Freeman Says He Sees Some Slackers
December 23rd, 2011
With 50+ guys on a bad Bucs football team, it’s no surprise there are players going through the motions at times and playing and/or practicing without passion and pride.
Bucs fans see it. Deion Sanders saw it. And Josh Freeman also admits acceptable commitment and drive isn’t there from all his teammates.
A subdued Freeman took to the sports radio airwaves for The Josh Freeman Show in its usual slot Wednesday night on WDAE-AM 620. He fielded questions from host Steve Duemig, including one about leadership. Freeman’s answer was telling.
Steve Duemig: Raheem is the leader of this football team. He’s the coach. But leadership comes from inside that locker room. Are you seeing guys step up in a leadership role?
Josh Freeman: You know, I am and then, I mean, you don’t, you know. Opportunities to lead when the game’s going on, when we’re struggling like this. Jeff Faine steps up all the time [and] says a lot. I try to get these guys going, get them motivated for practice, get them motivated in the game. You know, I think Kellen Winslow’s done a pretty good job. … I mean, this is the NFL, you know. You have to treat it with the respect it deserves. You have to go about it with a passion, with a lot of pride. And, you know, I can’t honestly say I see everybody doing that.
Joe, of course, has no idea to whom Freeman is referring. And, of course, Joe wonders what’s really being done to hold the bad apples accountable and whether Freeman saw this behavior in 2010.
That aside, Joe hopes the Bucs watched the Colts win their second consecutive game Thursday, playing with passion and pride to dig out of a massive losing streak. It can — and should — be done by the guys in pewter and red.
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:11 am
“I mean, this is the NFL, you know. You have to treat it with the respect it deserves. You have to go about it with a passion, with a lot of pride. And, you know, I can’t honestly say I see everybody doing that.”
If you don’t have passion or pride in your work, it means you do not enjoy coming to work. It means you do not work hard when at work. It means you do just enough not to get fired, then go home.
As much as some of the players say they like Raheem, it seems many simply do not like the Buccaneers football program, judging by this statement and the lack of passion for the game.
Has the Buc’s organization killed the spirit of these young impressionable players?
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:14 am
Kudos to Freeman. He is properly walking the fine line as a leader. Call them out in front of the team, call out the actions, but not identities in public.
He needs a better core of veteran leadership around him.
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:18 am
On one hand I agree with him. On the other hand he is getting good at blaming others and not stepping up himself.
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:31 am
Andrew, I never see Freeman play without passion. He may not be having a good year but lack of passion and commitment is not the problem.
December 23rd, 2011 at 9:42 am
Balls bouncing off receivers’ chests, running wrong routes and not being able to break free are not Freeman’s fault. Agreed, he hasn’t had a great year either, but you can’t fault him for the hurries, sacks, pressure and lack of receiver performance.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:01 am
Tell the coach, remove them from the game.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 am
@Andrew
I agree with you. I see it. Freeman is sometimes mirroring the way Marino acted after every incomplete pass.
Freeman has lacked the poise of a true leader this year. His manner looked like that of a 23 yr old, when last year it reflected that of a veteran during adversity.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:05 am
@Jon,
Those are all viable excuses regarding his play, but Andrew is referring to his leadership skills & poise, not so much his abysmal, bottom-feeding stats.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:08 am
Freeman, needs to look in the mirror for underacheivers and slackers. It is not only being slack on the field…but preparation in the film room and working overtime with receivers.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:21 am
It is easy to be a leader when you are winning. Nobody questioned his leadership when we were 3-1 or 4-2. It is hard to be a leader when your 4-10 and on a 8 game slide. It is hard to be a leader when you are 23 years old. It is hard to be a leader when you have players around you loafing at all times. It is hard to be a leader when your head coach does nothing but make excuses and congratulate guys for playing hard in the 4th quarter already down by 20 pionts. Freeman is still a leader, i see him getting in peoples faces all the time, it is simple, he needs a better coaching staff around him and some vets that other players respect. You have captains like Faine and Hayward. One, there not that good at football, so it is hard to respect a captain when they are backups, should be backups, or should not even be on the team. Imagine if the ravens were 4-10. You wouldn’t see any loafers and if you did im sure they would be fired up because Ray Lewis would be in there faces during or after the game. We simply do not have that on this team. TOM BRADY gets his respect because he is a 3 time super bowl champion. If brady never won those he would not get the respect he gets now. Freeman is doing all he can
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:31 am
or they simply suck and are down after repeated beatdowns.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:45 am
He should stat pulling WR’s cards and demanding excellence or telling the coaches to get them out of the game or replace them. Do you think Brees or Brady will tolerate drops and poor routes. (See Ocho) But those QB’s are sound all around and Freeman still stares down WRs and doesn’t get the ball out. So Freeman definitely has more work to do.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:54 am
Chidi dropped a bomb in Freeman this week, and he might have a point. Freeman, Raheem, Dom all were thrust into leadership roles with no experience. After a year of success under their collective belts pride and ego begin to settle in. Now faced with adversity none of them are prepared. No longer are chest bump appropriate, and trying to suddenly “get in a guys face” is going to come off wrong. It’s a tough spot to be in but all three rode the wave of emotion to the highest, pump fists and pounding chests all the way. But now at rock bottom, all bravado stripped they are all at a loss.
