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Josh Freeman - what's his future hold? (1 Viewer)

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(Rotoworld) NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports the Bucs are interested in Carson Palmer. Analysis: According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Palmer - who is on the verge of being traded to Arizona - had been "hoping" to land with the Bucs. We now know the interest is mutual. The Bucs have looked into almost every available quarterback this offseason, making it loud and clear their faith in Josh Freeman as a franchise QB is on life support.

Just read this and was a little surprised by this. i know that Freeman struggled at the end of the year, but i wasn't aware that the Bucs were on the verge of throwing in the towel. Any Bucs homers or anyone else in the know, have any insight?

 
hes in a contract yr and I think they been trying to bring in a vet to challenge him a little. So far the guys that the Bucs have been linked to are guys at the end of the road like Palmer and Cassel. They'll most likely bring in a 3rd round QB as well

 
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His decision making and accuracy have not been good and he doesn't make it past his first or second reads most of the time (he locks onto his targets). There were some good analyses of this during some of the Bucs games last year. The Bucs have a pretty good offense in place in terms of their WRs, RB, and OLine; however, they must know they still need a good QB to make the offense function. I'm not sure they have that with Freeman and he's been around long enough that the writing could be on the wall. It would be interesting to see what the O would be like with a vet QB in there right now.

 
I don't get the Freeman hate. What does Matt Stafford have over him? Freeman may have had accuracy issues but that's because he was a downfield thrower - he ranked 2nd in the league in yards per completion. He took a Bucs team with a hard schedule and a terrible pass defense to a 7-9 record, which is also what Drew Brees did last year.

 
I don't get the Freeman hate. What does Matt Stafford have over him? Freeman may have had accuracy issues but that's because he was a downfield thrower - he ranked 2nd in the league in yards per completion. He took a Bucs team with a hard schedule and a terrible pass defense to a 7-9 record, which is also what Drew Brees did last year.
The best receiver in the game, a pass-happy coach, no running game, and a dome.

 
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I don't get the Freeman hate. What does Matt Stafford have over him? Freeman may have had accuracy issues but that's because he was a downfield thrower - he ranked 2nd in the league in yards per completion. He took a Bucs team with a hard schedule and a terrible pass defense to a 7-9 record, which is also what Drew Brees did last year.
:goodposting:

This is Net Yards/Attempt for all QBs who threw at least 160(?) passes last year. It's been indexed so that average is 100%, with every throw also adjusted for NY/A allowed by the defense the pass came against. Freeman does pretty well here:

Code:
Colin Kaepernick     118.0%Tom Brady            117.2%Peyton Manning       115.9%Russell Wilson       114.6%Drew Brees           111.3%Robert Griffin III   109.4%Aaron Rodgers        108.4%Alex Smith           106.1%Eli Manning          106.1%Tony Romo            105.7%Matt Schaub          105.6%Cam Newton           105.6%Matt Ryan            105.5%Matthew Stafford     104.6%Josh Freeman         102.1%Joe Flacco           102.0%Ben Roethlisberger   101.8%Carson Palmer        101.6%Sam Bradford         99.8%Andrew Luck          99.0%Ryan Fitzpatrick     97.1%Jay Cutler           95.8%Andy Dalton          95.7%Ryan Tannehill       95.2%Jake Locker          95.0%Brandon Weeden       92.7%Philip Rivers        91.4%Matt Cassel          90.3%Chad Henne           89.9%Michael Vick         89.3%Mark Sanchez         89.0%Christian Ponder     87.0%John Skelton         85.2%Blaine Gabbert       83.5%Nick Foles           82.8%Kevin Kolb           76.8%Brady Quinn          74.1%
 
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Not sure if it has been mentioned in other threads, but if memory serves me correct, the Jets were eye-balling Freeman the year they took Sanchez. Why not move Freeman and a pick for Revis and get it over with already?

 
I think Freeman has been up and down. Would like to see him land on a team with a pass happy coach/OC, see what he can really do. I think he has a lot of tools, confidence, would like to see the Bucs have a pan B before they close the book on him.

 
Truthfully him commanding an offense with Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson in your starting lineup isn't the most friendly recipe for success. I think the Buccaneers could be smart to draft a receiver. Tavon Austin may actually be a good fit here. Him and Martin alone would produce yards that anything you got out of your other receivers is Gravy.

