Gerald McCoy Wants to Get Buccaneers Players, Fans on Same Page Ahead of Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but All-Pro defensive tackle and team leader Gerald McCoy doesn't care whom the team eventually selects. 

He is interested, though, in how the team's fans feel about the crucial selection. 

Quarterbacks continue to dominate the discussion regarding the Buccaneers' options for the first selection. 

Will general manager Jason Licht select Florida State's Jameis Winston or Oregon's Marcus Mariota? 

The players in the Buccaneers locker room are far less concerned with the team's impending decision. Opinions aren't readily available regarding which future signal-caller the current members of the team prefer. 

“As for my perspective, I honestly don't have one," McCoy said. "Even if I did have an opinion, it wouldn't matter. They're going to pick who they want. When they bring in whoever it is, I'll welcome them like family and tell them, 'Let's go win a championship.' That's how I see it.

“If they make a pick and I don't like it, you would never know it, because they're my teammate now and I'll welcome them like family. I'd just make the best of it."

It's an entirely different frame of reference for those already on the roster. 

Whichever quarterback is eventually selected won't be treated like a franchise savior once he steps into the locker room. Instead, the veterans already know it's a 50-50 chance at best that the No. 1 overall pick will even succeed in the league. 

"We just go about our business," McCoy said. "We don't get caught up with controversial topics in the media. It doesn't affect us. If a conversation is held between us, it's really about, 'Hey, that dude can play. Or, that dude can play as well. Or, I like this about him. Well, have you seen this guy? No, I haven't seen him. What's he about?' That's really how the conversation goes in the locker room more than, 'Hey man, I think if we got this guy he'd do this for us.' If you're not part of the NFL, it's kind of hard to understand how it works. You never know what can happen.

"Everything is 50-50 in the draft. Either you're going to be good, or you're not. It's simple as that. We look at the college players more as entertainment like, 'These guys can really play.' Or, we look at them as, 'Y'know, I think that guy could have a really good career in the NFL.' That is really what they do for us.

“Honestly, we have the team we have. All we can discuss is what we can during the upcoming week not really what we could do if we only had such and such player. But we don't. We don't know who is going to be here. We talk about we have and how we can make it better."

The fans, though, are certainly entitled to their opinions, and McCoy is interested in hearing from them. 

As part of the P&G Tackle Everything sweepstakes, the three-time Pro Bowler teamed up with Publix, which produces Charmin, Downy and Tide, to allow fans to voice those opinions. 

Below is how the sweepstakes works and the potential prizes: 

The time to vote on Twitter is limited. The contest ends Saturday with a winner being named shortly thereafter. 

“I want raise awareness for P&G products and truly believe their products are the best to take care of your household needs," McCoy said. 

“Also, there is an opportunity to enter a contest if you follow me on Twitter. It encourages fans to enter and really let me know what position the Bucs need to address in the draft. I've been getting a lot of feedback, but I wanted fans to know there is an opportunity to win some great prizes."

Surprisingly, a consensus hasn't formed around the quarterback position as the top selection. 

“When I originally sent out the tweet about what position best fits the Bucs in this draft, many people said quarterback was a no-brainer," McCoy said. "But a lot of people have said offensive line or defensive end are up there, too, which surprised me because it's a quarterback-driven league. Their responses have been surprising."

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Currently, the only quarterbacks on the Buccaneers roster are Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato. 

Lobato spent his rookie season as part of the Indianapolis Colts' and Miami Dolphins' practice squads.

Glennon, meanwhile, is 5-13 overall during his two seasons in the league with a 58.8 completion perception. 

McCoy wasn't ready to commit to either of them as the potential starter, but it's inconsequential to him. 

“We believe we can win consistently with whomever coach puts back there," the defensive tackle said. "There were a lot of things missing last year and a lot of opportunities we missed. I don't talk about the offense, but I will talk about the defense. We had fourth-quarter leads six or seven times last season, and we lost them. When you have a fourth-quarter lead, it doesn't matter what your offense is doing. If you're leading, that means you're winning the game. If the defense then allows the opponent to score, that's why you lost.

“If Mike is the quarterback, he is the quarterback. I'm going to talk about the defense, and we have to be better defensively."

Last season, the Buccaneers finished 25th overall in total defense, 19th against the run and 28th against the pass. 

