Mobile QB for the Bucs?

After reading this article from Bucs Nation, I thought about the approach that Lovie Smith will take with his offensive signal caller.

Head coach Lovie Smith has expressed his respect for teams like this past year’s Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, particularly mentioning how their teams, lead by strong defenses, put them in great position to win games. While Smith clearly wants to build a dominant defense in Tampa which could compete with those other teams, there is another similarity that he could eventually attempt to adopt as well: that of a mobile quarterback.

With the age of the mobile QB among us—and Russell Wilson’s display of mobility on the biggest stage—one must wonder if Lovie has given thought to bringing in a more mobile QB that Jeff Tedford can develop. The trade of Mike Williams should almost certainly knock Johnny Manziel out of the discussion, as WR now becomes a huge need and grabbing a top-flight receiver should be a priority. After Manziel the most mobile QBs in the NFL draft may be Derek Carr, Logan Thomas and Tahj Boyd. Unfortunately (for Tampa Bay), Carr looks like a pretty good bet to go in the first-round, leaving only mid- to late-round QBs who may fit into the category of “mobile” QBs.

Now, before I go further, let’s clarify something: I believe there is a difference between a mobile QB and a scrambling QB. While scrambling QBs (i.e. Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, etc.) are mobile QBs, not all mobile QBs are scramblers. For example, QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Drew Brees are considered “mobile” because of their functional mobility in the pocket, combined with the ability to pick up yards on the ground when things are breaking down, but even when they decide to run the ball, no one mistakes them for the Roger Griffins and Michael Vicks of the league.

If Lovie is truly attempting to build the Buccaneers in the mold of the teams mentioned above, he may be in the hunt for a mobile QB of his own. Josh McCown has flashed decent mobility in his career, but is now 34 years old and has likely lost some athletic ability. On the other hand, Mike Glennon is a statue, exhibiting the mobility of a man stuck in quicksand.  There is a possibility that Lovie will attempt to bring a more athletic player in at the position, possibly as a third-stringer who will compete with Glennon in the future.

The Mystery of the Tedford Offense

As the article identified, Lovie Smith has played with QBs who are considered mobile, most recently Jay Cutler; however, the moniker that Jeff Tedford has used often since being named the offensive coordinator is “speed in space.” The interpretation may vary, but Tedford is seen as somewhat of a QB guru (due to QBs that he’s coached being drafted into the NFL) and offensive genius. Many have speculated on the type of players Tedford wants/needs in his offense for it to work efficiently, but no one really knows; however, there is one player who I’d like the Buccaneers to bring in as a project for Tedford to groom. He’s a big, mobile QB with some question marks surrounding his accuracy and decision-making, but has flashed potential as a playmaker who can use both arm and his feet as weapons. Josh Freeman. No, just kidding. The player I’d like to take a chance on, if he’s available, is Terrel Pryor.

Now, before anyone assumes that I’m out of mind for suggesting Pryor as a potential started, please take a look at the skillset he offers at the position, the progress that he’s made in his short career and the poor position that he was placed in last year as he started nine games for the Raiders. Below is a YouTube highlight video to entertain you, and give you more insight on the skillset that I’m intrigued by.

To be clear, there has been no reported connection between the Buccaneers and Pryor, but I believe he’s someone Licht and Lovie should take a chance on. He’s only 24 years old, is one of the best athletes at the position and has shown progress and playmaking ability. He wants to compete and wants out of Oakland. Bringing him in under the premise that he’ll have an opportunity to compete for a starting job in 2015 would not be a bad thing.