When the Buccaneers took quarterback Mike Glennon in the third round of the NFL draft, it was seen by some as a message that if Josh Freeman doesn’t have a strong season, the Bucs could be ready to move on when Freeman’s contract expires at the end of the year. But Bucs coach Greg Schiano says there was no such message.
Asked in an interview with Trey Wingo on ESPN what message the pick sent, Schiano said it sent no message at all.
“I don’t think any message -- there certainly was no message being sent,” Schiano said. “We felt we needed to have quality depth at the quarterback position. Certainly, Mike does that. I really like our setup now: We have Josh as the starter and Mike can learn the offense as a backup.”
Schiano said he has been a fan of Glennon’s for years, since Schiano tried to get Glennon to play for him at Rutgers.
“We did an extensive study on all of the quarterbacks that were coming out,” Schiano said. “We really saw a lot of things in Mike Glennon that we thought fit our system, including the kind of guy he is. He brings a high level production from his years at North Carolina State, and I go back to recruiting him out of high school, so I have a good feel for him as a person.”
It may not be intended as a message, but Freeman has to know that there’s a chance that Glennon will be his replacement.