NFL News: Buccaneers Under Suspicion Of Tanking To Secure Top Pick In NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are under suspicion of deliberately blowing a 13-point fourth-quarter lead that led to their 23-20 loss to New Orleans Saints to secure the top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. According to observers, while the 2-14 Buccaneers may be the kind of team that could collapse in crunch time, the fact that they played with backups when it transpired strongly point to tanking.

The Buccaneers benched wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, pulled out three starters on the offensive line and scratched linebacker Lavonte David, whom Bucs coach Lovie Smith considers the league's best outside linebacker. Furthermore, it never lost in its previous 24 regular-season games where it led by at least 13 points to start the fourth quarter. They entered Saints tussle with a 72-2 record in regular-season games when leading by 13 points or more to open the final quarter. Of course, Smith denied any wrong doing. He said that although the Bucs didn't have their best players in the end, they have a group that could move the ball and win. Smith noted that they had a chance to win as the game approached the final minutes.

Quarterback Josh McCown insisted that there was no tanking involved and that they merely rotated players to give them a feel of the game. He added that the draft isn't relevant to them. The Bucs are expected to draft a quarterback and having the No. 1 pick is expected to end McCown's tenure as their starter.
Jackson, who wants to have an upgrade in their starting quarterback--one who could consistently get him the ball, waived his finger representing the No. 1 sign as he left the field on Sunday. Top quarterbacks available for the 205 draft are Florida State University's Jameis Winston and University of Oregon's Marcus Mariota. It was announced that Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht will attend the Rose Bowl, which will showcase both Winston and Mariota.
The Buccaneers last picked No. 1 overall in 1987 when they took quarterback Vinny Testaverde. The Tennessee Titans, which finished with a similar 2-14 slate, will pick second in the draft due to tiebreakers and are eyeing Mariota, Winston, Leonard Williams or Randy Gregory.