NFL Trade Rumors: Buccaneers talking to teams about Mike Glennon

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are talking to teams about trading Mike Glennon, general manager Jason Licht told the Tampa Bay Times today. Licht denied that he'd been demanding a first-round pick for Glennon, and along the way he confirmed that he had been talking to multiple teams about the potential of a trade for Glennon.

"That's not true,'' Licht said. "I mean, I tell them what I think he's worth. I tell that to teams. I say, "this is what we might consider.' But that's not necessarily true. I don't want to discuss that. I don't want to go public with that.

"It's false that I've been calling every team saying I need a first (round pick). I haven't been calling every team. Even with those that have inquired, it's been 'Let's keep talking.' It hasn't been, "we need this.'

The fact that Licht didn't shut down these talks is a pretty good indication that a January report by Pewter Report that they categorically won't trade Glennon is false. It's also throwing some extra sand into already muddy waters. Two weeks ago, one report claimed the Bucs wouldn't trade Mike Glennon even for a first-round pick, another that they turned down a second-round pick, and a third that they'd take a high third-round pick for Glennon.

If the Bucs don't end up trading Glennon, he'll almost certainly walk away to have a chance at a starting chance after his contract runs out next year. If he signs a big contract and starts a bunch of games, the Bucs could get a late third-round pick as compensation in the 2018 (!) NFL draft. However, they'd only get that if they didn't sign significant free agents in 2017 -- and history suggests they will. That's why they haven't had any compensatory picks since 2011, and no significant ones ever. In other words: banking on a compensatory pick is a fool's errand.

The fact that the Bucs are talking to teams at least means that they haven't ruled out the possibility of trading Glennon. It doesn't necessarily mean anything more than that: talks between teams about potential trades are routine during the offseason, and often little more than exploratory. That was most clearly exposed when some prankster recorded general managers Mark Dominik and Buddy Nix talking shop back in 2013.

Still, trading Mike Glennon would be a sensible move and a likely one. The question at this point is which team is willing to cough up enough for the Bucs to give him up, and what point in the (off)season this will happen.