Until they upgrade the Receiving-core, eh. I don't see this as a core that can click at a high level like what they're doing in Green Bay. But I'm not entirely sure that's Freeman's fault.

 
Truthfully him commanding an offense with Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson in your starting lineup isn't the most friendly recipe for success. I think the Buccaneers could be smart to draft a receiver. Tavon Austin may actually be a good fit here. Him and Martin alone would produce yards that anything you got out of your other receivers is Gravy.

Until they upgrade the Receiving-core, eh. I don't see this as a core that can click at a high level like what they're doing in Green Bay. But I'm not entirely sure that's Freeman's fault.
Man, I don't see that at all. Jackson/Williams/Martin are at least in the top half of weapons around the league, if not the top quarter. Bucs also have a pretty good O-Line. WR3 and TE are fairly weak, but there is a lot of talent at the skill positions imo. Austin seems like a luxury on a team with such a porous defense.

 
Truthfully him commanding an offense with Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson in your starting lineup isn't the most friendly recipe for success. I think the Buccaneers could be smart to draft a receiver. Tavon Austin may actually be a good fit here. Him and Martin alone would produce yards that anything you got out of your other receivers is Gravy.

Until they upgrade the Receiving-core, eh. I don't see this as a core that can click at a high level like what they're doing in Green Bay. But I'm not entirely sure that's Freeman's fault.
Man, I don't see that at all. Jackson/Williams/Martin are at least in the top half of weapons around the league, if not the top quarter. Bucs also have a pretty good O-Line. WR3 and TE are fairly weak, but there is a lot of talent at the skill positions imo. Austin seems like a luxury on a team with such a porous defense.
Tampa Bay isn't Green Bay, but very few offenses are. they don't need to be.

I agree with you here - VJax and Williams are among the upper echelon of WR1/2 combos, but they lack depth.

 
Not sure if it has been mentioned in other threads, but if memory serves me correct, the Jets were eye-balling Freeman the year they took Sanchez. Why not move Freeman and a pick for Revis and get it over with already?
Because finding QBs that are roughly average as an NFL starter and haven't hit their prime yet is expensive and hard?

 
Just traded for Freeman in a dynasty league (gave Kerley and a 2nd rounder - LOOK AT ME). I was impressed with his 2nd year stats and what he managed to do last season. However, I was just looking at the numbers and had no idea how he got there. The fact that the Bucs are looking around for alternatives scares me a bit.

 
His decision making and accuracy have not been good and he doesn't make it past his first or second reads most of the time (he locks onto his targets). There were some good analyses of this during some of the Bucs games last year. The Bucs have a pretty good offense in place in terms of their WRs, RB, and OLine; however, they must know they still need a good QB to make the offense function. I'm not sure they have that with Freeman and he's been around long enough that the writing could be on the wall. It would be interesting to see what the O would be like with a vet QB in there right now.
The bolded is what I hear from a lot of Bucs fans. Especially late last year when they faded down the stretch. Perception nationally is that Freeman is a pretty good QB. But locally, as you are aware, there is a huge divide on Freeman. His footwork gets sloppy when the pocket collapses, and his throwing mechanics suffer in critical moments leading to game changing interceptions. He's got the raw ability and talent to be a top QB, can make all the throws from all the angles. He's got a good arm, good mobility. But he's still has to mature in his decision making and learn to throw away the ball or eat it in crucial situations. He's 25 and going into his 5th year. Coincidentally, the Bucs are 5 years out of their last playoff appearance. The natives are restless and the pitchforks will be out for Freeman if they fail to make the playoffs this year. He's under a ton of pressure going into his contract year.

I disagree with the notion that he needs more or improved skill position players. He's got a stacked deck with VJAX, M Williams, and D Martin. Add to that 2 all pro linemen who will come back that he didn't have much of last year in Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks. That O-line is going to be awesome. The table is set for Freeman to have a great year. If he fails, for any reason other than injury, the writing is on the wall that Bucs draft a new franchise QB next April.

 
Truthfully him commanding an offense with Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson in your starting lineup isn't the most friendly recipe for success. I think the Buccaneers could be smart to draft a receiver. Tavon Austin may actually be a good fit here. Him and Martin alone would produce yards that anything you got out of your other receivers is Gravy.

