The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need a quarterback. That much is certain. They need a quarterback in the worst way. This is also certain.
Many fans of the Bucs believe that Mike Glennon is the answer at quarterback. Some (however dwindling by the week) think that Josh McCown can lead the Bucs back to prominence.
Both of the solutions above are wrong, and it is not because I have a narrow-minded opinion. Both of the solutions above are wrong because the stats say a FRANCHISE quarterback is necessary to have any semblance of sustained success in this NFL.
Just look at the Super Bowl winners since the Bucs Super Bowl victory in January of 2003. Every single one has a franchise quarterback leading them to the top. The list is impressive. It consists of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, and Russell Wilson.
Any sane person with some football knowledge would say that all eight of these quarterbacks make the Bucs incumbent quarterbacks look like junior varsity players.
Some may say that not all eight are franchise quarterbacks, which is a plausible argument. However, all eight were playing franchise-quarterback-level football while leading their team to victory.
The least impressive of the quarterback listed is Joe Flacco. This is even though the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl, he posted a 3800-22-9 stat line and a 1100-11-0 stat line in the playoffs. Tell me you wouldn’t want those stats from a Bucs quarterback.
The easy part is recognizing that you need a franchise quarterback. The Bucs should have already recognized this. Now comes the hard part, picking the quarterback that can compete game in and game out with the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Russell Wilson.
I do not know who that quarterback is. I cannot see into the future, I am not a recognized NFL scout. What I do know is that there are three (yes three) potential franchise quarterbacks that will contemplate moving into the NFL. Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, and Connor Cook all intrigue me. They all have abilities that scream franchise quarterbacks, even if they all need improvement. They give me hope for the future of Bucs football.
The easy part is recognizing you need a franchise quarterback. Now comes the hard part, picking the right one. For the sake of the Bucs, they can’t mess this one up.
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