Josh McCown = Rich Gannon
May 19th, 2014
Robert Klemko believes Bucs QB Josh McCown is the next Rich Gannon.
Anytime the name of Josh McCown, erstwhile franchise quarterback for the Bucs at 35 years old (before training camp), is evoked around Lovie Smith, the usually-reserved head coach gets giddy. Well, as giddy as one could picture Lovie being.
As recently as when the Bucs finished their 2014 draft selections, Lovie said when discussing McCown, “and I love Josh.”
Robert Klemko of theMMQB.com thinks Bucs fans may be more enthusiastic about McCown than Lovie. Klemko believes if there is any quarterback in the NFL that can be the next Rich Gannon — a very late bloomer (molded by Chucky) of an NFL quarterback who became offensive MVP, it is McCown.
McCown, a journeyman who rededicated himself to the game during a season out of football, is being compared to Rich Gannon after a 13-touchdown, one-interception stint last season in Chicago when he filled in for an injured Jay Cutler. Gannon led the Raiders to the Super Bowl in 2002, McCown’s rookie year. “I loved the story, him doing it later in his career, it was really neat,” McCown says. “It’s not even fair to compare me to him. When he would drop back he knew exactly where he was going with the football. There was an intelligence to the way he played that stuck with me as a young player.”
Time will only tell if McCown is the next Gannon, or if McCown can just play average football and guide an average offense, which will be big improvement over last year.
Also, Klemko added what he thought of Bucs backup quarterback Mike Glennon.
I bet it will be a while before we see Mike Glennon, Lovie Smith’s “quarterback of the future,” under center in Tampa.
May 19th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Let’s hope so. The rays had high expectations this year too.
Anyone else think longoria’s career is on a steady decline. Dude is average at best
May 19th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Only time will tell?
Wait a minute I thought we only have 3rd tier QB’s. Right Joe!
May 19th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
I think QB is still a huge need. We’ll be having these exact same discussions next offseason.
May 19th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
@Bryan
Joe doesn’t mind, as long as the author of the story takes a shot at the ” Future “.
May 19th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
@Bryan
Joe doesn’t mind, as long as the author of the story takes a shot at the ” Future “.
May 19th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Package price and longo. Now
May 19th, 2014 at 12:34 pm
What a pipe dream, lol.
McCown will NOT make it through the season. He’ll be lucky to be the starter at the halfway point. For one, he is not nearly as good as Tampa Fans seem to think.
For another thing, his 35 year old body, having never made it through a whole season, cannot withstand the pounding…not behind out offensive line.
You people just are not being realistic, and when things go wrong this year (and they will) you’ll jump off the band wagon and blame the coach as usual.
Lovie needs two off seasons to hope to meet the expectations you guys have for this year. He has a lot still to prove.
May 19th, 2014 at 12:42 pm
I’ve been calling McCown Gannon 2.0 since we before we signed him. Gannon also had a career resurgence at the age of 34 and like Gannon (drafted as a DB by the Pats), McCown can really run and has had underwhelming results at very similar stages of their careers.
May 19th, 2014 at 12:54 pm
What is wrong with longo
May 19th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Congrats Joe….no JF references (would have been easy with this article)….apparently….the therapy, single malt, Sam Adams, xanax, morphine, heroin, demerol, meth, canibus, cocaine, Mons Venus & VIP massages have helped Joe to get over Johnny….the question….
Have they also helped you get over Michael Bennett?
(I know, Thanks TBBF for asking)
May 19th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
McCown will not be unseated by Winnin’ Mike Glennon in 2014. Maybe 2015. Maybe.
May 19th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
I hate that people try to compare McCown to Gannon.
Gannon was actually good for the bulk of his career unlike McCown who sucked other than for a few game stretch playing for a QB whisperer against very poor defenses.
Just look at Gannons time in KC in his early 30’s, winning record, more than a 2:1 TD:INT ratio.
