Gregg Rosenthal Talks To Joe
February 6th, 2014
Gregg Rosenthal
There were some 6,600 people credentialed to cover festivities during the week leading up to the Super Bowl and many were at the Prudential Center in frozen Newark to cover Media Day. As you know, Joe was there.
So too was Gregg Rosenthal. The NFL.com scribe leads the team responsible for the site’s news blog, “Around the League,” and was kind enough to give Joe a few brief moments in his extremely busy day to talk Bucs. Rosenthal has some very intelligent and interesting takes on popular subjects related to the Bucs.
JoeBucsFan: A common theory states if you have the worst quarterback in your division, then you are SOL. Can Mike Glennon, somehow, someway become the No. 3 quarterback in the NFC South?
Gregg Rosenthal: Not this year. I don’t think [the Bucs] are out of luck because of that. The 49ers and Seahawks have great young quarterbacks but [each] might be the fourth-best quarterback in that division, too. That’s how good that division is. That team is so talented that I think they can win in different ways and I think Mike Glennon has a chance to be very good, anyway. I think he has a chance of being an above-average starting quarterback.
Joe: With the Bucs’ talent – Joe finds it funny that everyone says they have talent yet Mark Dominik was let go – specifically on defense with a stud on each level – Gerald McCoy up front, Lavonte David at linebacker and Darrelle Revis in the secondary – could Lovie Smith have the NFL seeing a return to the old Bucs defense?
Rosenthal: It should be or that’s a disappointment. That’s why [Greg] Schiano got fired. If they are a top-10 defense, he is still there and they should have been. He [was] a defensive coach and he didn’t maximize their talent. Lovie never figured out how to coach offense. But his defenses were always great. Look, if [Lovie] doesn’t have a top-10 defense next year, something is wrong.
Joe: Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford is a big question. He has had some success in college. But a lot of his pupils did not have success in the NFL. What is your view, you think he will adapt?
Rosenthal: I don’t think it matters that his pupils didn’t do well. If anything that shows he did a good job of coaching them up in college. It is always a question when a guy who doesn’t have a ton of NFL experience becomes a coordinator. Mike Sullivan, he didn’t have a lot of experience as a coordinator and that didn’t work out too well. Chip Kelly and other college coaches have shown – look, if you are a good coach, it translates. If [Tedford] is a good coach, he will translate [to the NFL]. A lot of college coaches didn’t work out because they wouldn’t have worked out in the first place, not because they are from college.
February 6th, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Man — it seems like the only people who like Mike Glennon are people who cover football for a living.
February 6th, 2014 at 4:16 pm
doesn’t matter, it’s what the coaching staff thinks of him. We will find that out this off season.
February 6th, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Free Mike Glennon! Stop the hate! Learn to appreciate!
February 6th, 2014 at 4:39 pm
well everyone loved free (not me)
now everyone hates MG. that’s good because usually the masses are WRONG!
February 6th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Not sure I agree with his take that Wilson or Kaepernick might be the fourth best QB in their division.
February 6th, 2014 at 4:51 pm
OTAs will define our qb situation. I agree with joe. Glennon hasn’t been all that. He really regressed and out of 13 starts he was solid for 4. And bad to blow average the rest
February 6th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Mike Glennon seems to be doing everything right at this point. He has reached out to every new coach and the new GM, he has shown that he will work hard and take the coaching given to him…you go Mike!
“It is clear that the individual who persecutes a man, his brother, because he is not of the same opinion, is a monster.”
― Voltaire
February 6th, 2014 at 4:55 pm
I knew what the first question would be as I read the title.
I then chuckled aloud at Rosenthall’s response.
At you got Sapp The Philosopher, in your corner.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:05 pm
“I think he has a chance of being an above-average starting quarterback.”
Say that really slow…. HAS. A. CHANCE….. of being an ABOVE.AVERAGE starting quarterback.
Wow.