Until they upgrade the Receiving-core, eh. I don't see this as a core that can click at a high level like what they're doing in Green Bay. But I'm not entirely sure that's Freeman's fault.
Man, I don't see that at all. Jackson/Williams/Martin are at least in the top half of weapons around the league, if not the top quarter. Bucs also have a pretty good O-Line. WR3 and TE are fairly weak, but there is a lot of talent at the skill positions imo. Austin seems like a luxury on a team with such a porous defense.
Tampa Bay isn't Green Bay, but very few offenses are. they don't need to be.

I agree with you here - VJax and Williams are among the upper echelon of WR1/2 combos, but they lack depth.
Their better than 50% of the leagues but not a top 10 Duo; but Freeman needs security blanket in the slot or TE.

 
As a Freeman owner who watched him a lot last year, I too do not get the level of hate. He had two miserable games toward the end of last year where he had like 8 INTs, and this skewed his stats to have 27 TDs and 17 INTs for the season. Take out those anomalous games, and he had 26 TDs and 9 INTs.

He's a buy low in my book, and no way I sell him. He was playing lights out through the first half lat year, and with the team looking up I think it's possible he could reach Stafford-esque value by the end of this year.

 
It's not hate, at least not from me. He has some physical skills, but it is the more cerebral part of his game that is concerning imo. The comparison to Brees above is laughable in that respect.

 
Not sure if it has been mentioned in other threads, but if memory serves me correct, the Jets were eye-balling Freeman the year they took Sanchez. Why not move Freeman and a pick for Revis and get it over with already?
Because finding QBs that are roughly average as an NFL starter and haven't hit their prime yet is expensive and hard?
I did not get a lot of sleep last night, so I am having a tough time wrapping my brain around your post. Are you suggesting that TB wants to hold onto Freeman because he has shown some promise thus far? I would think this is the case, but all indicators point to the fact they don't really trust/want him.

 
Not sure if it has been mentioned in other threads, but if memory serves me correct, the Jets were eye-balling Freeman the year they took Sanchez. Why not move Freeman and a pick for Revis and get it over with already?
Because finding QBs that are roughly average as an NFL starter and haven't hit their prime yet is expensive and hard?
This is a pretty good point. If you look around the league there aren't really too many teams that have a significantly better situation at QB than Tampa. I'd say they're about middle of the road with Freeman. It's not easy to acquire an elite stud at the quarterback position.

Josh is inconsistent at times, but how many QBs in the league are on their game week in/week out? 5?

Freeman had two really horrible games that skewed his end of year stats, which was pointed out by a poster above. Tampa's pass defense was beyond bad in 2012. The offense had the team in position to win games several times, but the defense gave them away.

All of that being said, this is the year he has to show the front office something. Limit the mistakes. Maximize the opportunities. The talent is in place around him. There aren't any more excuses.

For fantasy purposes, he'll be a borderline starter in 12 team leagues, and a good QBBC candidate. I don't see how he can compete with some of the other players in the elite tiers with the type of offense Tampa runs.

 
Not sure if it has been mentioned in other threads, but if memory serves me correct, the Jets were eye-balling Freeman the year they took Sanchez. Why not move Freeman and a pick for Revis and get it over with already?
Because finding QBs that are roughly average as an NFL starter and haven't hit their prime yet is expensive and hard?
I did not get a lot of sleep last night, so I am having a tough time wrapping my brain around your post. Are you suggesting that TB wants to hold onto Freeman because he has shown some promise thus far? I would think this is the case, but all indicators point to the fact they don't really trust/want him.
I think the front office wants to have some legitimate competition in place for him. If he fails or suffers an injury they want to have someone they could fall back on. This team is in a position to "win now," and they want to make sure the contracts they've given out aren't wasted because they're completely inept at the QB position.

They want Josh to succeed. Clearly that would be the best situation for the team, but if he falters they need someone they can turn to in a hurry to right the ship. There's some serious talent on the Bucs' roster right now. They can't afford to waste it trying to break in a rookie QB.

 
The Bucs aren't trying to replace him. They're trying to push him, which is something he's never had.

