This is the time of year where no rumor is too preposterous to be dismissed out of hand. Partly because we're so far away from the draft and the finalization of rosters that anything's possible, and also because there's not much else going on now that the 2007 season is officially over.
I figure it's a coping mechanism to help fans make it through the month of February, or at the very least, make it to the combine, which starts in nine days.
Michael David Smith wrote yesterday that the Buccaneers could be in the market for a franchise quarterback with their first-round pick. There's no urgency to fill the position -- Jeff Garcia is penciled in as the starter in 2008 -- but beyond next season who knows.
With the Bucs selecting 20th overall, the pickings are sure to be slim; Matt Ryan will be long gone, and after that there's no bona fide quarterback on the draft board (at least as of mid-February). Another option is free agency. But again, there's not much to choose from. Doesn't mean it hurts to look, though:
The guy to keep an eye on is Daunte Culpepper, who struggled in his only season with the Raiders. Remember, the Bucs met with Culpepper in Tampa last year, and Gruden is intrigued by his arm strength and accomplishments. ... [H]e has completed 63.8 percent of his career passing attempts, a figure that stands out to Gruden. And the Florida native might welcome a return to his home state.It's not a completely insane idea. In fact, it's a pretty sensible one. Investing a first-round pick in a quarterback is pretty risky; a veteran-minimum contract (or close to it) packed with incentives is about as safe as it gets. Culpepper isn't the long-term solution, but if he can ever get completely healthy, he's good for another four or five seasons.
It's also worth remembering that Tampa Bay won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson, a weak-armed quarterback with a so-so NFL career. Even if he never returns to his Pro Bowl form, Culpepper can be a very good quarterback.
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