Wonder if Jon Gruden is watching

I'm sitting here in the press box at Dolphin Stadium in Miami where 23-year-old rookie QB Joe Flacco is handling himself just fine for a guy playing in his first playoff game.

Win or lose, the Ravens have a foundation on offense that they can build upon, and that's because the most important piece is in place: the quarterback.

Flacco was the 17th overall pick last April -- certainly not a can't-miss, Matt Ryan-like choice. There was a chance the move might not work out. The Ravens were planning to let him sit for a year until injuries to Kyle Boller and Troy Smith forced him into action.

But the bottom line is, Baltimore had conviction about the kid, and it went for it.

Bucs coach Jon Gruden says Tampa Bay hasn't had an opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback. To some extent, that's true. But picking a quarterback in the fifth round as they did with Josh Johnson last year isn't showing conviction about a guy. That's more along the lines of taking a chance on a kid who the franchise admits is a project.

Jeff Garcia will soon be 39. Brian Griese isn't the answer. Luke McCown is a free agent and plans to look elsewhere for work. Johnson remains a work in progress.

So, is this the year the Bucs make a play for the franchise quarterback everyone is clamoring for? I'm not sure, but the Ravens certainly are making a compelling case.

Comments

[D Block]

Matt Cassell has been franchised cause Brady will be out 4 a while possibly another season. U don't need 2 ride the bench for 3-4 yrs to play in a system. Gruden's complex system is overrated, over 7 different QB's none have put up more then 20 TD's. The bucs have not been ranked in the top 10 of Offense more less then the top 5 where the real offensive guru's & geniuses reside yr end & yr out.

[Ish]

D Block, I agree about Johnson, we've just had a LOT of folk here complaining about everything the Bucs do or do not do.

[Daisy]

With the tough sked next year, the porous O line, the lack of a pass rush and run blocking, the "Get Burned" secondary, only one running back, only one receiver (Maybe), goofy play calling, Gruden's Dog House the lack of
Gm to get free agents and Gruden's lack of judging talent, the draft will be a mess as usual! 2009 will be a very challenging year at best! "8 and 8" at BEST!

[OAR]

Larry(and all the other hater/doubters), well let's see on offense there was Pittman, Jurvious, McCardell, Dilger, Dudley, Charles Lee, Travis Stephens, Battaglia, R. Johnson, D. Barnes, Goodspeed, Cornell Green, Kerry Jenkins, R. Oben, M. Walker, Lomas Brown, and Ryan Benjamin & Tom Tupa(well special teams).
And on defense was Ryan Nece, Jermaine Phillips, J. Golden, R. Warner, T. Wansley, Greg Spires, Corey Smith, D. Claybrooks, and Buck Gurley.
As for how many snaps they took, well gee, hard to know exact counts, but I can say looking at the list they all had apart(except Marquise Walker).

[Robert]

I think alot of us have great points and ideas here. OAR your list of players brought in by Gruden was interesting. You make a good arguement. About the fans in Tampa, I think it goes both ways. I think there are some real idiots at the games who didn't start showing up until the BUCS started winning. And if you weren't showing up chances are you couldn't see them on T.V. BLACKOUTS just about every Sun. Then you have fans who have been around since the beginning and have supported this team throught thick and thin. You also have people like me ages 18-25 who have grown up here and love the bucs also. We were pretty young when the BUCS were horrible and only have seen them win. I think people have to start excepting we won't be in the playoffs every year, but as long as progress goes forward and not back things are Okay. I am not ready to cast off Gruden, but I think we he fans need to show that we support him and support him tucking away his EGO and developing a franchise QB. If it is Johnson then great, but if not we need to find that guy. I think Cassel is a good idea or the draft. If you get 2 hungry young guys fighting for 1 spot I think it could work well. Anyway, I think that we as fans, should be fans, and not worry so much about what we can't control. I think we should support the guys we have and let them know that the so called BANDWAGON fans in Tampa care about there team and support them through thick and thin! The BUCS need a strong foundation and we the fans are part of it!

[Robert]

If you haven't already you should check out the videos on Johnson. It looks like we may quietly have our guy already. I hope Gruden develops this kid and he getss his shot