That said, the fact he is still lobbing balls off of his back foot in year 4 is astonishing to me. He just can't break all habits.

 
Sorry there J, didn't mean to be difficult.

I'm saying that Freeman was a bit better than average in two of the last three years and that they're way more likely to stick with him into his prime than they are to acquire someone better. It's hard to find a legit top 10 QB. I don't believe they're seriously going to spend what it would take to find someone better, or that anyone they can actually sign and bring in will threaten him.

I do think they need to get him a 3rd target that can work underneath and steady the offense though. Right now everything is way downfield and both Freeman and the offense are boom/bust as a result.

 
The Bucs aren't trying to replace him. They're trying to push him, which is something he's never had.That said, the fact he is still lobbing balls off of his back foot in year 4 is astonishing to me. He just can't break all habits.
He's three years younger than Flacco, and was as good or better in the regular season than him last year.

 
Not sure if it has been mentioned in other threads, but if memory serves me correct, the Jets were eye-balling Freeman the year they took Sanchez. Why not move Freeman and a pick for Revis and get it over with already?
I would think the Jets would need to give up a pick and Revis to get Freeman, not the other way around.

 
Considering dynasty prospects of Freeman vs. this year's rookie crop, where would you put him?

I would personally put him at the top of the list, pre-NFL draft.

 
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...g-schiano-reportedly-not-sold-on-josh-freeman

Greg Schiano reportedly not sold on Josh Freeman
By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano has been all over the map on his plans for quarterback Josh Freeman this offseason.

Schiano expressed frustration with Freeman at the end of the 2012 season, suggesting there would be competition for the QB's job entering a contract year. By late February, Schiano had decided that "Josh Freeman is our quarterback."

The Bucs went on to half-heartedly court Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel and Chase Daniel, apparently at Schiano's behest.

People close to Freeman tell the Tampa Bay Times that "just about everyone at One Buc Place seems onboard" with the incumbent quarterback except for one person: Schiano.

The report comes as no surprise, considering Schiano's public reservations. As veteran safety Ronde Barber said on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," general manager Mark Dominik is "married" to his 2009 first-round pick, while Schiano has no long-term investment in Freeman.

In the NFL, though, actions speak louder than words. The Bucs showed no urgency in chasing legitimate competition for Freeman, according to the Times. Even if Dominik drafts a quarterback in the middle rounds, as expected, Freeman will be locked in as the starter entering a make-or-break season for his Tampa future.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
 
Greg Schiano reportedly not sold on Josh Freeman

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano has been all over the map on his plans for quarterback Josh Freeman this offseason.

Schiano expressed frustration with Freeman at the end of the 2012 season, suggesting there would be competition for the QB's job entering a contract year. By late February, Schiano had decided that "Josh Freeman is our quarterback."

The Bucs went on to half-heartedly court Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel and Chase Daniel, apparently at Schiano's behest.

People close to Freeman tell the Tampa Bay Times that "just about everyone at One Buc Place seems onboard" with the incumbent quarterback except for one person: Schiano.

The report comes as no surprise, considering Schiano's public reservations. As veteran safety Ronde Barber said on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," general manager Mark Dominik is "married" to his 2009 first-round pick, while Schiano has no long-term investment in Freeman.

In the NFL, though, actions speak louder than words. The Bucs showed no urgency in chasing legitimate competition for Freeman, according to the Times. Even if Dominik drafts a quarterback in the middle rounds, as expected, Freeman will be locked in as the starter entering a make-or-break season for his Tampa future.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
Based on Schiano's history, I wouldn't put it past Schiano to leak this stuff to motivate Freeman if he thought he wasn't working hard enough.

 
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000164372/article/mike-glennon-pick-puts-bucs-josh-freeman-on-notice

Mike Glennon pick puts Bucs' Josh Freeman on notice

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

NEW YORK -- Josh Freeman widely was believed to be on the hot seat entering his fifth season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now we know it.

The Bucs added a level of intrigue to their roster on Friday night, using their third-round pick (73rd overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft to select N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon.

The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Glennon is a big-armed passer whose deep-ball skills have earned him comparisons to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. He completed 60.3 percent of his passes in college, throwing 62 touchdowns and 29 interceptions over two seasons as a starter.

