>I thought Glennon looked better as the season went on.
>
>http://nfl.si.com/2014/03/12/lovie-smith-josh-mccown-tampa-bay-buccaneers/?eref=sihp
>
>Neither head coach Lovie Smith nor GM Jason Licht attempted to
>hide the fact that Tampa Bay thought it could upgrade at
>quarterback over 2013 rookie starter Mike Glennon.
>
>“Whenever you have a chance to get a franchise quarterback,
>you have to consider that,” Smith said at the combine when
>asked about Tampa Bay’s draft plans, implying rather obviously
>that Glennon did not fall under the “franchise QB” umbrella.
>
>“New coach, new regime, you can’t just hand the keys over and
>say this guy is our starter,” said Licht, via the Tampa Bay
>Times. “You have to see what he is, and competition drives the
>best out of everybody.”
>
>Any desire for an open quarterback competition, though, fell
>by the wayside Wednesday when Tampa Bay landed the veteran
>quarterback it was after: ex-Chicago backup-turned-replacement
>starter Josh McCown. During the press conference to announce
>McCown’s signing, Smith was asked if the 34-year-old
>journeyman would be his starter heading toward the 2014
>season.
>
>Smith’s reply: “Yes, he is.”
>
>There are two implications to be drawn from that statement.
>One is that Glennon’s future suddenly looks quite murky,
>despite a performance last season that was better than most
>expected. Any incumbent QB — and most players, regardless of
>position — is put on automatic notice when a coaching regime
>change occurs, and Smith wanted to get a player of his
>choosing under center.
>
>The other, more sweeping conclusion to be drawn from Smith’s
>comment: He is of the opinion that this Tampa Bay team can
>compete and win immediately.
>
>That is a bold stance to take when inheriting a 4-12 team, let
>alone one in what shapes up to be a brutal division. It also,
>for now, places an awful lot of faith in McCown, who, before
>subbing in for Jay Cutler last season, was a combined 12-19 in
>his career with five teams. He also has not entered a season
>with a starting job since he did so for the Raiders way back
>in 2007. McCown was plenty steady for the Bears in 2013, but
>running the show from start to finish is another challenge
>entirely.
>
>But the Buccaneers — in some ways like the Chiefs of 2012 —
>had more talent than their record indicated, perhaps needing
>only a coaching change, QB swap and upgrades in some key
>positions to make a serious leap up the standings.
>
>Is Tampa Bay ready for that sort of move? Probably not quite
>yet. Smith’s initial faith in McCown indicates that he feels
>otherwise; or, at the very least, that the remaining holes on
>his roster are fillable before Week 1 arrives.
>
>The Tampa Bay fans should appreciate that approach, even if
>they want to join the rest of us in feeling skeptical. This
>franchise has not made the playoffs since 2007 and has not won
>in the postseason since taking home a Super Bowl crown in
>2002. The plan by bringing in Smith was to avoid a long,
>drawn-out rebuilding process. Sticking with Glennon as the
>starter would have been a nod toward that approach, with the
>future taking precedence over the present.
>
>McCown may not be the right guy to lead the charge from
>mediocrity to contention. Smith, though, made it clear that he
>believes McCown will move Tampa Bay further in that direction
>than Glennon.