Lovie Smith says ‘plan is to move forward’ with Mike Glennon

By Cory Buck | Feb 18, 2015

Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith said he would rule nothing out, but for now the plan is to move forward with QB Mike Glennon.

Lovie Smith is becoming the master of smoke and mirrors. After suggesting he’d be fine with building a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team around draft pick candidate and former Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston, Smith noted that the team’s plans don’t exactly call for Winston, at least for today.

Lovie: People want to talk about the quarterback, but we like having all options on table. Added: "The plan is to move forward with Mike"
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) February 18, 2015

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This came shortly after Smith noted that he’d be comfortable with making Winston the heart of the franchise. “I think we’d be comfortable with both guys,’’ Smith said of Winston and Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota, per the Tampa Tribune. “From what I know right now, we’re OK with where (Winston) is.’’

Of course, Smith could be sincere in both assertions, even if they directly compete with one another. Even if the team does select a quarterback with the first overall pick in the NFL draft this May, they will almost certainly keep Glennon on the roster and Glennon would likely be the favorite the land the starting job for Week 1 in the 2015 season.

After a promising rookie campaign in which Glennon tallied 2,608 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions, the second-year quarterback took a step back in 2014 as he started the season as a backup to veteran Josh McCown, who fell to injuries and inconsistency, paving the way for six appearances by Glennon in 2014. He threw for 1,417 yards, ten touchdowns and six interceptions in that stretch.

But evaluating Glennon based on 2014 is hardly fair. Tampa’s offensive line was as big of a mess as the rest of the team, which went 2-14, good for first overall in the NFL draft. The question for Lovie Smith and the team’s front office is how much of that disastrous 2014 was at the fault of the quarterback, and how much is on the rest of the roster?

In discussing Glennon as a future option, Lovie Smith leaves open the possibility that Tampa could choose to either trade down from the first overall pick or use it on a position other than quarterback. That still seems like the least likely scenario in all of this, but it’s one that the team is clearly considering in the months leading up the draft in May.

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