It was no surprise when a Jacksonville area lawyer took out an ad trying to pressure the Jaguars into bringing Tim Tebow to Jacksonville. Yeah, it's comical, but it's not something we take seriously. Then, the comedy got better when Bold City Brigade, a Jaguars booster club, created a website called, "EvenIfHesReleased.com."

The website by Bold City Brigade collects clicks, they call them "endorsements," that endorse the Jaguars staying away from Tim Tebow. Jaguars new general manager David Caldwell said in a press conference after being hired that he didn't see a way scenario in which Tim Tebow would be a member of the Jaguars, finishing the statement by saying, "Even if he's released."

Despite the lack of a consensus opinion about Tebow from Jaguars fans, it still seems quite clear that David Caldwell won't be calling Tebow's agent in the near future.

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Sports, politics and social issues. Those are three topics that are often digested separately, but sometimes they come bundled together. That's the scenario that formed when NBA player Jason Collins became the first active athlete in a major American sport to come out as gay. It's also the situation that was often created by Chris Kluwe, the Vikings' former punter.

Kluwe has had a track record of speaking his mind on social matters. Some believe this led the Vikings to draft Jeff Locke, eliminating the need for Kluwe. Kluwe, who is neither great or dreadful, is 31 years of age, not ancient by punter standards. Still, the move to upgrade the position shouldn't be surprising from a competitive standpoint either.

Usually, the release of a punter doesn't ruffle any feathers, especially those of a politician, but Minnesota's governor, Mark Dayton, decided to weigh in on the topic.

"I don’t feel good about it," Governor Dayton said. "I mean I’m not in position to evaluate the role and their punting abilities. But it seems to me the general manager said right after the draft that they were going to have competition. Well, then he brings the one guy [Locke] in, he kicks for a weekend and that’s the competition? I mean, I just think sports officials ought to be honest about what the heck is going on. Same way I think public officials should be honest about what’s going on. So that bothers me probably as much if not more than the actual decision."

We'll ignore the obvious irony of a politician making a plea for transparent honesty for the moment and focus on the argument here. Chris Kluwe was a lightning rod player for the Vikings. He attracted more attention than any other punter in the NFL. On PTI, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon also debated the merits of the move, not really coming to the conclusion that Kluwe was cut on the basis of his outspoken views, but not really refuting it either.

In the end, Chris Kluwe is out of a job, and this news will go away before we know it. It's okay for kickers to speak their minds, but they have to realize that NFL teams hate distractions, especially from expendable players. It appears that Kluwe may have been cut largely because he was becoming a distraction, not for his views on their own. There's a distinction to be made there, and it's important to make that distinction.

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Baltimore Ravens, FALLING: The Ravens have been losing some of their best players this offseason, and this season's Ravens won't be the same team that won the Super Bowl earlier this year. Still, the Ravens will be a good football team, but it's hard to imagine them sniffing a repeat without the help of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed or Anquan Boldin, to name a few. Playing in a tough division, the Ravens may have a difficult time making the postseason.

Cincinnati Bengals, RISING: The Bengals may finally be good enough to win the AFC North themselves instead of making wildcard playoff appearances. The Bengals' 2013 draft class isn't the most glamorous bunch, but those players should be core contributors for years to come. In addition to providing talent, the draft class also fills holes in the Bengals' roster. Cincinnati is not only a young team, they're also the most complete team in the AFC North.

Pittsburgh Steelers, FLAT: Calling the Steelers' stock "flat" is something of a misnomer. The team is moving in the right direction, towards youth, but that youth won't have an immediate impact. The big spotlight in Pittsburgh will be on linebacker Jarvis Jones, who will be filling the hole in the Steelers' roster left by the departure of James Harrison. In addition, the vacancy left by Mike Wallace will be filled, at least in some capacity, by Markus Wheaton. These players will begin to form the new core of the Steelers, but that will take time.

