Jason Licht, Lovie Smith appear headed to Rose Bowl

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers securing the first overall pick today, we can start (continue) the debates over who they should draft: Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston or someone else. Those same conversations will be held within the walls of One Buc Place, too, so it's notable that general manager Jason Licht will go to see Mariota and Winston in the Rose Bowl. And Lovie Smith may come along, too. Or so Licht told the Tampa Bay Times.

This should surprise exactly no one, and it won't be the last time the Bucs evaluate either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. Assuming both of them come out for the draft, that is. Background checks, interviews, tape reviews, private workouts, discussions with coaches, combine performance and much, much more. The Bucs are only at the start of a four-month long evaluation pipeline.

But first, the Buccaneers have to find a new offensive coordinator. Whoever that is will have some impact on the Bucs' choice at number one, and that hire may be more important for the Bucs' future than anything else they do this offseason.