The Josh McCown experiment is one and done in Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers on Wednesday released the veteran quarterback after just one up-and-down season with the team.
McCown started 11 games in 2014, throwing 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions after signing a two-year, $10 million contract with the Bucs in March. NFL Media's Albert Breer noted that the deal was a pay-as-you-go pact -- devoid of a signing bonus -- meaning Tampa won't suffer a cap hit for releasing the 35-year-old journeyman. The move saves the Bucs $5.25 million in cap space.
McCown threw for just 2,206 yards on a two-win Bucs squad that never found its way on offense after first-year coordinator Jeff Tedford took an indefinite leave from the team for health reasons in September. McCown was brutalized behind a shoddy Tampa line that gave up an outrageous 52 sacks on the year, third most in the NFL.
Coach Lovie Smith's decision to part with McCown can be viewed as another hint that Tampa is primed to nab a signal-caller with the No. 1 overall pick. The future of fellow Bucs passer Mike Glennon is also up in the air, with the two-year veteran being whispered about as offseason trade bait.
McCown is bound to get another job. Thrown into a tank of dangerously mediocre free-agent quarterbacks, one could argue that McCown is a better bridge option for passer-needy teams than Mark Sanchez or Brian Hoyer.
It appears as though it didn't take long for McCown to get a call, either. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per a source who has talked to McCown, that the quarterback has heard from a few teams wanting him to visit, which he'll likely do.
What we saw last season, though, looked more like a longtime backup flying too close to the Florida sun.
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