The drafting of quarterback Jameis Winston last year did not signal the end of Mike Glennon’s days as a Buccaneer. Nor did the fact that Winston showed durability in going wire-to-wire as a 16-game starter that threw over 4,000 yards and became a Pro Bowler as a rookie.
Glennon will remain in Tampa Bay through 2016, which is the final year of his contract.
We’ve written about this before, but Bucs general manager Jason Licht told PewterReport.com on the record at the Senior Bowl that he would not trade Glennon this offseason and that he intends for the 6-foot-6 signal caller to be Winston’s backup through the 2016 campaign.
Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Eric Dellaratta/PR
“I would hate to be in a position where your quarterback goes down for however many games it is and then you’re basically throwing the towel in, like a lot of teams did this year,” Licht said. “It wasn’t because they wanted to throw in the towel, that’s just the way it happened, without naming teams. Those were the same teams, a lot of them, that were inquiring about Mike Glennon at the time.”
Ten teams – Tennessee, Cleveland, Dallas, Baltimore, St. Louis, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Houston, Pittsburgh, Denver – were without their starting quarterback for at least four games due to injury last year. Of those teams, four – the Titans, Browns, Cowboys and Ravens – are picking in the top 5 in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Just three teams – the Texans, Steelers and Broncos – made the playoffs, and Denver made it to Super Bowl 50 thanks to quality play from their respective backup quarterbacks.
Licht saw the value of having a capable backup last year when Arizona, his former team, started the 2014 season 9-1 before Carson Palmer tore his ACL. The Cardinals proceeded to go 3-5 down the stretch, including a first-round exit in the playoffs with a 27-16 loss at Carolina, with Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley at quarterback.
“Mike Glennon is just so valuable to us right now while we have him, while he’s under contract, I feel like we have two starting quarterbacks with him and Jameis,” Licht said. “If you just go out and get a mid-round pick for him, the chances of the mid-round pick working out or drafting a quarterback and that pick working out, the odds aren’t in your favor. Unless there’s [an offer] that blows us away, I think you lean towards keeping him and having him on your roster.”