Cleveland Browns, FALLING: The Browns can't get out of their own way. Owner Jimmy Haslam is battling legal problems from other business interests, and the Browns' draft class is woefully untalented, including just two picks in the first five rounds. Barkevious Mingo and Leon McFadden should help, but outside of that, the Browns are already looking beyond 2013. It's going to be a long season for Cleveland fans.

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The Colorado Rockies invited the Denver Broncos to Coors Field for Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees, but I found it odd to see that Root Sports Rockies reporter Jenny Cavnar was interviewing right tackle Orlando Franklin, rather than a big name like Peyton Manning, Von Miller or Eric Decker. 

Turns out, the interview was coordinated by Manning and Co. so that they could play a prank on Franklin in order to, as Cavnar put it, "welcome him to baseball culture." 

That they did...

[Reddit]

If this is a publicity stunt, then Orlando-based lawyer John Morgan deserves an award. Morgan has produced a minute-long ad in which he tries to persuade Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan to sign local legend Tim Tebow, and the thing is actually pretty decent. 

The problem is that winning the Heisman and winning national championships doesn't matter at this point, and neither does being a first-round pick. Winning games is only a small part of the grand formula used to assess quarterbacks, and Tebow's "class" and "character" can only take him so far. Being local shouldn't be a big factor either, but Morgan's strongest point comes when he refers to the simple reality that the team still struggles to sell itself. 

Oh, and the fact that Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne are currently the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart. 

[Orlando Sentinel]

San Francisco 49ers, RISING: The 49ers walked away from April's draft with eleven players, six of which should be solid players for years to come. Their later picks could prove to be worthy of selection too, it's just too early to make any sort of judgment on picks, especially late round picks. In addition, the 49ers added Anquan Boldin for next to nothing in the offseason. The 49ers aren't going anywhere soon. They'll remain near the top of NFC again in 2013.

Seattle Seahawks, FALLING: The Seahawks selected an unimpressive draft crop this offseason. In addition, they lost their insurance at the quarterback position. The Seahawks aren't exactly free falling, but with a whole offseason to get ready for Russell Wilson, it's not unlikely that Wilson will suffer a bit of sophomore slump.

St. Louis Rams, FLAT: It's hard to imagine the Rams being much better than last season, even with the addition of a blockbuster draft pick such as Tavon Austin. The Rams' draft gave fans some reason for optimism, but in a tough division, this won't be their year to make it back to the postseason.

Arizona Cardinals, FLAT: The Cardinals drafted a solid group of players, but they still lack a quarterback to lead the franchise forward. Overall, their talent is improving, but you can't win in the NFL without a passer that can make plays with his arm. That's what the Cardinals are lacking, and it'll keep them from winning more games than they did a season ago.

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Forbes says so, anyway. Despite the fact Tebow is now unemployed after throwing just eight passes with the New York Jets in 2012, he's landed in the top spot on their annual list of the country's most influential athletes. 

Here are the results (found influential by __%):

1. Tebow (29)
2. Michael Phelps (25)
3. Usain Bolt (23)
4. Derek Jeter (22)
5. Peyton Manning (21)
6. Drew Brees (21)
7. Gabby Douglas (19)
8. Aaron Rodgers (19)
9. LeBron James (18)
10. David Beckham (18)

From Forbes:

A unique set of QB strengths and weaknesses and an affinity for wearing his Christian faith on his sleeve combine to make Tebow a compelling public figure, even as an NFL backup. Whether or not he’s able to remain deeply ingrained in the public consciousness without eventually getting more time on the field remains to be seen. But for now, Tebow, he of 2.2 million Twitter followers, is still the man people talk about.

It's amazing to me that Tebow has remained so relevant to sports fans and non-sports fans despite becoming an afterthought on the field. ESPN has played a role, because simply being an outgoing Christian isn't enough. Lots of average pro athletes are outspoken when it comes to their religious beliefs. 

Eventually, Tebowmania will begin to fade, but that trade to the media capital of the world extended his reign as America's most popular athlete. 