Statistic	Total Yards	Rushing Yards	Passing Yards	Points Per Game	Sacks
Average	368.9	113.7	255.2	25.6	36 (total)
Ranking	25th	19th	28th	25	21

Last offseason's acquisitions of defensive end Michael Johnson, defensive tackle Clinton McDonald and cornerback Alterraun Verner helped turn the Buccaneers into a chic playoff pick prior to the 2014 season, but it never came together on the field. 

As a result, the team discarded Johnson, safety Dashon Goldson and linebacker Mason Foster within the past few months while acquiring safety Chris Conte, defensive tackle Henry Melton and linebacker Bruce Carter during this year's free-agency period. 

“When you get guys that know the defense already, you bring them in," McCoy said. "It's easier to move forward. But when you have guys that don't know the defense and then look at the defense, it seems like some players are out in the middle of nowhere. But if you just do your job, you find out there are 10 other islands surrounding you. It makes you feel comfortable when you know that's going to happen and trust it. I think guys are starting to learn it and know it. The coaches and general manager brought some great guys in that know the defense. I think we'll be successful."

Conte and Melton previously played under Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith during his time with the Chicago Bears. Carter, meanwhile, was an integral part of the Dallas Cowboys' version of the Tampa 2 defense under the watchful eye of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. 

The difference with these veterans in the lineup is there will be accountability and reliability along every level of the team's defense. 

During Tampa Bay's first season under defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, individuals didn't approach the game with a team mentality. As a result, the unit couldn't rise above its individual parts to become a cohesive group. 

“It was a combination of guys not really knowing the defense and some guys not fully buying into the defense," McCoy said. "You have a certain job to do. All you have to do is your job. Don't worry about the man next to you. When you don't trust people then you don't trust the man next to you to do his job. That was an issue. We had guys who didn't know the defense. The thing about Tampa is...there is a whole new crop of guys every year. We haven't had any consistency since I've been here. That's been a big problem for us. It's also the NFL. Guys come in, and guys go. You have to try and make the best of your unit."

Along with its free-agent acquisitions, the franchise traded a fifth-round pick Wednesday to the Detroit Lions for the services of defensive end George Johnson, according to Lions.com's Tim Twentyman.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

George Johnson, who spent his first three seasons in Tampa Bay, finally experienced a breakthrough season in 2014 with six sacks. The sixth-year veteran can play opposite another surprise performer from last season, Jacquies Smith, to form a solid starting duo.

"It'll be good to have (George Johnson) back," McCoy said. "He's matured and grown as a player since he left Tampa. It'll be great to have him around to really help us off the edge. Not only has he grown as a player, he's been in the league six years. He's a vet now. So, he knows the ins and outs of preparation, getting ready for camp, getting ready for games and what to do when the lights come on."

The elite defensive tackle with the quickest first step in football is taking it upon himself to make everyone around him better. 

Multiple Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro nominations mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. McCoy wants to take the next step in his career as a leader and playoff contender. 

“I'm always about my team," McCoy said. "When it's about the team, I always try to take the heat off my team. The defense is only going to be as good as I am. If I'm playing well, the defense will play well. If the defense is not going right, I will take the blame for that. I don't mind doing it, because I'm the leader of the defense. In the Tampa 2 defense, the under tackle or 3-technique is the key to making the defense go. If your under tackle plays well, the defensive plays well. And I'm working hard this offseason to make sure I'm at my best.

“All of those are individual awards, I've never sniffed the playoffs. People looking at leadership in the wrong way. A true test of a leader is not where you're going. It's how many people are willing to follow you. That's what I'm all about now. I'm trying to get guys to get on board, follow me and play the right way.

“A lot of guys went back and forth about what they should and shouldn't do or if they should just do it their way. I spoke with Richard Sherman this offseason. He talked to me about what makes the Seattle Seahawks so good. I'm not going to divulge what he told me, but some of the input he provided will be very helpful for us. I hope it can rub off on my teammates. To look at it from a broad point of view, they have a true family setting in Seattle. I'm just trying to lead my team to the playoffs, and until I do that then I really haven't accomplished anything."

In order to accomplish McCoy's stated goal of making the playoffs, the Buccaneers will likely rely on a rookie quarterback to potentially lead them to the promised land.

The veterans on the roster may not care right now about which of the two highly touted signal-callers will be drafted with the first overall pick, but it's a potential franchise-changing decision. One that will be embraced by those within the locker room. 

Tampa Bay thudded to a 2-14 record last season even with an all-world talent like McCoy on the roster. He expects to be better this fall. He expects the team to be better. All his teammates have to do is follow his lead, and the entire organization will be better for it.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.