Puzzled By Josh McCown
March 17th, 2014
Yes, the Bucs have raised some eyebrows. First, the Bucs signed — through last night — a grand total of nine new players since the free agency bell rang. Nine! An incredible flurry of activity.
Possibly the most interesting signing was Bears quarterback Josh McCown, a guy who once was cut by then-Bears coach Lovie Smith himself. Then, after landing in Tampa , Lovie proclaimed McCown the Bucs’ starting QB.
This got the attention of Nick Kostos. The executive producer of “Schein on Sports,” hosted by popular sports radio personality Adam Schein, heard on “Mad Dog Radio,” part of the family of sports channels heard exclusively on SiriusXM Radio, offered his two cents on the McCown signings.
Let’s just say Kostos, who also is an NFL columnist for Bleacher Report, doesn’t hold back.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
Yikes albatross.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
I can only surmise two things from the “announcement” of McCown as the starter.
Lovie thinks thats the quickest way to win now.
or
Lovie/Tedford think that eithe Glennon needs to sit while being developed or they plan on bringing in a quarterback in the draft (probably not round 1) that needs to sit to be developed for a year or two.
And it could be both reasons at once because they are not mutually exclusive.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:46 pm
You have to take a QB if one is there at #7. It’s just the proper move and gives stability for the the future. McCown is not young. I would start the year with McCown and groom the rookie behind him.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Could it be perhaps that McCown was cut for not being able to put things together quite the way Lovie would’ve liked and, with the better understanding and improved play that he was able to display last year with Chicago, Lovie was able to see that McCown was able to figure out what he wanted from him and now he’s ready for him to start? I can’t imagine that Lovie would cut a guy and then be ready to start him at his next job a couple years later without being thoroughly convinced that McCown had fixed what was wrong before. I can attest to McCown being right in saying that there’s no better way to learn something than to teach it. Perhaps the grasp he has on the game now is better than it was before he was cut
March 17th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
Tampabb….that is pretty much how I see it….however, saw a mock having us trade down….maybe with Dallas to 16, drafting Carr in middle of first, and picking up another couple of picks….and that might work well too, picking up a couple of WR’s with those additional picks.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
I said it when they signed Lovie, ya’ll asked begged and prayed for him, now you got him, you can’t complain when our offense looks like it did under Dungy….this is who Lovie Smith is, he undervalues offense so much he over pays for a guy he “likes” not one who can necessarily play the position very well, but he likes him and his personal and religious views. I don’t begrudge anyone their personal or religious views or beliefs, but for cripes sakes, you don’t sign a journeyman QB for $5 mil a season and then without even seeing them compete in camp make him your starter, I hope they have a plan in place for this season when after 5 or so games we’ve seen the best that Josh McCown can offer, because based on his career thats what we’re gonna get.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
There’s absolutely nothing to be puzzled about – we had Kafka and Glennon under contract at QB and needed a vet. McCown was the best available and the one that Lovie had the most familiarity with.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Lovie will have to eat his words when Glennon kills it in camp and the preseason.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:53 pm
Hmm, how come people are so excited to have benched Glennon for Mccown? We still have the 4th best QB in the division.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Ok, so he said he has no problem with the signing, but has a problem with the bucs anointing him the starting QB, but he is not taking several factors into consideration in this 40 second brief video. First of all, I think most teams would be more apt to put a veteran QB ahead of a second year QB with a similar skill set. Experience is always preferred, that’s just life. Second of all, no one knows for certain whether McCown will keep that starting title once the season roles around IF the bucs draft a QB in the first round, or if Glennon beats McCown through competition in training camp. Them naming McCown the starter is just a formality at this early point in time. IMO, I think he will be the starter next season, but that very well could change.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Well, that’s the final nail in the Bucs’ 2014 coffin. If a radio producer and columnist says it then . . .
March 17th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Can we please stop annointing or proclaiming the great defense and bad offense? Can we hold off on how everything is going to look yet? They haven’t even lined up. For all we know McKown could be perfect for Tedford and could be awesome or suck. I remember everyone saying that Kurt Warner was done and sucked then he took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. And they haven’t been able to replace him. So can we just let Free Agency pan out and think about the draft, without the Johnny Football talk. We don’t know that Glennon can’t do it with Tedford. Or he could suck completely. WE DON”T KNOW. YOu are just driving me away from the site with all the crap guessing with no real answers.
