Morris okay with doubts about Bucs QBs

Raheem Morris faced a steady blitz of questions this morning about the Bucs' mediocre quarterback position.

Luke McCown is 1-6 as a starter and threw one pass last season, Josh Johnson is a second-year pro and basically red-shirted as a rookie and veteran Brian Griese hasn't been under center on opening day since 2005.    

Why should anyone believe they can be successful?

"To be honest with you, you shouldn't,'' Morris said at the NFC coaches' breakfast. "You've got to create the doubt. You've got to create the myth. Those guys have got to step up to the forefront. One of those guys have got to emerge as the guy. When that happens, we won't have this discussion. We'll all know.

"Nobody knew who Matt Cassel was until Matt Cassel got a chance. Who are we kidding? Nobody knew who Tom Brady was until 'Mo Lewis knocked out Drew Bledsoe on the sideline. Nobody knows these guys. You're never a good quarterback in this league until you get an opportunity, then you either go out there and you either fail or you become Matt Cassel or Drew Brees or Phillip Rivers.''

Morris said the Bucs plan to add a fourth quarterback either through free agency, a trade or the draft. Tampa Bay attempted to trade for Denver quarterback Jay Cutler a few weeks ago. Morris wouldn't comment on Cutler. 

"You're exactly right,'' Morris said. "Nobody is proven. We're going out there and we're fighting and letting them battle. May the best man put his cleats in and may the best man win. You've got one bone for four dogs. Let them go out and fight this thing out.''

"We've got two unproven guys. Luke McCown, who's started six games, won one. he has a bunch of talent that we see every day that you don't. We've got a guy in Josh Johnson who should have been a second-round pick byt absolutely bombed at the combine and became a fifth-round pick. He improved this off-season. That's the stuff you didn't see. We've got a guy, Brian Griese on our staff, who has played in a bunch of games. He's been a part-time starter, he's been a full-time starter, bounced into a couple games, won a couple games, got us off to our 9-3 start, helped us do that last year as a veteran. We want to add one more (quarterback) for competition.''

The Bucs have the 19th overall selection -- and despite huge needs on defense -- Morris said they wouldn't hestitate to use it on a quarterback. Georgia's Matthew Stafford and Southern Cal's Mark Sanchez will be long gone by then. One possibility is Kansas State's Josh Freeman, whom Morris is familiar with having been the Wildcats' defensive coordinator in 2006.   

"Hey man, obviously you've got targeted positions you've got to get,'' Morris said. "The number one in these league probably for everybody except for four teams is quarterback. If you've got an opportunity, if you feel a guy is a franchise guy, if you've got confidence in the guy, you take him. You take him and you have no reservations about. At Indy, I don't know who played linebacker, d-tackle, secondary, anything -- when they took Peyton Manning. I couldn't tell you who played those positions for them.

"Where ever it falls right now, especially being at 19, you have no idea. You sit there, you can put your board together and then trades happen. People move up, people move back, people jump you. You have no idea. He might not be in your type 90, but (a team) took him to see if they could stump Mel Kiper.''

Morris, 32, is the youngest coach in the NFL and already has released players like Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn and Cato June. With all the turnover, he was asked if he felt he would be given enough time to right the Bucs' ship?

"This is not a time business,'' Morris said. "This business right here you either win or you lose. You get your shot or you go home. The turnover is not as much as you think. Part of the reason people get so concerned about a player like Derrick Brooks, like Warrick Dunn, like an Ike Hilliard being let go is that they don't know your young players. And the reason they don't know your young players is because they haven't gotten a chance to play.''

 

 

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Comments

[Erick]

While it is ok to be a bit worried, as I am, we should also give these guys a chance and see what the young players can do. Drafting a QB in the first round will be a mistake but hopefully they will make the right decision.

[Leo In Canada]

Without ever being a head coach for a game in the NFL, it is impossible to grade Coach Morris' competence. I have to give him credit for his sense of humor though. Some of those comments he made are beyond laughable. Is there any way you could decipher them for us Rick so we could know during which statements he had his tongue planted firmly in cheek?

[Steve]

Everybody, Just hope for the best, and prepare for the worst record in the NFL

[Jay]

I'm actually quite ok with Luke as our starting QB. He struggled at times with dumb decisions when playing for Gruden, but the truth is, he's a good player, who has all the assets to be a great one. Give him a chance. This year's draft won't yield anything for us in that position, so why not build the other parts of the team and give McCown the best possible scenarios to succeed?

