Oakland’s 24-13 upset over San Francisco sent shockwaves from the West Coast to the East Coast where the 2-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers suddenly have dibs on the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay’s opponents have a 79-86-2 record this season, which gives them the edge in strength of schedule over other 2-11 teams, such as Jacksonville, the NY Jets, Tennessee and Oakland.

Will the Bucs blow this like they have blown the chance to win a handful of games that could have put the franchise in position to win the lowly NFC South division? Let’s hope not.

I’m not suggesting Tampa Bay attempts to lose games. That goes against everything the Glazers, head coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht believe in. Right now the 53 Buccaneers on current roster could care less about the 2015 NFL Draft or the rookies that will be their teammates next year. They want to win, and that’s to be expected.

But it’s officially time to turn the page on the dreadful 2014 campaign, which began with former offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford’s heart issues back in August. The team has legitimately tried to win every game and only come through twice. The Bucs need to forget about the small picture – the remaining three games in a lost season – and look at the big picture, which is 2015 and beyond.

The Buccaneers can accomplish several things during the next three games that will help set the franchise up for success next year. Here are some things that Smith, Licht and the Glazers should consider as Tampa Bay’s 2014 season concludes:

PULL THE PLUG ON DAVID AND McCOY’s SEASONS

It looks like Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David will be out for next Sunday’s game at Carolina after suffering a concussion at Detroit. It’s time to shut him down and not try to rush David back from a concussion for a meaningless game against New Orleans or Green Bay and risk further injury. Besides, Bucs fans feel gypped enough watching football games at Raymond James Stadium – with or without David on the field. The fan base won’t mind if David doesn’t suit up down the stretch if it means he can be fully healthy in 2015.

Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy reportedly dislocated his kneecap on Sunday and actually played through it. It’s time to shut him down, too. Why risk a season-ending knee injury now that could take months from recover from and potentially wipe out some or all of his 2015 campaign?

With $98 million invested in the face of the franchise, it’s too risky for McCoy to play on a gimpy leg and risk further injury for three meaningless games in 2014. If McCoy got into the Pro Bowl with 9.5 sacks last year, 8.5 sacks should be able to get him in for a third straight year.

KEEP STARTING McCOWN AT QUARTERBACK

Backup quarterback Mike Glennon is not the future at the position in Tampa Bay and the Bucs would be best served to keep starting Josh McCown. Smith and Licht and the team’s personnel scouts saw enough of Glennon to decide that in five games. Glennon would best serve the team on draft day next year where he could fetch a third-round pick in a draft that isn’t filled with many quality quarterbacks.

Glennon has thrown 10 touchdowns and six interceptions this year, and has passed for 29 scores with only 15 picks in his two NFL seasons. Those decent numbers, combined with his 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame, should be attractive on draft day for a QB-hungry team. Why cause Glennon’s stock to slip anymore with three more losses to end the season?

CONTINUE THE YOUTH MOVEMENT ON OFFENSE

While rookies Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins have had their chances to impress on offense this year – the receiver more so than the tight end – it’s time for two more rookies to see more playing time. The Bucs remain high on running back Charles Sims and offensive tackle Kevin Pamphile, but both players have only played in stretches over the second half of the season.

It’s time to see what both Sims, who has only rushed for 83 yards on 37 carries (2.2 avg.), and Pamphile can do on a full-time basis. Why not start Pamphile at left tackle and give him some much-needed experience to aid his development for 2015 in some games that ultimately don’t matter? Would he do any worse than Anthony Collins or Oniel Cousins has?

Why not start Sims and give him 20 touches per game down the stretch? Doug Martin isn’t going to be the Bucs’ starting running back next year and will likely be traded on draft day for a late-round pick. Why waste carries on a player who may not be a part of the team’s plans and risk an injury that would hurt whatever little trade value Martin has left?

If Smith implemented those moves – even at the Glazers’ insistence – it would probably ensure a 2-14 finish for the Buccaneers, but go along way to helping the team in 2015 with the players on the current roster – and the ones that will be acquired in the draft. Is there a big difference between a 4-12 record and a 2-14 record?

Not really – only on draft day. And we’ve seen the Buccaneers screw up a prime draft position with a meaningless late-season win or two.

Perhaps the most egregious time in franchise history came in 1988 when a 10-5 win over Buffalo on December 4 and a 21-10 victory over Detroit propelled Tampa Bay to a mighty 5-11 record and a third-place finish in the NFC North. In the star-studded 1989 NFL Draft, the Bucs selected sixth and watched running back Barry Sanders go to the Lions with the third overall pick, saw linebacker Derrick Thomas go the Chiefs fourth overall and saw the Falcons choose cornerback Deion Sanders with the fifth overall pick.

Seeing three Hall of Famers get drafted right before Tampa Bay drafted Nebraska linebacker Broderick Thomas sixth overall is a nightmare Bucs fans still have on occasion.

The Bucs picked fourth overall in the 2007 NFL Draft following a 4-12 campaign in 2006 that saw Tampa Bay claim an empty, 22-7 win at Cleveland on Christmas Eve. So what was the Bucs’ present? They were left to draft defensive end Gaines Adams fourth overall after wide receiver Calvin Johnson and left tackle Joe Thomas were picked by Detroit and Cleveland with the second and third overall picks, respectively.

In 2010, the Bucs had a 24-7 win at Seattle on December 20, and a 20-17 overtime win at New Orleans a week later to push their feeble record to 3-13. That gave Tampa Bay the third overall pick and the team was left to draft Gerald McCoy instead of the defensive tackle the team actually coveted, Ndamukong Suh, who was selected by Detroit one spot ahead of the Buccaneers.

With the first overall pick, Tampa Bay might also have the ability to pull off a major trade that could net the franchise multiple picks necessary for the major rebuilding task that faces Smith and Licht in the offseason. Of course having the number one overall pick and using it wisely are two different things.

Defensive lineman Steve Emtman, running back Ki-Jana Carter, defensive end Courtney Brown, and quarterbacks Tim Couch, David Carr, JaMarcus Russell and Sam Bradford were all drafted number one overall. The Bucs have had plenty of high draft picks in the past and blown them, too, evidenced most recently by Adams fourth overall in 2007 and strong safety Mark Barron (seventh overall) in 2012.

The Bucs also had the chance to select linebacker Junior Seau in 1990 with the fourth overall pick, but drafted linebacker Keith McCants instead. Seau went a pick later to the San Diego Chargers.

One victory in the final three regular season games could have a detrimental impact on the team’s 2015 draft plans, which has to take on more importance right now than another win in this forgettable season. The Buccaneers have the opportunity to draft the next franchise quarterback – Oregon’s Marcus Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston – a franchise left tackle or an impact pass rusher.

Don’t blow it, Bucs.

Rest some of your star players for next year, play the rookies and keep McCown at quarterback.