We haven’t even put on the new uniforms. WE are becoming a huge Bi-Polar fan base.
March 17th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
@Flmike
I agree with you which is why I think all of this “He’s my QB” is getting over blown and it’s exactly what he wanted to happen. Glennon can use it as motivation to get better. If we draft a QB, same thing. The best QB in training camp will be the starter and I doubt that will be McCown.
March 17th, 2014 at 2:09 pm
McCown is simply at the top of the current depth chart at QB. Nothing more, nothing less. As Lovie said, you have to have somebody at the top of the list at each position. As of today, the top of the our QB list is McCown. After training camp, it could very well be Glennon or the rookie we draft (the only certainty is that it won’t be Kafka). Let’s relax and let it unfold in due time. Go BUCS!!
March 17th, 2014 at 2:13 pm
I collect antique cars. My favorite is a 1957 Mercedes Covt. However, I drive my pickup trucks most of the time because i know i will arrive at my destination.
March 17th, 2014 at 2:34 pm
@flmike Says:
“…you can’t complain when our offense looks like it did under Dungy….this is who Lovie Smith is, he undervalues offense…”
I can go with that to a degree. Lovie is a defense-first coach. But it was also Lovie who gave up two 1st rd picks to trade for Cutler, so that tells me he wants offense. Further proof is taking a year off to examine what he needs to improve about his coaching. I think most of that was looking at offense, hence Tedford. Lovie is never going to be Ernie Zampese or Don Correl (lets just hope Tedford can get close). But Tony won with D, Seattle won with D (against a crazy explosive Payton Manning, too), and the Giants won with D recently.
March 17th, 2014 at 2:41 pm
I think Lovie anointing McCown early most likely points to them having a poor opinion of MG8; I am not hating on Glennon, I just don’t see what else that could mean. If they saw promise in Glennon, McCown is not that great that he would be declared starter before ‘competition’ in camp.
It also means to me that they are definitely going to draft a QB. I would prefer one with the 7th pick – if Lovie sees that kind of potential in Teddy/Johnny, but it may be a later round since Licht seems to prefer “value”
March 17th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
I’m not going to listen to another windbag regurgitate the same tired criticisms… There are a number of promising signs that this offense might be different for once… It’s no guarantee, but I’m going to wait and see before dwelling on the dark side. Meanwhile, let the whining, bitching, arguing, and pointless angst continue… blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
March 17th, 2014 at 2:57 pm
I missed something. Did Lovie say he was going to be the starter for all 16 games?
March 17th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
^^ No he didn’t say that Snook, and that’s an excellent point. Also, he wasn’t fully committed — he said something like “someone has to take the first snaps in OTAs”… So this supposed tabbing McCown as the starter is WAY blown out of proportion, but this kind of non-controversy is what fuels offseason page clicks. The interwebs wouldn’t be what it is without idiots.
Orca, that’s all very nice in your fantasy world. But McCown is the starter. For Lovie, it’s almost more about leadership and trust than anything else. –Joe
March 17th, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Orca…yeah I’m not an MGM member, but the way I heard Lovie talk about the position it seemed to me that McCown was not a definite. Of course one can spin his words how they like, he did leave it open for spinning.
March 17th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
Desperate teams take desperate actions. You know how the media says, “When you miss on a QB with your #1 draft choice, it sets your franchise back years”?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your 2014 Tampa Bay Bucs.
March 17th, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Glennon sucks I don’t understand why it’s so hard for people to understand. He’s not a good qb that’s why ppl are excited for mccown to start. That’s literally how underwhelming glennon is at qb and playing the position that mccown is a welcome change.
March 17th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
I’m with you Orca about all the Blah, Blah, Blah
I find it hilarious how some people want to hold on to the bad past so thigh.
The QB Lovie cut is different than the QB we have today. McCown did a decent job last year.