With the Vikes in his 20’s. he had a winning record and more TDs than INTs.
They are nothing alike, McCown sat because he stinks, Gannon was a victim of circumstances through his career.
May 19th, 2014 at 1:29 pm
Gannon took off when he got great coaching from Chucky.
Hopefully our OC can provide something similar, like last year when Josh went 13 tds 1 Int. Similar tall receivers in place.
I see a lot of similarities, and expect Josh to play great this year.
I don’t consider Arizona, the Raiders, Panthers and Lions to be any great opportunities.
Gonna be a great story. From UFL to the pro bowl.
May 19th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Glennon’s relative lack of mobility makes me think more of Brad Johnson as a possible upside.
Like Johnson, Glennon is smart and knows where to place the ball. And like Johnson, Glennon is sneaky athletic and can occasionally slip away from pressure.
If Glennon can mature into a Brad Johnson then the Bucs will have spent an excellent 3rd round pick.
May 19th, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Without a right guard the team is not going anywhere. I guess were waiting to pickup some other teams cast-offs? Who is going to back up the cast off guard we pick up before training camp? Is Nicks playing? Who is backing up the guy with 9 starts in 3 seasons? We have BIG problems that NO quarterback will thrive in.
May 19th, 2014 at 3:22 pm
Dam Stpetefan-The article is about McCown not Glennon. I don’t know f you didn’t read the thing, have zero reading comprehension or what. The only mention of Glennon was to say he will not be seeing the field anytime soon.
May 19th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Jim Walker,
Damn, you don’t have to be a huge homer, but to make the assumption the team isn’t going anywhere due to arguably the least important o-line spot to a right handed QB is asinine. Teams start guys who were cast offs in one place who thrived in another(Ben Grubbs becoming a Pro Bowler in New Orleans after not being re-signed in Baltimore and replacing Carl Nicks is the first that comes to mind). There are o-linemen from places like Hofstra, Cornell, Iona, etc that were not drafted that start at guard. How about we see what the roster looks like the 1st week of the regular season to make our still premature doom and gloom predictions?
May 19th, 2014 at 4:29 pm
if they are wrong about mccown having upside at age 35, this becomes one of the most overhyped signings of the offseason. in mccown, we are relying on a guy who has had less actual success in the league than the likes of kyle orton and mark sanchez
May 19th, 2014 at 5:03 pm
Bonzai enough with the negative garbage.
Your cool and all but from fan to fan it’s getting old as hell.
Guaranteeing injury now cause he’s older?
Come on now Ms.Cleo, take a prozac
May 19th, 2014 at 5:45 pm
Bet our Josh plays a lot better this Preseason than Josh Freeman did in the Preseason last year! He won’t be seen out on the town like Josh Freeman did last year either. I love the fact our Josh has been getting the receivers together and had his own mini clinic for them before any team Mini Camp. Don’t forget he took a year off to be a High School Coach, either. When he retires, we would be smart to hire him immediately as a QB Coach for our real Franchise QB of the Future–not named Glennon, who should be traded for a pick before that, and Smith promoted to the second QB from the Practice Squad to develop, and then be competition for Marioto next year. As for our OL, Meredith is bulked up with new muscle in his upper body, to go with his athletic footwork in pass blocking, since he is a former Tackle after all. He sees his chance to become the RT of the future with the position being open, and is tired of just being considered and paid as a backup.
May 19th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
A 21-25 Year old single guy who lived in South Tampa may go out more than a 35 year old married guy with children, really? I’m not going to go into details but I know that Josh is not a party guy, he does no drugs (other than what prescribed by a Doctor) and would go out for a beer a or two maybe once a week. Why make stuff up about someone you don’t know at all. I never understood why people do that.
May 20th, 2014 at 12:26 am
Haha. Joe(s), you have a wonderfully evil sense of humor. Gannon must have better pictures than that one. Hopefully McCown does not = that photo often this year.