If NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi’s latest report on Tim Tebow is true, don’t rule out the Broncos selecting a quarterback with the second overall pick in this year’s draft.

Tim Tebow, a first-round pick last year, was not selected by new coach John Fox. Most members of the Broncos who were there when the Tebow pick was made are looking to distance themselves from the choice, which is a classic way for things to operate in the NFL.

Last year, no one associated with the Broncos complained about the Tebow pick, thinking they were being loyal to the head coach, when in reality, not voicing an opinion or pretending you like a player is the highest form of disloyalty and disservice.

So Tebow is a man without much support in Denver, making quarterback a huge need. Can the Broncos be so focused on defense that they ignore an NFL team’s most essential position? Or will they feel like Kyle Orton can manage the game well enough to allow them to replenish the defense, something near and dear to Fox’s heart?

This isn’t surprising. It’s customary for a new coaching staff to want nothing to do with a young quarterback when they didn’t have a hand in drafting him. But I find it hard to believe that John Fox and Co. have already soured on Tebow when they haven’t seen him take a snap in practice, let alone a live game.

But Lombardi is a reliable source, so maybe the report has legs. There were many teams willing to pass on Tebow last April because of the project he represented at the next level. He was a great college quarterback because the offense that Urban Meyer ran at Florida was the perfect blend of single wing running and spread passing. Unfortunately for Tebow, nobody runs that offense on a consistent basis in the NFL.

It would be unfortunate if Fox gave up on Tebow before giving him a fair shake, especially considering he stuck with Jake Delhomme in Carolina for so long. (Delhomme was absolutely brutal in the final years under Fox.) But I can’t fault Fox for wanting to develop his own quarterback. After all, he didn’t draft Tebow – Josh McDaniels did.

If Denver does rid itself of him, here’s hoping Tebow winds up in New England. At least then Bill Belichick will figure out a way to get him on the field. Whether or not he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL is up for debate, but the kid is a football player through and through and deserves to play.