Mike Glennon “Is An Interesting Player”
February 10th, 2014
Legendary NFL personnel guru Gil Brandt spoke to Joe about Mike Glennon.
When Joe was at Super Bowl Media Day in Antarctic-like Newark, one of the many NFL insiders Joe got a chance to chat with was the legendary Gil Brandt. For those unaware, Brandt was the Cowboys player personnel director for nearly 30 years and was one of the architects of a true NFL dynasty.
Brandt had an uncanny ability to find diamonds in the rough, both in the draft and in free agency. A couple of players who many thought were washed up Brandt thought still had game, including Jackie Smith and Mike Ditka. Brandt also found undrafted players like Drew Pearson, Cliff Harris, and Everson Walls, men who had significant NFL careers.
Brandt, known as “The Godfather,” can regularly be heard on SiriusXM NFL Radio. In semi-retirement, Brandt writes a regular column for NFL.com and helps run the NFL Scouting Combine. Brandt is also active on Twitter (@Gil_Brandt) though he admitted to Joe he doesn’t do the Twittering; he dictates to his missives.
Brandt talked to Joe about the Bucs, Mike Glennon and Johnny Football. Joe will break up the interview in parts, starting today with Brandt being intrigued if not surprised by Glennon, the Bucs incumbent starting quarterback.
JoeBucsFan: Mike Glennon, what do you think about him? Do you think he has a chance to be a meaningful quarterback in the NFL or just a good backup?
Gil Brandt: You know, Glennon is an interesting player. Quite honestly, when he was at North Carolina State, I didn’t think very highly of him. When I say, “I didn’t think very highly of him,” I mean that I thought he would be drafted about exactly where he [was]. If you look at three games he played against three very good teams, two of which are here today, he played well. I think the jury is still out on him. I know this: He moves around a lot better than his body makes you think because he is so tall and lanky. The one thing about [Glennon] in college was that he wasn’t very good going to his left. If you look at the Seattle game, he throws two touchdown passes to his left. So, I think what happens [with Glennon] is, we see what we want to see. [Glennon’s short-term future] will be interesting.
That is about the most fair assessment of Glennon Joe has come across. Joe does not hide from the fact Glennon often was unimpressive. During the win over the Lions, Joe thought former Bucs commander Greg Schiano was on to something. The scoring drives using the no-huddle against the 49ers opened Joe’s eyes. The rest of the time, Joe thought the Bucs were spinning their wheels.
Perhaps Lovie Smith is trying to be fair as well? Maybe he sees something in Glennon as well, but maybe just not enough. Therefore, his fishing for Michael Vick is more a safety net than anything?
To use a Brandt word, mini-camps and training camp should be “interesting” this year.
February 10th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
-Amazing when think that Mr. Gil Brandt worked as a baby photographer before his flair of discovering football talent led him into the NFL-
February 10th, 2014 at 2:51 pm
“So, I think what happens [with Glennon] is, we see what we want to see.”
I think that about sums it up. Folks see a scrawny, goofy looking guy and he’s already playing from behind. Add to that he had the audacity to struggle as a rookie in a bad system with questionable resources and you’ve got what we have here. People seeing what they want to see
February 10th, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Smh…Damn you Joe!
You get to set down and pick the brains of the freakin’ -“Frank Lloyd Wright” of football.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Come on Mike! Show’em whatcha got!
February 10th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
If Glennon wasn’t white and was NFL rookie QB of the year and set NFL and team rookie records, noway would Joe (who was hanging off Freemans nutts) and other media in this town be viciously trying to destroy him. This kid deserves his shot, he has earned it. Some of you people should be ashamed of yourselves.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Maybe you forgot what Joe’s analysis of Freeman coming out of college was?
February 10th, 2014 at 3:16 pm
@Barry – so, are you saying that folks don’t like Glennon because he’s white?
February 10th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
He seems to fit the profile of a Tedford qb and what Lovie wants out a qb. A veteran backup would be likely, a first round pick would be a huge surprise.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
If Glennon was black and was NFL rookie of the year and set NFL and team rookie records, Joe wouldn’t be saying shit. And thats what you call being a coward.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
If Glennon was black and was NFL rookie of the year and set NFL and team rookie records, Joe wouldn’t be saying spit
February 10th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Thank you Joe, for doing an interview that did not start with a leading question. It is refreshing to Hear an opinion that what the interviewee thinks and not what the interviewer want to hear.