[OAR]

I personally don't mind the qb situation either, but I did read this earlier and it's kinda of scary:
DANA POINT, Calif. — What’s the reason for the infusion of younger head coaches in the NFL?

Thirty-two-year-old Raheem Morris, the new coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has a simple answer: Blame it on John Madden. But that’s not because Madden, himself, was 32 when he became coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1969.

“Ever since he made that video game, everybody thought they could be a coach,” Morris said during this morning’s NFC coaches-media breakfast at the league meetings. “You’ve been creating your own team, you’ve had your own fantasy leagues, you’ve been doing salary caps since you were 12. He ruined the league for the older coaches.”

How much Madden Football did Morris play as a youth?

“Are you kidding me?” he said. “I majored in it in college (Hofstra University).”

[Greg]

If you majored in it then you have to believe that Harvin, if on the board is the game breaker 19th pick that should not be denied if you want to move the offense into the next level. Or, would your OC rather have an A-train?

You are a good enough D-coach to make this work with Bates without taking your first pick. Best available at 19, if Harvin, is the most exciting game breaker we will need to win, fill seats and build for the future. Speed baby.

[Greg]

If you majored in it then you have to believe that Harvin, if on the board is the game breaker 19th pick that should not be denied if you want to move the offense into the next level. Or, would your OC rather have an A-train?

You are a good enough D-coach to make this work with Bates without taking your first pick. Best available at 19, if Harvin, is the most exciting game breaker we will need to win, fill seats and build for the future. Speed baby.

[Fugilebrity]

McCown is 1-6 as an NFL starter. We know what he can (and can't) do.

Griese has been around the league for years. There is about as much of a chance of him leading the Bucs to the Super Bowl as Steve DeBerg had leading whichever town he was keeping the QB seat in.

[Jay]

Oh really? How did Peyton Manning do his first seven games? How about Steve Young? Brett Favre? Maybe even Troy Aikman? Because really, a professional QB's first seven starts are really what determine if he's a Hall of Famer or not.

Oh... wait.

[conradbuff]

if brady quinn is gona cost less than cutler why is there still talk about aquiring jay cutler? hell id take quinn over cutler even if the asking price is the same. id rather not see the bucs trade for a qb tho luke will be fine

[JJRodriguezExaminer]

The draft is only a month away...

http://www.examiner.com/x-1639-Tampa-Bay-Buccaneers-Examiner~y2009m3d26-Tampas-first-round-dilemma-offense-or-defense

[Mike/Orlando]

I appreciate Raheems enthusiasim however he's not the one paying $1,000 a seat. That's why I will watch the boy wonder rebuild from the couch from now on. I really do wish he and the team the best. My decision is more economical. Don't get me wrong Im not hurting for money It's just simple economics. 2 tix,($2,000) parking($250) food&Drinks($250.) Thats a 42" High Def, 400 chicken wings 12 cases of beer and a gallon of Jack Daniels. Row 1 Seat A no line at the pisser..

[D Block]

Mike/Orlando
Lmao i love the statement!!!U are so correct i'm not going to the games either. But it's not because of cost it's the beer lack of liquor and them long lines at the pisser! I like instant replay and DVR

[willem]

I hope we dont draft a QB cz I think freeman has no more upside then JJ or mccown, I hope we draft a line backer with my prefered pick to be mualuga, I think he can become a centerpiece together with ruud, plus I like the passion and play making style he brings to the position he makes players flinch just with his presence, I think he can be for the bucs what merriman is for the chargers.
One more thing I was lobbying for phillips to return but not as a LB I cant see the point, why move one of the best Safeties out of position, we have the best 3 man safety rotation in the NFL.

One more what do you guys think we can recieve for our first round draft pick if we trade it away, cz fair enough missing a 2nd pick kinda hurts us with so many needs

[aj]

I'm not sold on USC LB's. Not that one isn't good, but there's no way all three are 1st rounders. The scouts have to have screwed up and there is serious bust potential there. If USC had three 1st round quality LB's they would have shut everyone out last year. So the question is which 1/2 of them are major busts and people haven't seemed to be able to figure that one out yet.

What the Bucs could get to trade down depends on who falls to 19. There are a couple teams with 2 2nd rounders, so it's possible. The G-Men have a pair of deuces and may look to move if they can get Harvin or Bey.

[OAR]

Good interview with Josh Johnson:

http://www.pewterreport.com/articles/view/5336