Could the Patriots look to trade for Tampa Bay QB Mike Glennon?

Could Glennon be Brady's next understudy? Photo via USA Today Sports

It's well known around the league that the Patriots are looking to add a quarterback this draft. With Ryan Mallett entering his contract year, they could benefit from adding the next quarterback to develop as Brady's backup. The depth of this year's quarterback class has led to additional speculation, with Pittsburgh's Tom Savage, LSU's Zach Mettenberger and Alabama's AJ McCaron all drawing a Patriots-specific buzz.

However, while the Patriots would like to add a quarterback, they don't necessarily need to draft one. They could also acquire one via trade, and one intriguing name who appears to be available is Tampa Bay's Mike Glennon.

A third round pick out of NC State last year, Glennon was unexpectedly thrown into a starting job when Head Coach Greg Schiano jettisoned Josh Freeman early in the season. Considering the tough circumstances, Glennon performed admirably as a rookie, completing 59.4% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions.

However, Schiano and GM Mark Dominik, the two men responsible for bringing Glennon to Tampa, were both fired at the season's end, replaced by Lovie Smith and Jason Licht. The new regime took little time putting their own stamp on the team, signing free agent quarterback Josh McCown and quickly announcing he would be the team's starter. They are also rumored to be very interested in drafting a quarterback of the future this year, and could be a landing spot for Johnny Manziel if he falls to them at #7.

Glennon clearly isn't in the new regime's long-term plans, and drafting another quarterback high could push him entirely out of their short-term plans as well. It's been rumored that the Bucs are asking for a second round pick for him, and it would be surprising if they have any takers for that price considering the depth of this year's quarterback crop.

However, if they do in fact draft a quarterback, their already-low leverage will continue to diminish. At that point, the asking price for Glennon will likely plummet, setting up a scenario where he could be available for a pick in the middle/late rounds.

If that's the case, Glennon could represent a fantastic value for a Patriots team more in need of a steady backup than a future starter. Glennon comes battle-tested courtesy of his baptism-by-fire rookie season, and he has the size (6'6", 225) the Patriots seek in the position. Furthermore, the Patriots have plenty of intel on his skill-set and mental makeup thanks to Belichick's correspondence with Glennon's old coach, Schiano. The Patriots also got a close look at him when they held joint practices with the Bucs last summer during training camp.

Glennon's starting experience at the pro level makes him far less of a gamble than drafting a college QB who may or may not pan out as a pro. Furthermore, it's possible that he'll become available for a far lower pick than what it will take to select a prospect like Zach Mettenberger, Tom Savage or even AJ McCarron. Trading for him would allow the Patriots to address their quarterback need while still holding on to their earlier picks to fill some of the holes on their roster.





What say you, Patriots fans? Would you rather see the Patriots trade for a (somewhat) known commodity in Glennon, or do you prefer selecting one of the many quarterbacks available in this draft? Let us know in the comments and on social media (I'm @therealnedbrady on twitter).