busy first week as the team's new general manager. He recently released a number of players from the roster in order to clear cap space, most notably was veteran linebacker Bart Scott. In doing so, he saved the team over $8 million this coming season. He will have his hands full in trying to deal off Tebow. Sources say the team's goal is to get at least a draft pick in return for the former first-round draft choice.