Back to the real problem. The QB position will be looked at. I would like to see real competition without having to trade a whole draft for the competition. And if Vick is the best “saftey net” out there, I would rather look thru the draft for diamonds in the ruff. Why have a “safety net” that only last a couple of weeks. That is not a safety net, its just an old net with holes in it!
February 10th, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Joe has a sense you won’t like his next Brandt post then.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
Don’t make’m like this anymore (True Pioneers of the Game)
• Bill Walsh
• Bill Nunn
• Gil Brandt
• Lloyd C. A. “Judge” Wells
February 10th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
If Glennon was rookie of the year, no s(p)it Joe wouldn’t be saying anything about Glennon. smh. And if Da’Quan Bowers had 12 sacks no one would be saying anything about him, either.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:29 pm
@Barry – I gotta say, I’m struggling a bit with your comment. I feel like you’ve gotta be joking but I also get the sense that you’re not, which is way more baffling
February 10th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Smh, Lawd I tell yah.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
I’m still trying to figure out who has more, Buc fans with Glennon comments or teenage girls with duck faced selfies?
February 10th, 2014 at 3:50 pm
@BucfaninMO – It’s the topic de l’année for fans of this site. This is where we choose to get our bucs news so our conversations go where we’re led. Which is probably a good thing because we’ve been digressing into some off the wall side bars lately so I don’t know that we can be trusted on our own.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:50 pm
These daily Mike Glennon critiques are getting bor….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
February 10th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
Barry brings race into every post he has. It gets funny after a while.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
@Barry,
The only one that should be ashamed of himself is you. If he was Rookie of the year, I wouldn’t care if he was a purple homosexual alien. It all comes down to whether or not he can play, and has absolutely NOTHING to do with race. Breaking team rookie records for the Bucs is meaningless, because our QB’s have been not much short of sh!t in our entire history, especially the rookies. So congratulations Glennon, you are a better rookie QB that Dilfer and Gradkowski! Woopty freaking doo.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
@Patrick in VA
Very true my friend. I try to read all comments and from what you have wrote we agree on many issues.
February 10th, 2014 at 3:58 pm
“So, I think what happens [with Glennon] is, we see what we want to see.”
That may be the most insightful statement ever made on this website.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
“Joe Says:
February 10th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
noway would Joe (who was hanging off Freemans nutts)
Maybe you forgot what Joe’s analysis of Freeman coming out of college was?”
I guess some people haven’t been coming on this website long enough to remember what Joe’s original nickname for Freeman was. It took close to 2 season for Joe to sop calling him “bust in waiting”.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
Actually, Joe retired the label when training camp started during Freeman’s rookie season.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
We got our veteran. Welcome to Tampa Bay Mr. Kafka
February 10th, 2014 at 4:36 pm
I would care if he was a purple homosexual alien. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Barry Says:
February 10th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
If Glennon was black and was NFL rookie of the year and set NFL and team rookie records, Joe wouldn’t be saying spit
_______________________________________________________________
Race has nothing to do with it; and Glennon didn’t perform in a manner worthy of such an award.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:42 pm
Damn whitey!
February 10th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Glennon will have 4 sets of eyes on him that matter….Licht, Smith, Tedford & Arroyo….all other opinions are just that.
Glennon is/was tarnished with the Schiano brush and was handed the job whether than winning it so some serious competion is called for.
I am hopeful we pick up a meaningful QB in FA or the draft but I don’t think we should trade up.
If Glennon wins the job, he deserves our support.
We have many needs and I am hopeful that filling some of them will help whoever our QB is.
There is a great deal to like about Mike Glennon as a third round pick….at the very least, he is a fantastic young backup with starting experience.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
“Actually, Joe retired the label when training camp started during Freeman’s rookie season”
My mistake Joe, I guess my memory is a little foggy in my old age.
February 10th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
rather than winning it….