We all have a lot of chances to do a lot of things. Rosenthal doesn’t think much of Glennon. That’s far from a ringing endorsement.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:07 pm
Any post about our QB position always stirs the pot and like any good blogger Joe wants controversy and comments which is understandable. However, what we say here will have zero impact on what the coaching staff does so let’s just chill out and see what happens.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Mr.Glennon can’t throw on the run to his left, not accurate on throwing the long ball and is not mobile.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:18 pm
I think the approach of Arroyo and Tedford is on point, let’s see how he responds early in the spring. Draft based on the growth from there, all is not lost.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:45 pm
Lost me at Wilson and Kap not being the best in their divison…
February 6th, 2014 at 5:49 pm
JFF, If you’re always gonna say Glennon is the 4th best QB in the division, you must always add to that the 4th place OL,depth, special teams, defense, receiving, and prior coaching. C’mon, don’t say we need another Wilson or Kapernick ( or Manziel) without seeing what they are surrounded with, which is tons of talent at every phase of the game. Sure the Bucs need a QB to challenge Glennon but let Glennon play with a better cast around him, and they see who is the better QB.
February 6th, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Glennon has the makings of a Brady or Manning (Payton) give it time, and I think most everyone will be on-board!
February 6th, 2014 at 5:54 pm
I think it’s pretty clear that Mr. rosenthal has been reading my posts.
February 6th, 2014 at 6:12 pm
I concur Greg 🙂
February 6th, 2014 at 6:46 pm
Somewhere between the Mike Glennon Mob™ and the haters is a middle ground. In the middle ground, we can give the guy a chance, with competition. We can also acknowledge that he showed a lot of good signs for a rookie QB thrown into a crappy offense, without anointing him the franchise. In evaluating what we have and whether we need to go all out to replace Glennon, we need to look at team needs in order of importance. Look at Yasinskas top 5 needs on BSPN. I think he’s got it about right. They’ll get competition for Glennon somehow, but I seriously doubt they’re going to make a move in the draft to get Johnny Doucheball. As to whether Glennon can be the man, I also think he’s got a chance to be an above average starting QB. You can win with that.
February 6th, 2014 at 6:46 pm
@ Chris:
I agree that MG8′s performance was poor in December compared to his performance in November (three games with rating of 123.1 or better, offensive rookie of the month). But did he regress as the year went on?
Most people do not think that Peyton Manning “regressed” in the month of February? Rather the stifling and ferocious #1 defense in the NFL shut them down. Well, the Bucs’ December schedule included the following defensive units: Panthers (2nd overall, 6th passing), Saints (4th overall, 2nd passing), 49′ers (5th overall, 7th passing), Bills (10th overall, but 4th against the pass), and St. Louis (15th overall, but 3rd in total sacks, and 7 sacks that game).
Furthermore, three of those opponents were playoff teams (SF 12-4, Carolina 12-4, and NO 11-5) vying to win their division, and playing for a first round bye vs. our 4-12 Bucs looking to start their offseason. I think it is somewhat unrealistic to say that MG8 should have single-handedly carried them to victory.
tickrdr
February 6th, 2014 at 7:10 pm
well said tickrdr
February 6th, 2014 at 7:13 pm
@tickrdr – you’re talking to people that think that football is played with an entire defense against a qb. They’ll never accept that there are other factors that play into how an offense works other than the qb doing everything all by himself. It doesn’t even matter what plays the coach calls because he should have enough NFL football knowledge and experience facing pro defenses that he should be able to audible to the perfect play at the line. Ya know, like Brady and Manning were able to do in their rookie years.
February 6th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Oh come on. There was nothing wrong with that post and it took forever to write on my phone. You’re killin me smalls
February 6th, 2014 at 7:19 pm
4th best qb in the division. zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz
February 6th, 2014 at 7:25 pm
@MGM gang:
“…I think he has a chance of being an above-average starting quarterback…”
Wow, thats a seriously lukewarm endorsement! That certainly gets me excited: “above average”. Is this one of the endorsements the MGM gang likes to throw out there that are from the “professionals”? LOL
February 6th, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Harry:
The last time the Bucs had an above average quarterback was Jeff Garcia. He got the Bucs to the playoffs.
