We're still a couple months away from the 2015 NFL Draft, but to hear certain pundits and members of the media tell it, some things can already be written in stone.
Chip Kelly will try to trade up for his former Oregon pupil, Marcus Mariota. The Oakland Raiders will pick a high-impact wide receiver. The Cleveland Browns will make an unfortunate decision.
And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select a quarterback.
That last one is probably the only one there really isn't any question about. After the Bucs announced the decision to part ways with veteran quarterback Josh McCown this week, talk has begun to build that head coach Lovie Smith will also look to jettison Mike Glennon, clearing the way for whichever signal-caller - Florida State's Jameis Winston or Mariota - the Bucs decide to take first-overall in April.
The merits of each young quarterback have been discussed at length already this offseason, but at least one NFL pundit - Fox Sports' Mike Francesca - believes the decision has already been made by the Bucs brass and it's Winston by a mile - assuming he keeps his nose clean.
"They're going to sign Winston. They're going to draft Winston No. 1 unless something happens like Winston decides to rob a 7/11 or steal some more crab legs or whatever," Francesca said on Fox Sports Live. "The bottom line is, unless he does something really stupid, he is going to get drafted No. 1. So, as long as he doesn't have a propensity for any of the ridiculous actions we've already seen out of him, he will be drafted No. 1."
As Francesca notes, Mariota was the consensus No. 1 during the year, but now that the NCAA season has ended and the NFL has turned its attention to the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston has risen and Mariota has fallen.
"If you watched the two you were going to know, I've been telling everyone all year, that Winston was going to be the first player picked because he was the better pro prospect of the two and Mariota is going to be a high pick, he'll be picked within the first six picks I believe, but Winston's going to go first to Tampa."
Not only does Francesca believe the Bucs will draft Winston, he also believes they'll trade Glennon and install Winston as the starter immediately.
"I think they're going to play Winston right away. They're not going to sit him on the bench."
