It's unclear how this thinking has emerged -- but some time overnight the idea of Tim Tebow coming to the Carolina Panthers became part of the collective consciousness. Scores of tweets came my way asking if there was any truth to the idea, while others offered possible trade scenarios involving Jimmy Clausen. Lets be clear: There is no indication from any outlet or source that the Panthers have any interest in Tebow -- and that's the best possible news you could hear on a Tuesday morning. 'Why not Tebow?' is simple to answer: the man is a walking distraction.
The quickest way a team stays bad is by not learning from the mistakes of others around the league. The Jets learned the hard way that in trading for Tebow you're getting more than an incapable quarterback you're trying to groom, you're getting a divisive, PR nightmare that forces a coach and players to constantly answer questions on his status. This isn't wholly Tebow's fault, but rather the zealotry that follows him around the NFL -- possessing jerseys in glass cases ranging from Gator blue, to Broncos' orange, and finally Jets' green.
Last year this topic emerged and I was shortsighted. Convinced a team could control the circus, I floated the idea of acquiring Tebow to sit in Chud's offence, showcase him in preseason, and trade to the highest bidder. What we learned during the season is that no team can control the madness, and then rumors of Tebow's sideline petulance emerged -- unhappy with his role, and with coach Rex Ryan.
You can't fault a player for wanting to play -- that's their nature, and what makes them competitors. However, there also needs to be an understanding by a player that they need to walk before they can run. Concurrently, an organization needs to realize that any possible upside is immediately erased with distraction. The Carolina Panthers have a franchise quarterback, and while they need a long-term backup, they also need one who can hit the backside of a barn. Tebow isn't accurate enough to play in this offense, doesn't have the deep ball ability, and that's before we even begin to talk about the media nightmare.
His running ability, and experience in the read-option makes a great deal of sense -- but that's it. Both Mike Shula and Dave Gettleman have expressed a desire to have Newton play from the pocket more, which in turn further removes Tebow from the equation.