FanHouse BrianGriese

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Heading into this year's draft, Josh Freeman was considered to have the highest upside of any quarterback entering the NFL in 2009, while also possessing the biggest downside. The Buccaneers, in need of a true franchise quarterback for the first time since ... well, they've never really had one, were not only willing to take the chance on Freeman, but they were also willing to move up two spots to get him.

Kyle Orton doesn't have Jay Cutler's franchise quarterback pedigree. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2005 draft, two years after the Bears had invested a first-round pick in Rex Grossman. And, from the beginning, his role was clear: a raw, strong-armed talent, who would spend the first few seasons on the bench learning the nuances of what it means to be an NFL quarterback.

That lasted up till the moment Grossman broke his ankle in a 2005 preseason game. At the time, head coach Lovie Smith told the AP that "I don't know exactly who there is out there but we like the guys we have right now ... Chad Hutchinson is a good player, we feel comfortable starting him, and Kyle Orton continues to shine as far as we're concerned."

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

Following a disastrous end to the 2009 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone through some pretty significant changes. Gone are head coach Jon Gruden, general manager Bruce Allen and starting quarterback Jeff Garcia.

That's what happens when you haven't won a playoff game since 2002 and closed out your season on a four-game losing streak.

With Jeff Garcia out of the picture in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers' quarterback position is a bit of a question mark. If the season opened right now, the team's starting quarterback would likely be Luke McCown, whom the team recently signed to a two-year contract extension. They also have veteran Brian Griese and 2008 draft pick Josh Johnson on the roster.

According to some of the local scribes in Tampa Bay, there's some chatter around the NFL combine that Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson could be a target in a potential trade.

The signing of Luke McCown earlier this week likely signaled the end of the Jeff Garcia era in Tampa Bay, leaving the team's quarterback situation in the hands of McCown, Brian Griese and Josh Johnson. Not exactly an ideal situation for rookie head coach Raheem Morris.

McCown and Johnson are relatively unknown, while Griese isn't likely to lead his team to the promised land. How should the Bucs address this in the offseason? If you ask Mel Kiper, by taking a quarterback in the first round of the draft.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered this offseason with 13 unrestricted free agents. As of Monday afternoon, that number is down to 12 thanks to a two-year contract signed by quarterback Luke McCown.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL.com, McCown's contract is worth $7.5 million and contains a signing bonus and various other incentives that could make the deal worth as much as $14 million.

Another day, another former Buccaneers player sounds off on Jon Gruden. Following the criticisms from MIchael Clayton and Jeff Garcia, not to mention the report that fans also played a role in the Buccaneers coaching change, former defensive end Simeon Rice sounded off on Sirius NFL radio (via Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk) and tossed Gruden under the proverbial bus. And then ran him over with it. Repeatedly.

Rice started off easy: "You get what you deserve," Rice said. "That's what Jon said. He got it now. Everybody gets what they deserve."

Honestly, that was probably the nicest thing he had to say regarding his former head coach.

Jon Gruden's firing as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers broke late on Friday, a seemingly shocking announcement, given not only the lack of rumors surrounding his job security, but the fact that the Bucs had been contending in the NFC South for almost his entire watch.

But he's gone now, and it turns out that he really, really never saw the firing squad lining up in front of him, according to Jay Glazer.

In the wake of Jon Gruden's somewhat surprising exit from Tampa Bay, there have been quite a few reactions from players and analysts across the league. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk cites a league source that claims several veteran players were fed up with Gruden being somewhat of a "turncoat," and telling guys one thing, and then going and doing the opposite.

Wide receiver Michael Clayton, for example, offered up this comment, courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times:

"How do you build a championship team with all the inconsistency? You have to do it the right way. I've always been a person who feels like you reap what you sow. You have to treat people fairly.'' When asked what he wished Gruden would've done differently, Clayton said, "It's about showing more confidence in your players. He was kind of a turncoat. He'd tell you one thing and then do something else.''

Only in the 2008 version of the AFC West could a team enter week 16 two games under .500, and still have a fighting chance to win the division. That's the position the San Diego Chargers find themselves in, as they bring their 6-8 record into Tampa Bay on Sunday, riding a two-game winning streak in an effort to salvage what has been a rather disappointing season.

A win for the Chargers would keep whatever playoff hopes they have alive, at least until they find out the results of the Buffalo-Denver game. A San Diego win, combined with a Denver loss, would set the stage for a week 17 game (in San Diego) to decide the AFC West champion. It could be quite a party, just so Ed Hochuli isn't invited.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is coming in riding a two-game skid, both of which came against NFC South foes, leaving the Buccaneers in the middle of a free-for-all for the two NFC wild card spots. Still, the biggest problem for the Buccaneers seems to be the fact they're dealing with a rash of injuries, including quarterback Jeff Garcia and linebacker Derrick Brooks. Garcia sat out Sunday's overtime loss to Atlanta, and has been limited in practice most of the week.