Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rumors: Johnny Manziel, trading down
Johnny Manziel runs the shuttle dash during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of a few teams heavily involved in the Johnny Manziel rumors that are sweeping the pre-draft hours, and Tony Pauline reported yesterday that it’s the Buccaneers ownership- and not Lovie Smith, who was once thought to be interested in him- that wants to draft Manziel, whereas Smith would like to take DT Aaron Donald, who would join the current standout starting duo of Gerald McCoy and Clinton McDonald.
More from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2023 NFL Season: NFC South shaping up to be an exciting division
- 2023 NFL Season: 3 teams who are already doomed
- Ranking the 5 best NFL uniform changes for the 2023 season
- Baker Mayfield gets big endorsement from Buccaneers teammate
- 2023 NFL Season: 3 major in-season trades that could go down
FOX Sports’s Jay Glazer reports, via Rotoworld, that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t take Manziel with the seventh overall pick in the draft, and I believe that this is the most likely course of action. The Buccaneers could use a quarterback this year, because Josh McCown is more of a great backup/stopgap, and Mike Glennon is more of a trade piece than a franchise QB to the Buccaneers new regime. Although the Buccaneers can wait on a QB with McCown and Glennon on the roster (Glennon’s spot is tentative at this point due to the trade rumors), Derek Carr is another possibility for the Buccaneers at seven.
But it seems like the Buccaneers priority could be to trade down in this year’s draft. The NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported that the Bucs have been in discussions to trade down, and 620 WDAE’s Tom Karsniqi reports that the Buccaneers have been “fielding calls” about moving down. Per Karsniqi, the Bucs “primary objective” is to get a “fair deal” from a “willing partner”. With not many buyers in this year’s draft, every team looking to trade down is striving for this.