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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to upgrade their quarterback position, and they're looking at Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston. That's what Jason Cole of Bleacher Report says today.
The Bucs do not see Mike Glennon or Josh McCown as their franchise quarterback going forward, Cole claims. That's no surprise: after first benching McCown for Glennon and now benching Glennon for McCown, it's obvious that they aren't exactly convinced by either player and that they will want to find an upgrade during the offseason.
That's easier said than done, though. If the Bucs continue to lose game after game after game they'll end up with a top five pick, and have a solid chance at the number one pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Of all the teams vying for the top picks, the Bucs have the easiest season-long schedule, which means they'll win any draft position tiebreakers against teams with similar records.
Both Mariota and Winston would make sense as a top pick. Winston is a very impressive player on the field and probably more talented than Mariota overall, but Mariota's a better athlete, something Lovie Smith value highly, and commits fewer turnovers. And Mariota is squeaky clean off the field -- something that certainly can't be said for Jameis Winston. Of course, both players could stay in school, throwing a wrench in the Bucs' plans -- if they even get a top pick.
Ultimately it's a little early to be talking about quarterbacks and draft position. First the Bucs have to get through the rest of the season, and a little improvement on defense and offense could go a long way without adding a franchise quarterback.