Could the Chicago Bears Trade For Mike Glennon?
By Erik Lambert
Dec 29, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8) against the New Orleans Saints during the first half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The loss of Josh McCown has put the Chicago Bears in a bind at quarterback. Could their solution reside on the same team McCown joined?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely to shop Glennon if they get Johnny Manziel
It didn’t take Lovie Smith long to make changes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he was annointed head coach. Among the more surprising ones was immediately seeking out a new quarterback to replace 2013 third round pick Mike Glennon, who performed admirably as a rookie last season. Tampa signed the 34-year old McCown to a two-year deal and named him the starter outright. McCown had tremendous success in 2013 as a backup to Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, scoring 14 touchdowns and throwing just one interception. His experience and connection to Smith made sense. The question at that point was what would they do with Glennon? Thus far initial ideas are he’ll be kept on as a backup but the Buccaneers appear to have different plans. With McCown being their short-term option, rumors continue to persist that the team is heavily considering taking a quarterback early in the 2014 NFL draft. Topping that list is Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel. The general feeling is if the Bucs land Manziel in the first round, Glennon will be placed on the trade block.
Marc Trestman had interest in Glennon before 2013 NFL draft
One great thing about pro football is it never lacks for irony. If TampaBay were to shop Glennon they might find the Chicago Bears, who lost McCown to them, as a willing partner in a deal for the second-year quarterback. At present they have just 29-year old journeyman Jordan Palmer as their backup, a man who has thrown a mere five passes in regular season play. Meanwhile Glennon is considerably younger and already has plenty of starting experience. He was considered by many as one of the best quarterbacks to come out of the 2013 NFL draft class thanks to his strong arm, 6’6″ frame and advanced understanding of a pro style offense. The connection makes more sense when one recalls that the Bears worked Glennon out prior to the draft, signaling that new head coach Marc Trestman had interest in the N.C.State product. Unfortunately he went in the third round where Chicago did not have a pick to use. Suddenly though there may be a second chance for Trestman to get his hands on the promising youth. That of course depends on what the Buccaneers will be expecting in a deal. If it’s in the neighborhood of the third rounder they spent on him last year, it’s unlikely they’ll get a nibble from the Chicago Bears front office. However, if they settle for somewhere in the neighborhood of a 5th or 6th round selection then it becomes more realistic.
Chicago needs depth at quarterback and some youth to learn behind Jay Cutler. Mike Glennon has the ideal combination of being just 24-years old and having starting experience. Things should become clearer as the NFL draft approaches.