NFL Draft Mailbag

Posted Jan 17, 2009 by Luke Easterling

Updated Jan 17, 2009 at 10:35 PM

Kevin (Brandon, FL):

Q: What do you think the Bucs should do this year as far as the Quarterback position? With Garcia being a free agent do you think they will go to the draft to try to find some good young talent, find someone in free agency or should they try to bring up someone like Luke McCown and try to strengthen him at the position?

A: Thanks for the question, Kevin.  I think it’s definitely time to look to the future at that position, and that means the draft.  Top signal-callers Matt Stafford from Georgia and Mark Sanchez of USC will be long gone by the time the Bucs pick, so unless someone really makes a late push heading into April (like Joe Flacco‘s rise last year), I don’t see a prospect worth taking at the #19 pick.  The next best prospect at QB would be Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, and there’s a chance he could end up being that Flacco-type this year.  He’s got great size (6-6, 245), and while he could use a little polish, he’s got all the physical tools that you look for in a future franchise QB.  A lot will depend on his pre-draft workouts and interviews, but he’s the only QB prospect I could see moving up into the latter half of the first round.

Even then, I’m not sure the Bucs pull the trigger on him.  Even if all four of the top left tackles are off the board, I see the Bucs making a safer pick on the defensive side of the ball.  That being the case, the Bucs could be stuck trying to figure out if McCown or Josh Johnson hold any promise for the very near future.  I would be surprised to see the Bucs land a QB through free agency.