February 10th, 2014 at 4:48 pm
Wtf are u talking about @Barry a lil bit early on a Monday to be drinking don’t u think? Wtf does being black have to do with glennon? Lol so Ur saying that if glennon was black and goofy looking and played the exact same way he wouldn’t be as talked about. um yea he would.ppl would still be split on him. Geno sucked last year and looks goofy too nyj fans don’t buy him much neither And the offensive rookie of the year comment makes no sense bec glennon didn’t win that award and wasnt even close. Dumbest comment award goes to @Barry for the day congrats and enjoy.
February 10th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
I think Glennon showed enough to not worry about acquiring a has been hack to compete for his job. If they aren’t going to trade up for a guy that has that spark like J. football and get more fans in the seats then Glennon is as good as it gets. Don’t waste money on throwaways build the guy a decent line and see what he does. I didn’t think he would be any better than Freeman honestly, but Freeman would not have won those games. Basically buy someone on fire or buy some fire for the guy we’ve got. Lovie didn’t come to Tampa Bay to rebuild, he sees potential in what is there already, so do I.
February 10th, 2014 at 5:33 pm
biff barker:
That is hilarious!
February 10th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
@biff – well played sir
February 10th, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Don’t condone the homosexual part since he hasn’t claimed to be himself but it was funny nonetheless
February 10th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Just curious how good any of the following looked their rookie years:
Troy Aikman
Boomer Esiason
Phil Simms
Tom Brady
Alex Smith
Drew Brees
The list goes on and on of franchise QBs that didn’t look anything close to being a franchise QB in their rookie year.
February 10th, 2014 at 5:51 pm
John Elway was a T E R R I B L E -1st year quarterback
February 10th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
How bout Luck, Wilson, Kaepernick?
February 10th, 2014 at 6:46 pm
@biff barker Says:
A purple homosexual alien?
I thought he was riding the pine in Minneapolis.
Priceless!!!
February 10th, 2014 at 7:07 pm
@Bobby M. Says:
Just curious how good any of the following looked their rookie years:
Troy Aikman
Boomer Esiason
Phil Simms
Tom Brady
Alex Smith
Drew Brees
The list goes on and on of franchise QBs that didn’t look anything close to being a franchise QB in their rookie year.
So, Bobby, what you are saying is that because Glennon sucked we can expect him to be as good as Brady, et al? Will this start next year, or do we have to wait a while?
I wonder if the Bucs scouts know of this means of predicting franchise QB success?
February 10th, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Barry Says
“If Glennon wasn’t white”
Get back under your white hood…
February 10th, 2014 at 7:31 pm
@Barry – you do realize that there are sites that you can go to where you will find like minded people and won’t be roundly admonished for being a racist buffoon. Just to be clear on the issue, you absolutely are just that, make no mistake. I bring this up to cordially invite you and your brother in idiocy, sombrero bro, to take your hate filled foolishness to some dark corner of the internet where you can sounds off to each other about how it’s racial issues that are holding you back from what you want in life and not the fact that you’re a mouth breathing neanderthal
February 10th, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Most of the those QB’s with bad first years were top prospects coming out of college, and had high expectations as a result. Not to mention the game was different back then. The way the game is today, rookies have a much greater chance for success, and they have. We don’t have much tied into Glennon, in either draft status, pay, or regime. Solid may not be good enough anymore. But let’s not be crazy and compare him to hall of famers. For every player that started poorly and ended up great, I can list 20 that started poorly and ended terribly.
February 10th, 2014 at 8:35 pm
I think Glennon has all the tools EXCEPT escapability which to me is just to big to overcome without elite compensation in all his other areas ala a Peyton and I just don’t think our team has the time it will take for him to learn to compensate for it.
February 10th, 2014 at 8:47 pm
@prb – Manning makes up for a lack of “escapability” by having a superb understanding of the game. He didn’t have that his first year. Those who would have us draft a first round, highly rated quarterback are overlooking that if glennon gets another year our so under his belt then he’ll have had a similar opportunity to gain that high level understanding of the game and that, couples with all the other tools he already has, will make that high draft pick useless
February 10th, 2014 at 8:50 pm
What about what you just said changes anything I said?
lol
February 10th, 2014 at 8:55 pm
I just said I don’t think our team has the kind of time “I believe” it will take for him to learn to compensate for his lack of escapability.
