Tampa Bay Will Consider Starting Rookie QB Josh Freeman

HacheMan · Jun 17, 2009

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Bucs may speed up Freeman's timeline </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Josh Freeman - QB - TB - Jun. 17

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>The Buccaneers say they'll consider rookie Josh Freeman as the starting QB this season.
A change of plans? It seems Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich have been unimpressive at practice, while Freeman is progressing well. The Bucs staff met about the issue last week. "We may expedite what he's doing. You know, maybe we get him involved early -- earlier than we thought" said QB coach Greg Olsen. Antonio Bryant owners, beware.
Source: St. Petersburg Times
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HacheMan · Jun 17, 2009

READYTOROLL · Jun 17, 2009

Boys -3.. load up

C-Gold · Jun 24, 2009

If Josh Freeman starts... The Jason Campbell rookie clone... The that Dallas -3 like will get popped probably all the way to -6.

Not only that, but the stupid coach who is in way over his head will already be putting his job in limbo.

No, he won't be fired after his first crappy year, but if that QB sucks next year too.... then wait until the talk radio folks get all over him.

He's a nice guy so they won't get nasty, and probably won't go all out on him, but he will lose all respect for going with Byron Leftwhich.Jasoncampbell.josh freeman as the favored starter.

NO way this team is as good as Gruden and Garcia last year.

HacheMan · Jun 25, 2009

Josh Freeman - QB - Buccaneers </TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Bucs GM Mark Dominik downplayed QBs coach Greg Olson's assertion that Josh Freeman might be ready to start in Week 1.</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>"It doesn’t hurt for him to sit a little," the GM said. "Let these other guys really battle out for the quarterback spot. Let this young guy develop." The Bucs haven't even begun contract talks with Freeman, and teams sometimes cater to mini holdouts for QBs they'd rather not play right away. Dominik would also lose leverage by admitting Freeman could start on opening day.
Jun. 25 </TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=vaLink>Source: WQYK Tampa</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

BigdaddyQH · Jun 26, 2009

Who else does Tampa Bay have? I think that the Freeman training will proceed full speed ahead. He will start sometimes this year. Whether it is game 1 or not remains to be seen.

C-Gold · Jun 26, 2009

Josh Johnson = a developmental D3 football player
Byron Leftwhich = Nothing better than a journeyman backup
Josh Freeman = A younger Byron Leftwhich
Brian Griese = A weak starter/decent backup
Luke Mccown = Who Gruden probably would have started

I watched Luke Mccown a little bit and granted the game was against the Saints, he didn't look half bad. The difference between him, Greise and Byron probably isn't that great at this point, but he's a lot younger and has more upside. He's quicker ( in his throws and pocket awareness) than Byron or Brian.

If Raheem Morris wants to try and win now, he probably starts Brian Greise...

If he thinks he becomes committed to starting Luke Mccown, he starts him... Even though he's probably the best for the job now...

If he wants to stick with his own... I think He starts Byron. I wonder why Byron signed with the Bucs of all teams, he probably was either told he will become the starter or will have " an open competition". For some reason I think he starts Byron week 1.

I really think it's unlikely they start Josh Freeman. They must want him to be the QB of the future... They didn't draft him to make Luke Mccown the QB of the future.

My guess is that Luke Mccown ends up getting traded, or Brian Greise is just flat out cut when they have to trimm to a 52 man roster.

Kevin36 · Jun 26, 2009

I'm a Bucs Fan but not no more ,they gonna be Lions of last year.
QB line up is a joke with a stupid young coach.

budlight · Jun 26, 2009

you never know how players will work together. they could have a season like Cleveland did a few years ago when Anderson broke out

da_hustla · Jun 27, 2009

Kevin36 said:
I'm a Bucs Fan but not no more ,they gonna be Lions of last year.
QB line up is a joke with a stupid young coach.

couldn't have said it any better myself.

C-Gold · Jun 27, 2009

and who the hell is going to break out???

Josh Freeman who threw for 55% in the Big Ten is suddenly going to light the NFL up?

They had gruden, garcia and a defense... They threw that away for a guy that was an assistant DB coach 2 years ago and a guy that didn't even dominante in college.... and the guy with the worst mechanics in the NFL who refuses to change them...

Mr_Mark · Jun 28, 2009

C-Gold said:
and who the hell is going to break out???

Josh Freeman who threw for 55% in the Big Ten is suddenly going to light the NFL up?

They had gruden, garcia and a defense... They threw that away for a guy that was an assistant DB coach 2 years ago and a guy that didn't even dominante in college.... and the guy with the worst mechanics in the NFL who refuses to change them...

i somewhat agree with you gold

but for whatever reason some players perform better in the nfl than they did in college and vice versa

there are tons of players who were expected to do well and have long careers and fall short from that, and tons of players who were on practice squads, cut from teams, nothing special in college and break out in the nfl
doesnt make sense but it happens every year.

C-Gold · Jun 28, 2009

Except the guys that usually do that " came out of no where". They played well against weak competition... but granted, it was weak competition

Kurt Warner
Jake Delhomme
Steve Mcnair
Brett Favre

Josh Freeman didn't light up college fb.. he played OK, but he was an inacurate QB who wasn't that great at making decisions. They drafted him because of his "physical skills" and they hope to teach him the mental aspects. Guys like him are a dime a dozen.

Sometimes I think you are better off just drafting a guy out of nowhere who played really well in the later rounds of the draft, instead of wasting a mid 1st round pick on a guy that in all likely hood will never be a more than a game manager if he even is a starting QB. The odds are, that in 5-8 years Josh Freeman is NOT starting at QB.

BigdaddyQH · Jun 28, 2009

Freeman played in the Big 12, not the Big 10. The same Big 12 that has to look up the word "Defense" in the dictionary. Morris will not make this decidion. He willbe told what todo by the Tampa brass, and he will do it. Tampa has already given up on the season and is in rebuild mode. They will be very lucky to win any of their divisional games.

HacheMan · Jun 28, 2009

Quickly changing their tune now.......

Josh Freeman - QB - Buccaneers Bucs GM: Freeman to sit and learn as a rookie
"The ultimate goal is to let Josh Freeman sit back and learn," Dominik said. "He's a 21-year-old quarterback who came out as a true junior. You'd like for him to grow and mature into his role and not be forced into it." According to the GM, the race between Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich remains "extremely close," and the starter may not be named until the end of preseason action. June 28
Source: St. Petersburg Times

C-Gold · Jun 28, 2009

Diversity dumb ass head coach will start Byron. I'd put money on it.

toto · Jul 3, 2009

I'm thinking this looks really bad for Buc fans, Morris was DC for a very mediocre K-State team and Freeman was the QB, he has a "NFL body and
arm" yet couldn't have a winning record in the Big 12. It WILL take him a long time to develop if ever!!!

barman · Jul 3, 2009

Bucs most certainly facing their seventh consecutive disappointing season since winning the SB in Feb 2003

C-Gold · Jul 3, 2009

3 years ago their HC was an assistant defensive backs coach...

Think about it. Three years ago he had as much authority as the water boy, now his staff gets rid of HOF-er Derrick Brooks and co? He'd be unqualified to coach a major college team nevermind the Bucs!

The smiling jackass is a joke. I don't know who's dik he sucked, but he must have done a good job!

G$$ · Jul 3, 2009

C-Gold said:
3 years ago their HC was an assistant defensive backs coach...

Think about it. Three years ago he had as much authority as the water boy,