He has a fan in NFL Films tape guru Greg Cosell, who said earlier this month he would "rather have" Glennon than Geno Smith, who went to the New York Jets in the second round.

It's hardly a surprise Tampa Bay addressed its quarterback position this weekend. There have been reports that coach Greg Schiano is not sold on Freeman, who has been a turnover machine in recent seasons. The Buccaneers looked into acquiring Matt Cassel, who chose to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect Freeman to face competition for the starting job in training camp. Glennon might not win the job this summer, but he'll give Schiano an intriguing alternative.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
 
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready.

Nice planning by the Bucs.

 
I'm hoping that Schiano gets his wish here. Turn Freeman (who's had two average NFL seasons by the age of 24) loose just as he reaches his prime and start Mike Glennon. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

 
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Glennon is a tree trunk with and arm. I don't see him pushing Freeman. It would have been interesting if the Geno would have fell to them. Seems like a wasted pick imo.

 
Glennon will be the starter in 2014. Freeman has had his chance and he just continues to overthrow open receivers and make wrong decisions. I used to think that it was K Winslow that was influencing him to throw to double and triple coverages but last year he did not have him to use as an excuse and still made terrible reads.

Ill be cheering for Glennon.

 
wdcrob said:
I'm hoping that Schiano gets his wish here. Turn Freeman (who's had two average NFL seasons by the age of 24) loose just as he reaches his prime and start Mike Glennon. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Schiano kick your dog?

Freeman needs a little competition, and it's always nice to have a backup plan.

 
wdcrob said:
I'm hoping that Schiano gets his wish here. Turn Freeman (who's had two average NFL seasons by the age of 24) loose just as he reaches his prime and start Mike Glennon. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
I'm trying to acquire Freeman. I could see him starting in Minnesota or NY

wdcrob said:
I'm hoping that Schiano gets his wish here. Turn Freeman (who's had two average NFL seasons by the age of 24) loose just as he reaches his prime and start Mike Glennon. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Schiano kick your dog?

Freeman needs a little competition, and it's always nice to have a backup plan.
I like Freeman...always have.

 
Premier said:
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready. Nice planning by the Bucs.
What's the definition of 'produces' though? If he replicates last year and breaks all of the Bucs passing records....but still has the dramatic downs that lead to losses and no playoff berth...is that production?
 
Premier said:
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready.Nice planning by the Bucs.
I don't think it's smart planning if you are suggesting Glennon might be their starter next year. I am a State fan and watched every game of Glennon's career. He's not very good. Tall, yes. Strong arm, yes. But inaccurate, shaky decision making, poor footwork, and not a strong leader. :shrug:

 
Premier said:
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready.Nice planning by the Bucs.
I don't think it's smart planning if you are suggesting Glennon might be their starter next year. I am a State fan and watched every game of Glennon's career. He's not very good. Tall, yes. Strong arm, yes. But inaccurate, shaky decision making, poor footwork, and not a strong leader. :shrug:
So he's Josh Freeman?

 
Premier said:
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready.Nice planning by the Bucs.
I don't think it's smart planning if you are suggesting Glennon might be their starter next year. I am a State fan and watched every game of Glennon's career. He's not very good. Tall, yes. Strong arm, yes. But inaccurate, shaky decision making, poor footwork, and not a strong leader. :shrug:
So he's Josh Freeman?
I saw Glennon throw to his second read once.
 
Premier said:
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready.Nice planning by the Bucs.
I don't think it's smart planning if you are suggesting Glennon might be their starter next year. I am a State fan and watched every game of Glennon's career. He's not very good. Tall, yes. Strong arm, yes. But inaccurate, shaky decision making, poor footwork, and not a strong leader. :shrug:
I saw a lot of Glennon. He has the tools and physical features at least. Maybe nfl coaching can work on the restNot a big fan of his but I do see the potential. And what the Bucs are thinking.
 
Premier said:
It's very simple. If Freeman produces this year he gets a huge long term extension. If he doesn't, the Bucs let him walk and have a QB waiting who spent a year learning and getting ready. Nice planning by the Bucs.
What's the definition of 'produces' though? If he replicates last year and breaks all of the Bucs passing records....but still has the dramatic downs that lead to losses and no playoff berth...is that production?
Yea I'm not sure what the Bucs are looking for with him. He was pretty good last year but definitely did crap the bed a few times.
 
