Josh McCown (12) gets pressured by Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Paul Worrilow (55) during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium last November. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers terminated the contract of quarterback Josh McCown on Wednesday, seemingly clearing the path to select one of the two marquee quarterbacks with the first selection in the 2015 NFL Draft – Oregon’s Marcus Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston.
McCown, 35, signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Bucs last offseason, reuniting with head coach Lovie Smith, who was his coach with the Chicago Bears in 2011. Annointed the starter by Smith upon signing, McCown managed just a 70.5 passer rating with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 11 starts for the 2-14 Bucs, completing 56.3 percent of his passes.
McCown was due to earn $5.25 million in base salary next season.
The Bucs hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, and are widely expected to select between Mariota and Winston. NFLDraftScout.com analysts Rob Rang and Dane Brugler both project Tampa Bay selecting Winston in their current mock drafts.
The only other quarterbacks on the current roster are two-year veteran Mike Glennon and first-year player Seth Lobato.
