The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Should Trade Up in the NFL Draft to Secure a Franchise Quarterback

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (left) introduces quarterback Andrew Luck (Stanford) as the first overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won four games in 2013 thanks to the improved play of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon. The NC State product had a couple of good games against bad pass defenses, and it boosted his profile to fans and the national media.

However, the Buccaneers cannot let a couple of wins fool them into keeping around a quarterback who led the worst offense in the NFL. Geno Smith and the Jets, Chad Henne and the Jaguars, and Matt McGloin, Terrelle Pryor and the Raiders had better offenses than the Bucs.

Were the struggles on offense entirely the fault of Glennon? No, obviously not. The NFL is a team game.

But it’s said by many analysts and experts that a good QB can cover for the holes and weaknesses on an offense. Mike Glennon was unable to do that, and the Buccaneers’ offense was miserable as a result.

And while Glennon may improve over time, there’s no guarantee that he will. Just see Josh Freeman for proof that not every quarterback has steady improvement over their career.

Instead, the Buccaneers should consider every option available to them to trade up in the NFL Draft and secure a franchise quarterback for the future. Even if that means trading all the way up to number one.

According to ESPN, the Houston Texans are considering trading down from the top spot in the draft. The first task for the new general manager of the Buccaneers should be to call the Texans and ask them what price tag they place on the first pick, and make a solid offer to move up and own the most coveted pick in football.

That pick would allow the Buccaneers to select Teddy Bridgewater from Louisville, who I believe is a future franchise quarterback on par with Aaron Rodgers. Bridgewater has almost every tool an NFL quarterback needs, and he’s by far the best option in this draft.

It would cost quite a bit to move up from the seventh pick to the first pick. But it can be done, and it would be worth it to get a franchise quarterback in Tampa Bay for the first time in team history.

The Buccaneers have a lot of talented pieces on both sides of the ball, and the the cap space to add a couple of veterans this offseason to complete the roster for Lovie Smith’s first season in charge. All they need is the right man under center for Smith and offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford to groom into a franchise quarterback capable of leading the Buccaneer offense to new heights.