With VJax and Williams (downfield WRs), a strong OLine, talented RB, and neither a strong pass-catching tight-end nor Welker-like slot WR, it seems to me that the Bucs offense is to be predicated on: 1) running the ball and 2) taking shots downfield, especially off play-action. To me, that means Freeman has to: 1) protect the football, especially on sacks and short-to-intermediate passes, 2) be accurate downfield, and 3) generally make good decisions, such as knowing when to scramble for the first down or throw the ball away if it's not there downfield. I'm not convinced that he is *strong* in any of these three areas. His intermediate-to-deep accuracy hasn't been great, he's turned the ball over at critical times, and his decision-making has been suspect. Of course, he's still young, has some physical tools, and can develop. I'm also not convinced a rookie will develop into what the Bucs need faster than Freeman, especially if the rookie is a project QB.

I would've rather seen the Bucs bring in a Carson Palmer type veteran, even Kolb maybe, to push Freeman. People like to hate on Kolb, but the Arizona OL were a bunch of turnstiles and Kolb showed some talent when he was in Philly. The Bucs have strength at the skill positions and OLine -- a great scenario for a veteran QB to come in and be successful...

The drafting of Glennon smacks most of Schiano wanting "his guy" to put "his stamp" on the team, rather than doing what is best for the Bucs to be successful in the next 1-2 years.

 
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http://www.cbssports.com/columns/st...erious-lack-of-faith-in-their-qb-josh-freeman

Bucs showing mysterious lack of faith in their QB, Josh Freeman
Pete Prisco

Why don't the Tampa Bay Buccaneers like quarterback Josh Freeman?

They can say they do all they want, but their actions speak differently. They haven't given him a contract extension, even though Freeman is in the final year of his deal coming off a season where he set franchise marks for yards and touchdown passes, and they also drafted Mike Glennon in the third round of the NFL Draft last week.

They can sugarcoat it all they want, but it's evident the Bucs don't like Freeman as much as they might say.

I don't get it.

For months, we've been hearing talk from those around the Bucs organization, and some inside, who say there is friction between coach Greg Schiano and Freeman. The word is Schiano doesn't think Freeman has enough fire in the belly, that he isn't his type of quarterback.

"What does that even mean?" one NFC personnel director said. "What does he want from the guy?"

Freeman is a gym rat. He loves the game. He is one of the first in the facility and one of the last to leave. That is something nobody in the organization can deny. The kid loves football.

But he does it in his own style, which might not be the way Schiano wants it.

Schiano is fire and bravado.

Freeman is more easygoing than that.

So there's friction. And it leaves Freeman hanging out there entering the final year of his contract.

This much we know: Schiano didn't draft Freeman. He inherited him. General manager Mark Dominik drafted Freeman. And when he did, there were questions about it. I know. I questioned it at the time.

A year later, I admitted I was wrong.

Freeman can play. But the fact that the head coach is internally questioning it -- even if he denies it publicly -- says there are issues.

One Buccaneers source said Schiano would like to see Freeman take charge of the huddle and the locker room more.

"He wants a guy who is going to get in guys faces when they make mistakes," the source said. "The fiery, take-charge guy."

Said the NFC personnel director: "They can't all be Peyton Manning."

Freeman hasn't led the Bucs to the playoffs since being the team's first-round pick four years ago. But there are reasons, some due to a lack of talent for much of his time there. Some of it has been his knack for trying to do too much.

But the Bucs are getting better, especially on offense. The pieces are all in place. At the league meetings in Arizona in March, Schiano once again publicly backed his quarterback.

"I've said I believe we can win and achieve all the goals we want with Josh Freeman as our quarterback," Schiano said.

"But to say you're married, well, nobody is married to anyone in this game. The reality is this is a performance-based game. You've got to win. They're not married to me. You've got to win or I'm not going to be the coach. Everybody in this game gets that."

Freeman threw for 4,065 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. There were only six others in the league to do that last season. Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Andrew Luck didn't do it. In two of the past three seasons, Freeman has thrown at least 25 touchdown passes. Flacco, who just signed a mega-contact extension after leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory, has never had a 4,000-yard, 25-touchdown season.