February 6th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
@tickrdr Says:
“…I think it is somewhat unrealistic to say that MG8 should have single-handedly carried them to victory.”
I don’t think anybody said they expected MG8 to carry the team. I think it was implied that MG8 is not impressive and does not make those around him better – as do true franchise QBs. I agree with that. You make good points about the quality of the defenses he faced. But what we hope for is improvement at the end of the year. I did not see it and I don’t think anyone can say they saw it either (not even MGM ppl). Also, MG8 would commonly go ‘3 & out’ in the 2nd half of almost every game. I don’t think that is indicative of the level of defensive play as it is the opposing D coach shutting down what MG8 likes to do and MG8 not adjusting – another bad sign.
February 6th, 2014 at 7:44 pm
@Harry – pretty sure it was glennon not adjusting. I mean, schiano seems like the kind of guy that would give his rookie qb enough leeway to do what he wants and there’s no way that he didn’t shut down suggestions for adjustments because they’re not what they practiced during the week.
February 6th, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Above average is good enough for me. I’d rather have a menacing, physical defense and an above average QB than an all-star QB and a slightly above average defense. With some wise drafting this year and smart FA pickups, we could roll out a top-10 defense. So let’s do it.
February 6th, 2014 at 7:56 pm
@Joe Says:
“Harry:
The last time the Bucs had an above average quarterback was Jeff Garcia. He got the Bucs to the playoffs.”
Good point Joe. I always liked Garcia. He led us to one playoff game as the wild card team. I remember that well (Gruden hating Garcia, but then Chucky always hated his current QB… lol). And thats encouraging. I would love us to get back to the playoffs. I just don’t think MG8 has the tools. But my opinion is irrelevant. I am sure we are going to find out. I don’t see us moving up in the draft at all.
As an aside Joe, you did not mention the most important thing about Garcia, that he is married to the sexy Carmella DeCesare. Google her
February 6th, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Also, let’s take Glennon statistically this year. One thing that stands out, especially for a rookie, is that he didn’t throw a lot of picks. He threw a pretty good number of TDs as well. Basically, he was efficient, again keeping in mind he was a rookie. With presumably better coaching and a full offseason to learn the offense and generally just being more comfortable in the NFL, I see no reason why he can’t increase his touchdowns, reduce his INTs, increase his completion percentage and average per completion. If he did these things, he’d be statistically in the top half of QBs in the league. He’s never going to look good running, or throwing on the run. His game is going to be from consistency, knowing his opponent and how to exploit them, and taking advantage of opportunities, while avoiding mistakes. You can win with that. You can win big with that. Maybe he won’t lead the league in passing. So effing what? I’m all for having a QB with mobility and superstar qualities, but I am not for reaching for one or trading up for one. Seems more sensible to trade down, add picks, draft defense and a developmental QB with legs.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
@Patrick in VA
I detect sarcasm my friend. Yeah, I will give it to you the coach Control Freak was not good at adjusting. HOWEVER, I have yet to see a coach pull a player for making a great play, even if it is not called. And Glennon did audible, I saw it. So if he makes a throw to WR3 instead of VJ, like the coach calls for, and it is successful, you think coach Control will be mad? No, I don’t think so. If MG8 had such capabilities, coach Control might still be here.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:09 pm
@Joe
a correction to my earlier post. The Bucs won the NFC South that year, we were not the wild card team. And I think Mrs Garcia might be hotter than Ms Watson, and that is no small feat (or if you are Rex Ryan, ‘feet’)
February 6th, 2014 at 8:09 pm
How many people said Foles was bona be the man in 2012….NOBODY!!!!! How many people said Foles should be the starter from week one in 2013….very few!!!
