The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to finally start making some noise in the league. After drafting Mike Evans last season, they selected Jameis Winston in 2015 despite the number of red flags reported around him. Upon arrival in Tampa, the quarterback has received nothing but praise for his hard work and attitude. Despite being a rookie, head coach Lovie Smith has made it clear that Winston is the starter for the upcoming season no matter what.
Smith told the media at the start of training camp that he had full confidence in Winston as the starter over returning veteran mike Glennon. The third-year pro was relegated to the second-team offense while Winston began with the starters working to develop good chemistry with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.
"I would never put a guy in that position if he wasn't ready for that," Smith said, via ESPN.com. "A lot has been said about Jameis and mentors. Jameis doesn't need a mentor. Jameis is ready to take the reins and go with it. A lot of things go into that. We've had a lot of evaluation of him. It's where we feel like he is. We brought him here to be our quarterback and we feel like he's ready to take this next step. I feel strongly about this. We feel like we've let Jameis go through a process in the offseason, getting limited reps and working with both groups.
So what does that mean for Glennon? According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport earlier in the offseason, there was a lot of interest in Glennon for trades. Even after the NFL Draft, teams were eyeing the third-year pro as a potential option to at least help with depth. While the trade is unlikely considering the only other option is Seth Lobato, but the idea should not be ruled out for next offseason. Several teams will be eyeing quarterback help if this year does not go as planned.
The New York Jets will be looking at what the future holds for Geno Smith. If the quarterback struggles this season, the Jets could make a move on Glennon. The Cleveland Browns have a short-term option in Josh McCown, but are uncertain what the long-term holds for Johnny Manziel. The Buffalo Bills are not thrilled with EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel while the San Diego Chargers have Philip Rivers entering the last year of his contract. Glennon could become a popular name.