Terrell Owens hasn't played a down of football in the NFL since the 2010 season, yet he somehow believes there's still a place in the league for him to fit in. He also seems to believe that place is with the New England Patriots, a team that will once again featured in early season Super Bowl discussions. The problem for Owens is that the Patriots aren't looking for distractions. They're looking for players that will help them get back to the Super Bowl, and that's not a mold Terrell Owens fits.

"I think that's a no-brainer," Owens told Blind Side Football of his desire to join the Patriots "You look at what they've done over the years. Under the tutelage of Tom and Coach Belichick, I think the sky would be the limit in terms of what I'd be able to do. Considering my body of work and my history of playing the game."

There are few players to ever play the game that match Terrell Owens, and I'm not talking about his talent. His ego is unmatched in contemporary sports. When asked by Blind Side Football about Owens' behavior both on and off the field if he were to be signed by a team this offseason, Owens dropped this gem on us.

"Well I mean off the field speaks for itself, I don't have any problems off the field. On the field, I feel like I have a lot to offer as far as my experience as I said earlier. At this stage of my career, I feel that a lot of guys could learn just as I did throughout my career in my younger years. Personally, I still learned from a lot of guys as I played the game. I never felt like I knew everything there was about playing the receiver position. Because every receiver has different abilities: to get off the line, to run routes. So I could take a little something from different receivers' routes and the way they play the game and apply it to my game. So, I'm always looking for something different that can be applicable to my skill-set."

Yeah, Owens' off the field behavior speaks for itself. He's a distraction that no team wants, and that's why he's still not on an NFL team.

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Denver Broncos, FLAT: Although the Broncos didn't add any blockbuster picks in the draft, the addition of Wes Welker should add an extra weapon to the Broncos offense. The  Broncos are still the kings of the AFC West, and they're still going to be included in any preseason Super Bowl talk, so we'll label them as just flat lining.

San Diego Chargers, SLIGHTLY RISING: The Chargers are in the midst of starting over without a full-blown rebuild. That can work, especially because there are solid pieces in place, but the Chargers also need to be thinking about the future. That should include finding an understudy for Philip Rivers.

Oakland Raiders, FLAT: The Raiders didn't exactly miss in the draft, but they didn't exactly hit a home run either. The Raiders have seemingly found a starting quarterback in Matt Flynn. It will take more than one season for the Raiders' new regime to pick up the pieces left by the old regime.

Kansas City Chiefs, RISING: The Chiefs added Andy Reid as their new head coach this offseason, and it's given the Chiefs a new sense of optimism. Still, outside of Eric Fishers, the Chiefs draft was only "meh," and it won't give the Chiefs a huge boost in talent. The addition of Alex Smith should be enough for the Chiefs to win considerably more games than in 2012, even though that's not saying a whole lot.

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Atlanta Falcons, RISING: The Falcons have had a high-powered offense for some time, but this year, they've focused on their defense. As well as adding a lot of young talent on defense, the Falcons lured Tony Gonzalez back for one more year. The Falcons will be a popular pick on the NFC side again in 2013.

Carolina Panthers, FLAT: The Panthers have had a quiet offseason, and they're still banking on Cam Newton's ability to win games. They're not in terrible shape, but they could have done more to help out their head coach and quarterback in what will be a decisive season. The big problem the Panthers have is that they still don't have enough offensive weapons, and that will likely prevent them from rising out of the middle of the pack.

New Orleans Saints, RISING: With just five draft picks, the Saints haven't changed much from last season. The big difference is that they'll have Sean Payton back, and with that, they'll regain stability. That's the only reason I mark them as "rising." Even with a questionable draft, Sean Payton is all the Saints needed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, FALLING: A weak draft, questionable leadership and no hope means the Buccaneers will be camping out at the bottom of the NFC South this season. If, and only if, Josh Freeman can re-emerge as this teams leader, the Buccaneers could surprise a lot of people, including me.

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