How many people think Foles should start week 1 in 2014….EVERYBODY!!!!
My point is your a fool if you sit here and say it’s not worth giving him a shot….PERIOD! I’m not saying he’s the guy, I’m saying find out if he is before you rule him out.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:19 pm
@Kevin
I don’t think anyone is saying don’t give him a chance. All I am saying is bring in real competition and may the best QB win. But real competition is not going to come from FA, nor from a rookie drafted in rounds 2, 3 or below. Real competition is going to come from moving up in the draft and taking a player who could be a franchise QB.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:20 pm
glennon is not fowles…
he will cost us games.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:24 pm
hey, I got it… let’s quote Voltaire, who has nothing to do with this situation, instead of opening our eyes and seeing that mike “Geoffrey” glennon cannot get it done. where was his arm strength? where was his decision-making? his receivers bailed him out numerous times, more than the passes they dropped.
where has glennon shown his intelligence? the lovers all say he is intelligent…where did that come from?
February 6th, 2014 at 8:31 pm
@Harry – yeah, kind of in a weird mood tonight. Hope it’s taken in the spirit it’s intended.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:41 pm
I don’t know if Glennon is a good QB. Realistically, none of us do. I haven’t seen much to lead me to believe he is the answer, but I’m no scout and I’ve been wrong on players so many times (as all of us have) I’ve lost count. That being said, I think we can all agree that we need to bring in a better QB than Orlovsky. Rather than bring in another scrub, why not bring in the best available free agent QB? That is of course assuming we are unable to draft the QB we want. I’m going to make the assumption the staff believes that is Michael Vick, which I personally agree with, but I will concede that he doesn’t make me mark off my calendar for the playoffs. I don’t think he’s great by any stretch, but I do believe he can play. Regardless, it doesn’t matter, the point is we grab the best available QB.
Now we all assume that if we were to bring in Vick (or Schaub, Cassell, etc.) they would be the annoited starter. While that may be true, these situations are ALWAYS fluid. The staff will see both QB’s (Glennon and whoever) from March – the regular season. They will see both play in the preseason. If Glennon lights it up and is CLEARLY better than the new guy, he will win the job. This same situation happened in Seattle. Wilson was not drafted to be the starter, as they just brought in Matt Flynn for big money. Wilson lit it up, and the rest is history. It’s not like we are signing Vick to a huge long term deal. However, if Glennon continues to be steady but unimpressive and the new guy is able to make more plays, then what’s the problem? What would be wrong with Glennon sitting the bench for a year? QB’s used to do that all the time, especially third round guys. Let him learn and develop. If he can play, he will force the staff to give him a chance. If he can’t, then he won’t. It’s really as simple as that.
I really don’t see how anyone can argue that Glennon did enough to deserve to be handed the starting gig. He had a losing record, low yardage numbers, and was by no means a playmaker. Perhaps that was by no fault of his own. Maybe he didn’t have the weapons or coaching. Again, if that’s the case, he’ll show it over the next few months. We have very little money tied up to him, so there is nothing that financially forces us to have him as the starter. Let him win the job and I’ll be the first one rushing to buy a #8 jersey.
February 6th, 2014 at 8:43 pm
@Patrick in VA:
Of course, its all good. I appreciated the humor and the intelligence of your backhanded remark, lol Beside, I love subtle sarcasm.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
@Hawaiian – I think we’re all saying essentially the same thing. Nobody will say that glennon should be handed the starting gig and everyone is in favor of competition. Where the disconnect is happening is those of us advocating for glennon are simply saying that the new guy(s) shouldn’t be handed the starting job either. There isn’t a qb that’s coming out this year that doesn’t have question marks of their own. By giving up the farm for a high draft pick or trading picks you’re getting rid of the competition and handing the starting job to someone else. All we’re saying is that it should be a fair competition.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:22 pm
@Harry – I think intelligence might be a stretch but the humor part was the spirit I was hoping would get across.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:29 pm
@Patrick,
Yeah, but there is almost never a completely fair competition, but such is life. If we bring in Vick or Schaub, they will be the favorite going in, but that can change. If Glennon pulls a Russell Wilson, then he’s going to be the starter. If he doesn’t, then why would he deserve it? Glennon hasn’t proven enough to go in as the favorite IMO.
