Southern Cal's Mays conducts safety clinic at Senior Bowl practice

MOBILE, Ala. - Much of the NFL gathered at the South team practice yesterday at a high school stadium in Fairhope, Ala., to watch Tim Tebow's first NFL-style workout.

The Eagles' presence was minimal. Coach Andy Reid and presumptive general-manager-to-be Howie Roseman weren't scheduled to attend practices until today. That tells you something, or at least confirms something you thought you already knew - the Birds aren't likely to add Tebow to their crowded quarterbacking circus.

The Florida phenom clearly interested throngs of fans, though, who filled the stands and later pressed against a chain-link fence, yearning for a closer glimpse or perhaps even an autograph as No. 15 walked toward the bus. The secondary buzz was created by Alabama coach Nick Saban, who chatted on the sideline with St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator (and former Eagles quarterbacks coach) Pat Shurmur.

Tebow and Saban clearly were the chief dignitaries on the scene, which told you where you were, in SEC country, really not an NFL environment. Saban's brief dalliance with the Miami Dolphins was a disaster, and a lot of NFL personnel people doubt Tebow's arm will ever make him an every-down pro starter. Particularly in the early part of yesterday's workout, an observer would have been hard pressed to differentiate Tebow from the QBs he threw with, West Virginia's Jarrett Brown and Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson.

From an Eagles perspective, it was more interesting to get a glimpse of USC safety Taylor Mays working against the Senior Bowl receivers. Of course, nobody knows if the Eagles will draft Mays with their first-round pick, 24th overall, or if he will even last that long. Some mock drafts have the Birds getting Mays. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock thinks Mays will go considerably earlier. But if the Eagles end up unloading one of their three QBs, they could certainly move up in the first round.