The 4-12 Bucs team from last year is different than the team we have March 17, 2014. And we are 0-0 right now.
Lovie has a different OC at this moment with different players from his past teams.
Remember Freeman of Oct. 2012 (was on fire) and Freeman last season. He was different wasn’t him?
Maybe McCown will continue to grow from last year. What if McCown is our next Brad Johnson which did enough for us to go to the Super Bowl?
We are being shown change at the moment. Maybe the future will be different? I don’t think we are going in circles here with this new regime.
March 17th, 2014 at 3:42 pm
Hey Harry, I agree with this
“Lovie is never going to be Ernie Zampese or Don Correl (lets just hope Tedford can get close).”
Would totally love to see Don Correl coach in today’s NFL.
March 17th, 2014 at 3:51 pm
MG8 NFL QB rookie of the year. Sets NFL/Team records. Oh yea, he sucks. MG8 in a fair competition beats out McCown easily.
March 17th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
Maybe Deacon Smith forgives …
March 17th, 2014 at 4:13 pm
So an old school head coach annoints a 35 year seasoned veteran the starter over a second year player who started for a 4 – 12 team last year. What is the big deal. He annointed Rex Grossman the starter didn’t he? He might have even had Kyle Orton as a starter once or twice. He is challenging both Glennon (to take the job from a veteran) and McCown (to keep the job), while showing respect to the veteran. End of story.
Joe is just using this info to validate his continued mancrush for Johnny Manziel.
March 17th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
I think it could be a smoke screen (anointing mccown the starter) to either light a fire under glennon or to the possibility of drafting a qb early. I take everything lovie says with a grain of salt now. He is also the man who said revis was important to the team. I wouldn’t want to play him in poker that’s for sure.
March 17th, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Wow where are you guys setting the bar. We’ve seen this movie before!!!
Great defense with a well managed offense.
McCown doesn’t need to be Brees, Newton, or even Johnny Football. He needs to be Brad Johnson!!!
Brad was a very smart player, a class act, great teammate, and an underrated athlete. These are all the same attributes that stand out with McCown.
I don’t mind Johnny Football with the 7th pick. But I certainly don’t want to see him on the field this year.
March 17th, 2014 at 4:54 pm
One more thing: familiarity. He knows McCown, has worked with him in the past, and therefore it makes it easier to deal with him on the football field. He doesn’t know Glennon from Manziel. Glennon needs to earn the job, which I think Lovie will let him do.
As far as the draft, yes we will draft a QB…. in the 3rd round. Let him develop for a year and then challenge the winner of this year’s QB battle. I can see us trading down in the 1st round more and more unless Watkins is still on the board.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Yes, he is the starter… for now, which was my point. It’s not like they’re anointing him and things can’t change. If they draft a franchise QB who learns fast in training camp, or if Glennon outplays him, it could change… It’s my point. Naming him the starter now is not controversial, and people shouldn’t be crapping all over it or thinking it’s necessarily going to stay that way into the season. McCown offers exactly what you say – leadership and trust. So he’ll be taking the first snaps in OTAs and minicamps and training camp until something changes.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
mark2001 Says
“Tampabb….that is pretty much how I see it….however, saw a mock having us trade down….maybe with Dallas to 16, drafting Carr in middle of first, and picking up another couple of picks….and that might work well too, picking up a couple of WR’s with those additional picks.”
I can live with Carr. At first, because I didn’t watch him in college, I didn’t want him because of David. But he’s grown on me a little.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Andrew 1 Says
“First of all, I think most teams would be more apt to put a veteran QB ahead of a second year QB with a similar skill set.”
Uh, no. Most teams either start potential young franchise QBs in their first or second year.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:35 pm
flmike Says
“…you can’t complain when our offense looks like it did under Dungy…this is who Lovie Smith is, he undervalues offense…”
I kind of agree to some extent. But Lovie had time to sit back and watch. He knows the other teams in our division score high points. Even for the Panthers, who had a great offense this year, they had to score more than 24 points in several games to barely win.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Also, back when Dungy was here, the other teams in ours division were not over as high scoring. At first, the Packers were (with Favre; but they also had defense). But the Bears were a defensive team. Later, with the realignment, the Panthers were usually defense, the Saints crappy and the Falcons had Vick (who was a pick machine).