As for us drafting a QB early, yeah it’s pretty hard to argue that. First round picks almost have to start right away in the current NFL. The recent success of so many rookie Qb’s tends to do that. I don’t think we have what we would need to trade up to get a QB (and we probably shouldn’t), but if there’s a guy there that we deem to be great, you have to take him. You just can’t pass up on that, because it will bite you on the arse later.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:30 pm
@Patrick
Completely agree.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:33 pm
I agree with Hawaiian also. If a QB is there for the taking at 7 I would have no problem with that. Just dont trade up for one. And please dont take Carr at 7. Lol
February 6th, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Pretty sure Jacksonville would’ve preferred to have been bitten on the arse instead of taking gabbert in the first simply because they needed a qb and he was a highly rated one. Same with Minnesota. Just because you can get a qb in the first round doesn’t mean you should. If they only look good because the guys they’re compared to are lackluster then that doesn’t warrant a first round pick. If a qb falls to us next year, in a strong qb class, then you jump quickly. This year I say we get the value pick qb and see if we can get a gem without paying retail for it.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:49 pm
@Couch Fan,
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time getting over his last name, lol. His brother really screwed it up for him! It’s so hard for me to say, because I’ve never seen him or Bortles play a full game, and I wouldn’t recognize them if they walked in front of me wearing their jersey. I just hope we have good scouts that can determine if they can play, and I really really really hope we don’t reach and take someone we don’t believe in. I’d rather just keep Glennon.
February 6th, 2014 at 9:59 pm
carr is better than glennon!
February 6th, 2014 at 10:00 pm
I think Derek will be special, especially with Tedford’s tutoring him.
I wouldn’t be opposed to trading back for him.
I also would be ecstatic if we traded up for a QB.
I’ll go ahead and say I think DC may end up being one of the best/most productive in this class.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:02 pm
yeah, Patrick…but there are busts at all positions…errrrrrrrr
February 6th, 2014 at 10:04 pm
hey, let’s not take a qb, our weakest area, in the first because other teams have drafted qb busts! excellent. even though other hole can be filled with good talent through free agency.
qb’s are paid a premium in money and draft-wise because it is the premium position.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
carr was reported as having a quicker release than garopolo at the senior bowl practices, and he showed well there, better than most of the qb’s.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:24 pm
Alot if us have talked about how great we drafted once Schiano was here,maybe he was a much greater talebt evaluater than coach. If you look at it from that standpoint he may have very well left us sonething here at the qb position. I dont think the line is as bad as is made out to be,i think the stats where that is concerned reflects more the predictable play calling and every skill position except jackson being off the street
February 6th, 2014 at 11:26 pm
There are very few QBs in the NFL that would rank anything better than 4th in the NFCS, and there are none that could have carried this team to a winning record, much less the playoffs.
Glennon did regress in December against some really great defenses, but he didn’t do it alone. Poor coaching, inept personnel, and lousy schemes, all contributed as well. I’ll reserve my judgement of him for when those areas are at least decent. No rookie QB should be expected to perform like an experienced vet in the best of circumstances, and his were much closer to being the worst.
February 6th, 2014 at 11:49 pm
Joe is more infatuated with Glennon than he ever was with Rachel Watson. Dude, your obsessed….you’ve asked every single person that has a job covering football about Glennon hoping someone will discredit him….wow
February 6th, 2014 at 11:50 pm
ok sparky, so no qb’s in the nfc could have done better than glennon?
where do you all get this stuff? that is just crazytalk.