IMO that won’t just happen in a year or 2 if he even can get all his other traits to an elite level along with an elite understanding of the game.
Just my opinion, we can agree to disagree
February 10th, 2014 at 8:58 pm
It addresses that your solution is not a solution. There’s nobody that’s going to come out of this draft who will be substantially better than glennon, save for the ability to run around a bit. That will delay their understanding of actual drop back quarterback okay, as evidenced by rg3’s struggles to play qb minus his legs, and by the time they figure that part out, if they figure that part out, it’ll be a wash because glennon will have had time to make up for it by being more cerebral. It’ll be a wash. Use the draft pick elsewhere
February 10th, 2014 at 9:17 pm
Sorry for not proof reading. Trying to type while bathing the kids
February 10th, 2014 at 9:37 pm
I’m sorry but I never gave a solution??? Lol
I said our current QB IMO is not the solution and I stated why I think not.
That is all, not really anything else to say.
February 10th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
I guess I assigned to you the default solution that most subscribe to here if they’re not in the glennon camp. I guess it didn’t occur to me that you’d point out a problem without accompanying it with a solution
February 10th, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Anywho, agree to disagree.
That’s my opinion.
As long a Glennon remains a statue back there and whether he is successful depends on if his lineman never get beat I don’t believe he’ll succeed.
If he learns to compensate for that good go Glennon.
I just think in today’s league it take a special talent to make up for not being able to escape the pass rush. And I don’t see that in him.
I don’t want a runner who can sometimes pass either.
I want a pocket passer who can run if need be.
Not saying I see the solution or who it is just saying IMO Glennon has a lot to make up for to be it.
February 10th, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I’ll give ya that. He’s got some growing to do. I think with an offseason to prepare, a pro level coaching staff and healthy pro level players we’ll all see what this guy can really do. And as Mr Brandt, along with others before him mentioned, glennon is deceptively nimble. I think he’ll make it a point to work on that in the off season as well, since he saw how much it was needed this year
February 10th, 2014 at 9:56 pm
@Patrick in VA
you are such a kiss ass, political correctness, make-up kind of guy! LOL
Remember, I told you, you can say anything you want if you follow it by “LOL”
February 10th, 2014 at 10:05 pm
I think that’s the unspoken rule of the internet. Lol evidently stands for liberated of liability
February 10th, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Patrick, that is actually not a fair assessment. I am sorry. Kiss ass, no. Sarcastic, discretely cutting, mocking on an intellectually higher plane, yes. Kiss ass, no.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:10 pm
It’s a shame you are part of the MGM group. What a waste, “lol”
February 10th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
I have hope for you guys on the other side of the fence. I promise the grass is every bit as green as it looks.
February 10th, 2014 at 10:16 pm
@Patrick in VA Says:
Several points:
1) He’s got some growing to do.
MG8 is 6′ 7″. How much growing do you want for him to be a NFL QB?
2) I think with an offseason to prepare, … we’ll all see what this guy can really do.
So, in 2013 he was holding back?
3) And as Mr Brandt, along with others before him mentioned, glennon is deceptively nimble.
Minded?
February 10th, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Its the margaritas. Please forgive me, “lol”
February 10th, 2014 at 11:24 pm
I’m just happy we get to talk about Glennon for the next 3 months or so.
Happy that we all get to keep regurgitating our position when it comes to Mike Glennon. (All sarcasm for those out of the loop)
I blame it all on YOU Joe!
February 10th, 2014 at 11:36 pm
OMg, Buc1987, your back…. lol
February 11th, 2014 at 1:37 am
@1987,
If you’d like, we could all go back and talk about Freeman. That was pretty fun!
February 11th, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Glennon is every bit as mobile as drew brees or matt Ryan. I saw him make some good throws on the run. And yes, he did look awkward going to his left but his mechanics were sound and he keeps his eyes downfield.
And I agree Joe, his no huddle drives were very successful and we’re likely to see a bit more of that with Tedford. There’s no doubt that the coaching held Glennon back last season as did the o line. But the more I study Tedfords past offenses the more I feel like Glennon fits the system to a T. He’ll have the ability to change plays and make quick decisions based in his pre-snap reads.
yes Joe, Glennon lead the worst offense in the league, the worst COACHED offense I’ve ever seen.