With the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota or Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.
Well, we don’t know that for sure. But it sure appears that way, especially after the Bucs cut quarterback Josh McCown on Wednesday, leaving them with only Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato under contract. This year’s quarterback class in free agency is so weak that the Bucs wouldn’t be able to sign anyone better than McCown, and at this point it’s just about inconceivable that they wouldn’t pick Mariota or Winston.
The Tampa Tribune says the Bucs were already locked in on Mariota or Winston even before the decision to cut McCown, even if they’re not totally sold on Mariota as an NFL-style passer, or on Winston as a person they want to be the face of their franchise. Over the next two months, Tampa Bay will spend countless hours scrutinizing the two quarterbacks to figure out which is of greater concern, Mariota’s on-field shortcomings or Winston’s off-field shortcomings.
But it appears that the Bucs are down to one of those two quarterbacks. Either Mariota or Winston is the Bucs’ quarterback of the future.