The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this season and if they get the number one pick in the draft, Lovie Smith could look at drafting Marcus Mariota and possibly making trade deals with Mike Glennon, Vincent Jackson or Doug Martin in the offseason.
The Buccaneers were rumored to be shopping Vincent Jackson and Martin at the trade deadline this season, but no team gave them an offer that Tampa Bay liked. According to ESPN.com, the team was willing to part with Martin due to the fact that he had not played up to his potential since breaking out as a rookie, while Jackson has a large contract that the team was hoping to move. Moving forward the Buccaneers could look at deals along with Mike Glennon, as they are in position to draft Marcus Mariota in the NFL draft.
Many see Mariota as the number one pick, as he is expected to win the Heisman and many have been worried about the off the field issues regarding Jameis Winston. Mariota comes in after throwing for over 35 TDs this season with just two picks and he has shown that he is an athletic rusher as well. Mariota is not a one trick pony and he has proven that he has a strong and accurate arm to go along with his athletic speed on the ground. Mariota won the Walter Camp award and that usually leads to a Heisman win.
The question for this draft is Mariota or Winston and the Buccaneers also could look at Jameis, as he likely would have a loyal following in Florida after his time with FSU. Smith may not like all of the off the field issues, but Winston has talent and he also has a Heisman win in his trophy case. Mariota has thrown for just 12 picks in his entire career, while Winston has more than that just this season. Either way, it's likely the Buccaneers take at least one QB in the draft.
Glennon was not drafted by Lovie Smith and while he has shown some promise, Smith and the new front office has no ties to Glennon or to Martin for that matter. The team likes Charles Sims after drafting him this past year and he could be poised to take over if they make a move on Martin. The team also is very high on Mike Evans after his exceptional rookie season and they see no problem in him stepping up to be the top receiver if Jackson is moved.
McCown was signed in the offseason and he has been up and down while dealing with injuries and so-so play. McCown has 1790 yards with 11 interceptions and nine TDs this season and he also is completing less than 60 percent of his passes. Glennon has played in six games this season and has passed for 1417 yards and 10 touchdowns with six picks while completing 57 percent of his passes. Martin could snag a decent pick with a strong finish to the season as well, as he had a great rookie year before getting injured each of the last two seasons.
At 2-11 the Buccaneers are in the running for the number one pick this season along with the Oakland Raiders, NY Jets and Washington Redskins.
