The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not as invested in Mike Glennon as originally assumed. While former head coach Greg Schiano fully supported the rookie as a full-time starter and possibly the future of the franchise. However, Lovie Smith is now in charge and he likes the idea of bringing someone else in to create a little competition.
The Buccaneers currently have the No. 7 overall draft pick this May and according to Smith, the team will likely use it to draft a quarterback.
"I know enough about that draft to know, yeah, there's someone that would be worthy of the seventh pick because everything is on the board right now," Smith said , via ESPN.com. "Whenever you have a chance to get a franchise quarterback, you have to consider that."
So according to Smith's comments, Glennon is not a franchise quarterback? The coach was hesitant to call the quarterback the leader of the future, noting he was simply too young. The rookie stepped in for Josh Freeman while he was in the midst of a falling out with the team and Schiano and proved to be a solid option for the team. In 13 games, he tossed for 2,908 yards and 19 touchdowns while only producing nine interceptions. His 59.4 completion percentage was impressive considering the struggles Tampa Bay saw as a team.
"Mike did some good things. But he did some good things as a rookie," Smith said. "To say right now that Mike is the answer and he's our quarterback of the future and we're going to build around him and give him a 20-year contract right now, you're not there. . . .You have a plan. But if you ask me do I think we can win games with Mike Glennon? I'm going to say, "yeah, we can win games with Mike Glennon.' If you ask me would you like to upgrade the position? I'm not running around the question. That's a yes, too. If you ask me, would you like a veteran? Yeah. Really, that's the case. It all has to go together. You have to look at what's available at other positions, too."
Drafting at No. 7 eliminates the option of getting either Johnny Manziel or Blake Bortles. They are expected to be the first two quarterbacks drafted and will likely be gone in the first three picks. With Jadeveon Clowney and few offensive linemen predicted to go next, that would leave the Buccaneers with a player like Teddy Bridgewater or Derek Carr. Either quarterback could pan out as a franchise player or they could be a total bust.
Smith notes that with a young quarterback on the roster, signing a veteran free agent is the predictable move. However, Smith does not seem to be too impressed with the options on the market which include Michael Vick, Josh McCown and Matt Cassel.
"I think in an ideal world you would like to have some kind of veteran in the mix instead of three young guys that haven't played a lot," Smith said. "No, that's not an ideal situation to be in at the quarterback position. I think you can maybe get away with it at some of the other positions. But no, that's not an ideal situation to be in."