February 7th, 2014 at 12:06 am
First off, I remember trying to crawl through and read the horrible drivel that Rosenthal spewed out with PFT, he is a no talent hack with absolutely no football sense whatsoever. His lack of football acumen is only slightly better than his terrible journalism and editing skills. Trying to read that clown’s garbage is akin to reading a text conversation between two 7th graders.
Regardless, people don’t jump on the bandwagon because they aren’t Glennon homers. There was very little that Glennon did this past year that should lead anybody to believe he is definitively the answer at QB. To go into next season without another option to Glennon is just asking for another wasted season. I remember all too well screaming at the top of my lungs during the Panthers home game, “FIRE SCHIANO!” and having a good portion of the crowd joining in. I want wins, anointing Mike Glennon the starting QB doesn’t inspire much confidence from anybody.
February 7th, 2014 at 12:08 am
lurker Says:
February 6th, 2014 at 11:50 pm
ok sparky, so no qb’s in the nfc could have done better than glennon?
===================
No, nobody throws a ball backwards better than Glennon…and when it came time to make the plays in the clutch, nobody was better at not making them either (ie 2nd half).
February 7th, 2014 at 3:15 am
Garroppolo in the 2nd Rd!! He’s Tedfords typical QB and he has the quick release you can’t teach. Let him and Glennon battle it out and may the best man win!
February 7th, 2014 at 5:13 am
@Brandon – I doubt that you can find a single post that data that we should anoint glennon with anything. Everyone wants competition. Even glennon supporters want real, talented competition because, at the end of the day, we’re all much bigger Bucs fans than we are glennon fans. We want the competition to be fair. We don’t want someone else to come in and be anointed the starter based off of their draft position and not actual ability level.
February 7th, 2014 at 6:47 am
Data = says
February 7th, 2014 at 7:34 am
@lurker – yes, there are busts at every position in every round but taking a QB in the first round means you are pushing your chips in on that guy and pretty much staking your job on this guy being a solid player. There’s nobody in this draft that I would say is worth that sort of roll of the dice. There are people that question whether Manziel should even be taken in the first round, that’s not a guy you trade up for. That’s not even a guy you take as high as #7. I’m thrilled with the idea of taking a QB in the second round and letting Tedford coach the best out of both the new guy and Glennon.
February 7th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Must get old leading with the same question and never getting your desired answer. By my count it’s now 19 pro Glennon responses, 1 negative (Sapp), and 1 non-committal.
February 7th, 2014 at 10:01 am
“Above Average”
I think Tony G just said the same thing about Matt Ryan..
February 7th, 2014 at 11:15 am
Hey Lurker…your name says it all.
“It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.”
― Voltaire
February 7th, 2014 at 9:04 pm
Glennon Mob member here saying no problem with bringing in a FA (or vet that gets cut) for competition…just not one particular one, but I’ve beaten that dog..er horse already. I have no problem with the Bucs going after a guy in the later rounds of the upcoming draft either. The only reason I have a problem going for a QB at #7 (or God forbid trading away precious picks to move up a few spots) is in part because I believe Glennon will beat them out if given a fair shot. If you believe drafting a rookie QB at 7 (or higher) is a slam dunk franchise guy then you probably think Glennon is destined to hold a clip board in the NFL. My point back would be what IF Glennon beats out that #7 pick in a fair camp battle? How does that look for the new GM? How does that look for the coaching staff’s ability (or lack thereof) to evaluate? How do the Glazers and fans feel about seeing a first round premium pick bot on the field and on the sidelines holding a clip board, especially when the team has a bunch of other needs that could have been addressed with that premium pick? So because I believe as many football anaylsts seem to as well that Glennon can be a good (or at least above average) NFL QB I am hoping that the Bucs use #7 to either address other needs with best player available or trade down and add picks (one of the Patriots secret to success)
February 8th, 2014 at 1:45 am
“a man who lives to quote the dead might as well be dead to the living”
–lurker
wow, this is easy. nunc est bibendum!