Starting Freeman Would Be “A Disaster”
June 28th, 2009
Dan Leberfeld of Sirius NFL Radio stated if the Bucs start bust-in-waiting quarterback Josh Freeman as a rookie the season will be "a disaster."
Joe isn’t the only person who has serious misgivings about the prospect of bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman starting the season at quarterback. So too do Alex Marvez and Dan Leberfeld of NFL Sirius Radio.
Friday, the two began a conversation about the Bucs in general, and the quarterback situation in particular. Leberfeld made no secret of his analysis of Freeman.
“The guy will be a disaster,” Leberfeld said of starting Freeman as a rookie. “He needs a year in Joplin. This guy is not ready.”
“It’s interesting in Tampa Bay,” Marvez, who also writes for FoxSports.com, said. “Mark Dominik is trying to put out that fire of Freeman starting the season. The Bucs are finding out that Leftwich has major drawbacks firsthand. If you pick a starter, what do you do? Do you just stay with one quarterback?
“They have good running backs. They have a good offensive line. They are lean on defense and then they are talking about starting Freeman?”
Leferfeld noted the Bucs — nor Freeman — will get any breaks by the schedule.
“That division will be brutal,” Leberfeld said. “You have New Orleans and Carolina and Atlanta. I hate to say it, but not many people are thinking Tampa will do anything. It looks real bleak.”
“With an undetermined situation at quarterback, why bring in K2 [Kellen Winslow]? Marvez asked aloud. “He will get frustrated. That is a recipe for disaster. Freeman needs acceptance. But if things go down, Kellen will wonder what he got himself into.”
Leberfeld then mocked the concept of trying to hide a quarterback and win solely with a running game and a defense.
“If they play like Baltimore [last year] and they protect the quarterback with a running game and defense, you cannot come from behind. Baltimore couldn’t. If you pull in the reigns look at what happens.”
June 28th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
“…if they play like Baltimore [last year]…”
Well I’d take Baltimore’s last year of the Bucs last year. One team went to the playoffs and one team went 0-4 down the stretch. Hmmmm….
Personally I think that the Bucs O-line with Derrick Ward/Ernest Graham will fare much better than the Ravens running game.
I DOUBT the Bucs defense will do as well as the Ravens defense.
As for Freeman being a disaster…if the O-line gives him protection and they run the ball well and put 8 in the box you don’t NEED a top 10 QB to lead the team – hence start Luke….
June 28th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
yawn……..
June 28th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
im tired of all the negativity from this site..everytime i try to feel optimistic about this season joe shoots it down…i just cant wait till the bucs come out this season and prove all these nay sayers wrong…GO BUCS!!!
June 29th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Matt88,
Just one question regarding your post – where is the negativity from Joe? This article is a re-post from NFL Sirus. This is one of the few articles where Joe hasn’t/didn’t dog pile on BIW Freeman.
So Matt why DO you feel optimistic about the 09 Bucs season? Are you looking forward to a QB challenge in training camp? Do you want to see Derrick Ward rush for 1,000 yards?
Maybe you’re excited about the Bucs great 2009 draft picks and want to see them all starting and playing against the Cowboys?
Or are you thrilled about the pospect of the Bucs linebacking corps? What makes you think that this years D-line will be better at stopping those Juggernaut teams (like Oakland) from running up and down the field?
Optimistic is great – but pollyana is just unrealistic!
I would LOVE to see the Bucs prove the naysayers wrong – but starting Freeman, without seeing him prove himself, is just suicide. Remember Freeman had a less than steller college career and he was in the Big 12 division – where there was no defense.
Josh Freeman: Potential yes – Starting QB – NO!