Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Season May Hinge on Result of QB Competition

(Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Of all the position battles in football, none have shown the ability to bring a team together or tear a team apart like a quarterback controversy.

Unfortunately this summer in Tampa, the Buccaneers will have to choose one quarterback from a group of five.

But wait, this doesn’t mean that the Bucs are in a horrible situation. This training camp competition is unlikely to tear the team apart as there is no returning veteran starter to cause problems.

Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich, Josh Freeman, Josh Johnson, and Brian Griese will each take repetitions with the offense to decide who will lead the Buccaneers onto the field this fall.

“One bone, five dogs,” said head coach Raheem Morris. “Let the best man win.”

With all due respect to coach Morris, his quote would more accurately represent the situation if he said: “One bone, three dogs, two of you will be holding a clipboard as soon as our first round pick is ready.”

To better understand the competition and get a good idea who should have the early lead, let us take a closer look at each of the quarterbacks.

Josh Johnson

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Johnson was the “Quarterback of the Future” that former head coach Jon Gruden waited to long to acquire.

Coming out of San Diego, Johnson impressed NFL scouts with his athleticism and work ethic. However, there were questions about his arm strength and delivery.

Johnson is a tall, skinny quarterback who played well in mop-up duty during the preseason last year. He completed 10 of 15 passes in limited time, including a 29-yard strike that impressed the coaching staff at the time.

Unfortunately, Johnson found himself at the back end of a log jam of veteran quarterbacks in Tampa at the end of the preseason, and he was relegated to the practice squad.

Johnson will find himself at the back end of a log jam again this season unless his work ethic can make up for the gaps in development between himself and the rest of the quarterbacks on the roster.

Brian Griese

Griese, a 12-year veteran who rejoined the Bucs last year after a two-year stint in Chicago, is a fine locker room presence at this point in his career.

He has taken several steps backward since his 20-touchdown, 70-percent completion performance in 2004, his first year with the Buccaneers.

Last year, Griese appeared in five games, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns while struggling to a 69.4 QB rating.

Griese really does not have a role on the Bucs’ roster this year. Look for him to be cut, possibly as soon as June 1, to give him time to look for a backup role on a contender.

Luke McCown

McCown believed that he was the heir apparent to the starting quarterback position when Jeff Garcia was let go in the offseason, but he has watched the team bring in veteran Byron Leftwich and first round draft pick Josh Freeman since.

This is where the competition gets interesting because McCown should get every opportunity to earn that starting role.

He has a strong arm and a quick delivery, and he showed flashes of solid play in 2007, his first season with the Buccaneers.

That season, in five games, McCown completed 67 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and rushed for nearly 10 yards per carry in limited attempts.

However, while McCown has shown, at times, the physical tools to be a starter in the NFL, he has not produced results. He has compiled a 1-6 record as a starter in his career.

To be fair, four of those starts did come in his rookie year with the 2004 Cleveland Browns, who were 4-12 that season and had the 27th-ranked offense.

If McCown can demonstrate that his skills can translate into wins in the fall, he can certainly win the starting position.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?