These days, the Saints, Falcons and Panthers can all generate incredible offense and the Panthers can generate defense as well. I suspect that the epic battles in future years will come down to the Panthers and Bucs, both defensive teams. But the Falcons will always have the potential to generate high points.
Seahawks had a great defense, and though the defense did the grunt work, the offense produced as well.
And if the Broncos had at least a little defense, that superbowl may have turned out different. They had NO defense at all. That’s why they are trying to get some now.
March 17th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that most of the teams with questions at QB are signing veteran “bridge” QB’s leading into this draft. They are all scared to death of the supposed top 3 QB’s in this draft, and so am I.
Bortles is green as can be, Bridgewater is an inaccurate bean pole, and Manziel is a total wild card, and they’re all underclassmen coming out early.
QB needy teams are all setting themselves up for developmental QB projects.
San Fran did it with Kapp, Seattle was set up to do it with Wilson until he went ahead and won the job in camp, Philly kind of did it with Foles. It’s a copycat league and nobody wants to waste top picks on QB’s anymore and be forced to start them before they are ready.
There’s a lot more starting QB’s in the league right now that were either veteran FA’s, veteran trade acquisitions, or guys drafted outside of the top 10 than there are top 10 picks. Think about it.
March 17th, 2014 at 6:06 pm
@ Buccaneer Bonzai
Did I ever say that teams wouldn’t start young FRANCHISE QBs over a veteran journeyman? Dont put words in my mouth. The new coaching staff doesn’t view Glennon as a franchise QB at this point, otherwise they probably would have gone with a cheaper veteran QB like Hill.
March 17th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Or if they viewed him as a franchise QB, they would have anointed him the starting position already.
March 17th, 2014 at 6:26 pm
Was it Josh McCown or Marc Trestman that made McCown look so improved?
March 17th, 2014 at 7:23 pm
still better than vick
March 17th, 2014 at 8:45 pm
Let’s hope they go with true competition. Free was horrible on preseason but got the nod. Whoever is competing with Glennon and McCown I hope they go with who performed best in preseason. I hope they draft Jimmy G. they have interviewed him twice so they are interested.
March 17th, 2014 at 9:46 pm
I love all of the for-hire GMs…
March 18th, 2014 at 12:15 am
You do not draft a QB at that 7 spot no matter what. There is no QB that’s worth a high first pick. They’re slated there with so many teams predicted to reach for one! You get a playmaker that’s best available (not just best need), and u grab a QB in a later rd.
March 18th, 2014 at 1:37 am
Bridgewater an inaccurate beanpole? Where do you get your information? Over 68% completion for his career and pretty much identical size to Aaron Rodgers coming into the NFL. So he had a bad Pro Day… Doesn’t change what the kid did for a couple years on the field.
March 18th, 2014 at 10:33 am
Hey Joe! Lovie did say McCown was the starter but he also left open that just because your th start does’t mean a hill of beans!! That tells me that McCown will start the first PreSeason game and that’s it!! Listen to what He said!! Glennon will Likley be the starter for the first regular season game because McCown will lose his job like he as the last 9 years.
Jiminy Christmas! Joe heard Lovie. In fact, Joe was standing 10 inches from Lovie. McCown is the starter. He’ll be treated as such from the day they report on April 7, all the way through learning the offense and into training camp and preseason. He’s the man, unless they draft a rookie that blows everyone’s doors off out of the gate. –Joe
March 19th, 2014 at 10:34 am
knucknbuc Said:
‘Glennon sucks I don’t understand why it’s so hard for people to understand. He’s not a good qb that’s why ppl are excited for mccown to start. That’s literally how underwhelming glennon is at qb and playing the position that mccown is a welcome change.”
Well if Glennon had some help!!! I don’t understand why it’s so hard for people to understand. Works both ways. Oh. BTW. How did it work out for Manning in the SB? The best QB in the league. Why didn’t he make those around him better? Hmmmmm?