In studying Freeman's tapes from last season, there were times where he looked like the franchise passer the Bucs wonder if they have. He was deadly accurate, read the field with his eyes and made strong throws. At other times, he let his mechanics slip and his poor footwork led to inaccuracy, which contributed to his 54.8 completion percentage. That is bad.

There were things that impacted that low number. For one, the Bucs are a deep passing team, which will lower those numbers. And then after studying him closely on tape, there were other factors such as drops, poor routes, bad reads by the receivers and some stopping on their routes.

Take his four-interception game against the Saints in December in a 41-0 blowout. Of the four picks, one was because tight end Dallas Clark failed to get across the face of corner Jabari Greer, one was a misread on a route run by Vincent Jackson and a third came when Tiquan Underwood stopped on his go route.

Is that on Freeman?

There is too much to like for the Bucs to be playing this kid this way. He is big, strong, tough, spins his head, and just needs to stop trying to do too much when things go badly. If he can do that, and work on his footwork, the Bucs might be spending more than they expected when it comes time for an extension.

With Glennon being a rookie, there really is no quarterback controversy in terms of who will play in 2013. But there seems to be one in regards to the confidence the Bucs -- or at least Schiano -- are showing in their fourth-year quarterback.

What I can't figure out is why.
 
I think Schiano's an even bigger idiot every single time someone writes a piece about him.

Please please please let this moron try to win with Mike F. Glennon at QB.

 
With VJax and Williams (downfield WRs), a strong OLine, talented RB, and neither a strong pass-catching tight-end nor Welker-like slot WR, it seems to me that the Bucs offense is to be predicated on: 1) running the ball and 2) taking shots downfield, especially off play-action. To me, that means Freeman has to: 1) protect the football, especially on sacks and short-to-intermediate passes, 2) be accurate downfield, and 3) generally make good decisions, such as knowing when to scramble for the first down or throw the ball away if it's not there downfield. I'm not convinced that he is *strong* in any of these three areas. His intermediate-to-deep accuracy hasn't been great, he's turned the ball over at critical times, and his decision-making has been suspect. Of course, he's still young, has some physical tools, and can develop. I'm also not convinced a rookie will develop into what the Bucs need faster than Freeman, especially if the rookie is a project QB.

I would've rather seen the Bucs bring in a Carson Palmer type veteran, even Kolb maybe, to push Freeman. People like to hate on Kolb, but the Arizona OL were a bunch of turnstiles and Kolb showed some talent when he was in Philly. The Bucs have strength at the skill positions and OLine -- a great scenario for a veteran QB to come in and be successful...

The drafting of Glennon smacks most of Schiano wanting "his guy" to put "his stamp" on the team, rather than doing what is best for the Bucs to be successful in the next 1-2 years.
Nice post

 
With VJax and Williams (downfield WRs), a strong OLine, talented RB, and neither a strong pass-catching tight-end nor Welker-like slot WR, it seems to me that the Bucs offense is to be predicated on: 1) running the ball and 2) taking shots downfield, especially off play-action. To me, that means Freeman has to: 1) protect the football, especially on sacks and short-to-intermediate passes, 2) be accurate downfield, and 3) generally make good decisions, such as knowing when to scramble for the first down or throw the ball away if it's not there downfield. I'm not convinced that he is *strong* in any of these three areas. His intermediate-to-deep accuracy hasn't been great, he's turned the ball over at critical times, and his decision-making has been suspect. Of course, he's still young, has some physical tools, and can develop. I'm also not convinced a rookie will develop into what the Bucs need faster than Freeman, especially if the rookie is a project QB.

I would've rather seen the Bucs bring in a Carson Palmer type veteran, even Kolb maybe, to push Freeman. People like to hate on Kolb, but the Arizona OL were a bunch of turnstiles and Kolb showed some talent when he was in Philly. The Bucs have strength at the skill positions and OLine -- a great scenario for a veteran QB to come in and be successful...

The drafting of Glennon smacks most of Schiano wanting "his guy" to put "his stamp" on the team, rather than doing what is best for the Bucs to be successful in the next 1-2 years.
Freeman has regressed the past two seasons, especially with regard to his accuracy. It's even more concerning that the offense now has VJax and Martin yet he's still playing poorly.

 

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