We called Mike Glennon this season's best rookie quarterback by far a few weeks ago. That was before Glennon helped Tampa win two consecutive games, including a sensational performance against Atlanta that included 41 points and just three incompletions.
No matter who the team's coach is next year, the organization will have an interesting decision with Glennon. Is he their quarterback of the future?
NFL Films' Greg Cosell believes that Glennon already is ahead of other big name young quarterbacks.
"Mike Glennon is so far more advanced than RGIII playing NFL quarterback that it's not even close," Cosell told WFHS-FM in Tampa this week. "They shouldn't even be in the same discussion."
Glennon's numbers (11 TDs, 4 INTs) are solid, but he's a player you have to watch week-after-week to appreciate. His pocket movement is terrific for a young player. Cosell cited Glennon's veteran-like ability to anticipate throws.
"When your quarterback makes difficult anticipation throws, everything about your offense tends to look better," Cosell said. "For instance, I'll give you an example of a throw that was made this week by Glennon. When he hit Underwood for 20 yards in the second quarter down inside the 10, that was a classic anticipation throw.
"He threw Underwood open. If I showed you the film and froze it just as Glennon was making his delivery, you'd say, 'Who's he throwing it to?' That's a litmus test throw that helps measure future success.
"That throw would not have been made by Josh Freeman. It wouldn't have entered his mind."
Cosell is one of the best analysts in the country because of his experience and dedication to watching film. He's not saying that Glennon will have a better career than Griffin, just that Glennon's development is well ahead at the moment. Griffin's lack of offseason practice after his torn ACL has showed up on the field this season.
Reasonable minds could disagree, but Glennon's excellent start to his career is inarguable. He's played like a first-round draft pick.
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