Paging Josh Freeman
October 19th, 2009
Like many, including Joe, Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times is frustrated.
The longtime columnist has seen enough. He claims it’s time to place a call to the bullpen and call in quarterback Josh Freeman.
For months now, the Bucs have been patient, and bully for them for it. For months, they have repeated a thousand times that they would not force Freeman to play before he was ready.
After all, he is the franchise.
After all, he is the future.
At 0-6, and after another Sunday of being battered at the ball yard, isn’t it finally time to get that future started? If Freeman really is the Next Big Deal around here, isn’t it time the Bucs gave us a glimpse? Goodness knows, there is nothing left of today.
Joe has stated time and again there is no reason to bring in Freeman, especially against Bill Belicheat and the Patriots. None. A lot more can go wrong than can go right. And who in their right mind actually thinks Freeman can magically turn around this season? He won’t.
For those who believe it’s absolutely necessary to bring in Freeman, Joe has two words: David Carr.
If it was up to Joe, Freeman wouldn’t see an opposing defense (except on TV or from the sidelines) until next year. The fact Freeman has yet to take a snap in a regular season game is one of the few things this team has gotten right this year.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Joe, I respect your opinion. However, who is Freeman learning from on the sidelines? Josh Johnson is not a bad Qb, but to think he will improve significantly, I believe is wrong. Freeman should play some time this year. I have to believe our o-line is at least a little better than Houston’s o-line. Remember Houston was an expansion team. Of course the way the Bucs are playing, we are close to an expansion team.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Joe here,
Trox – No doubt he’ll learn on the field. But no doubt he’s learning from Leftwich, his practice reps and from Olson, who seems to have done a decent job over two years developing Johnson from a fifth round pick to at least a solid backup.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:51 am
I just want to make sure we know exactly what we have with JJ first. Because after Freeman starts, there is no going back. Hold off as long as we can…
October 19th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Joe did you stock up on caybrew and the hard stuff. Here comes Freeman.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Pete:
As longtime readers of Joe know, he was absolutely against picking Freeman, especially in the first round, especially given the crop of talented quarterbacks coming out for the 2010 draft. Joe argued vehemently at the time the Bucs were reaching in the first round which is the football equivilent of playing with dynamite.
Since, Joe has resolved himself to the fact Freeman is here, for bad or good. As a result, Joe hopes Freeman someday becomes an All-Pro and leads the Bucs to the Super Bowl. Joe is also firm in his belief that with Freeman, the absolute best way to develop him is for the Bucs to bring him along slowly. There is absolutely nothing to gain by throwing him to the wolves. Not one thing.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:06 am
If Freeman goes in and does well then its a plus for the Bucs. If he goes in and stinks up the joint then it is another nail in the coffin of the inept. This is a win – win situation for 2010.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Joe, I love the site and read about every day but I have to disagree with you today. Ask me that same question last week and I would have said let Johnson play but after we get back from across the pond it is time to let freeman take his lumps. I think Johnson has played well with what he has to work with but he is not the future. I also think that the play calling by olsen has been awful, how do you have D Ward with 1 carry. They leave Johnson out to dry by making him try to win the games with his arm when the games have not gotten that out of hand. Anyway if wait tell next year to bring this kid in we are going have to see all of the same things Johnson is going through now for another season. Let the kid get sacked, throw the picks, FUMBLE the ball, and most of all get used to the game speed. he can have the deer in head lights look this year or next, but if we wait tell next year it is hard to tell how long this losing streak will go on. By the way I don’t think that Freeman will ever work out. We will have to put up with him for about three years, so we can either start those 3 years now or next year either way it could be a real bad next few years. I hope he works out but it wont happen. the only way we start winning is if we go back to the old formula of DEFENCE, DEFENCE!!
October 19th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
BigBucBossRoss:
First, thanks for the compliments. Please tell your friends about Joe.
Not happening with Jim Bates. Joe now understands why Mike Shannahan ran Bates in the middle of a season.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I too hope Freeman will someday be an All-Pro and lead us to many victories, and I’m an optimist not a pessimist (canya feel the BUT coming?) BUT, I think if he was the quaterback seemingly ONLY Raheem thinks he is, he would’ve been starting already. (I don’t have any inside info but I saw him up close n personal during pre-season) Freeman looks scared and lost and will prove to be another Bucs first round bust and God knows I hope I’m wrong.