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:04 am
So…where is the disconnect? Freeman sees slackers, Morris sees the slackers, but they continue to play the slackers? Do we not have enough players waiting in the wings to include the practice squad who may not have the experience but I guarantee they have 110% effort. Black, Lynch, Any linebacker not named Black or Hayes are a few that come to mind.
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:18 am
Vocal leaders are a waste of time unless they have walked the walk.
Josh Freeman needs to lead by example. Not from what everyone thinks he accomplished against losing teams in 2010, but from proving he still can QB a team to wins today. The other 10 guys on offense can’t complete passes.
As Derrick Brooks would always say, leadership starts by leading on the field by example.
Otherwise, you are a tool spewing a bunch of hot air… And interceptions.
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:19 am
Vocal leaders are a waste of time unless they have walked the walk.
Josh Freeman needs to lead by example. Not from what everyone thinks he accomplished against losing teams in 2010, but from proving he still can QB a team to wins today. The other 10 guys on offense can’t complete passes.
As Derrick Brooks would always say, leadership starts by leading on the field by example.
Otherwise, you are a tool spewing a bunch of hot air… And interceptions.
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:23 am
@Architek Brady doesn’t mind drops too much apparently as Welker has is 4th in the league with 10. Even though that seems high, the guy has 104 receptions. I’d allow the ten drops too lol
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:25 am
@TurnThePage So, the only way to be a leader is by being the best player on the field? That doesn’t seem very realistic.
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:33 am
Advocare if someone is good on the field it just holds more water. Like quincy black, do you think players get awe inspired when he speaks??
December 23rd, 2011 at 11:35 am
At this point in the season, they’re playing for a paycheck. How about handing the checks out after the game to provide proper motivation. If you play hard and actually try to win for the entire 60 minutes you’ll get issued a paycheck. If you slack off and don’t even try (S. Jones), no paycheck.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Who would listen to an idiot who is throwing interceptions and fumbling snaps?
Get a clue advo.
But worse than that, who on Earth would listen to Raheem Morris??? You know these guys sit around their play station 3 clowning this moron of a coach. I would love to hear the players mock Raheem’s stupid azz.
Heck, most of the players can piece together better sentences than the head coach himself. What does that tell you?
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:16 pm
@jvato That’s like saying “Who is going listen to a coach who never played the game or sucked when he played”. Your trying, but failing.
You don’t have to be having your best year to be a leader. Brooks didn’t play well ever year near the end but people still listened. But to think you have to be of Brooks quality to be a leader is ridiculous. That means there are only a hand full of leaders in the entire league.
There are plenty of guys who are/were great football players aren’t always leaders either(are = Adrian Peterson, were= Ronde Barber). It goes both ways.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Freeman has work to do. The receivers have work to do. But Freeman plays with passion.
@Turnthepage, Freeman has walked the walk. He was a pro-bowl caliber player last year. This year he’s sucked, and so have his receivers and 3 of his 5 starting O-linemen. They’ve all sucked. So somebody has to listen to somebody.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
@jvato Sorry. That last post was not meant to you(and I do agree with what you said). That was meant to the emotional train wreck named turnthepage.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:18 pm
I don’t think you need to be a hall of fame player to be a leader. That’s a little bit ridiculous.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Freeman needs to shut up and go back to letting his play define his leadership.
Last year, Free beat losing, helpless teams. 9 out of 10 teams had losing records.
Free needs to step it up, get first downs and sustain scoring drives.
He needs to stop throwing INTs and cut out the fumbling.
THEN and only then can the idiot speak up and have people listen.
News flash, THERE ARE NO LEADERS on this losing team. They are getting blown the f out.
Time for some real coaches to help these young guys.
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:06 pm
There are no leaders? How do you know TurnThePage? When was the last time you were in the locker room dude?
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I view Jeff Faine, Kellen Winslow and Adam Heyward was leaders of some sort because……..THE OTHER PLAYERS SAY THEY’RE LEADERS, DUH. I’ll listen to what the players say before I listen to some clown posters on the internet.
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Damn, even Albert Haynesworth has stood up and tried to be a leader.
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:30 pm
@K2 Thank you, sir.
December 23rd, 2011 at 1:49 pm
There is zero leadership. Just watch the games, they are getting smoked. They come out flat in both the 1st and 2nd halves. What are these mouth pieces leading? Losing? Who are they leading? Quitters???
If you jokers think that this leadership, then you are blindly excusing this whole mess.
Anyone designted a leader of this embarrassment should be fired on the spot because they are failing miserably. Neon Dieon Sanders was spot on and 100% right. Anyone who argues this is not paying attention to the sickening blowouts.
The best solution is to fire Raheem Morris. Start with the moron first.
I sill think the players have hope.
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Freeman is a leader by definition. He’s the friggin’ QB! Guys like TurnThePage are clueless about how football hierarchy works. It’s like an employee telling the CEO of a company..”Hey, when the company is making the kind of money I think it should make…then I’ll listen to you as an employee.” No, you listen because he’s the boss. Same with Freeman. He has been leading by example. He’s 23 years old and he’s playing as a starting QB in the NFL. He’s completing over 60% of his passes and he’s working with 2nd year receivers other than Winslow. Joe Flacco is having an off year but do you think his team is saying “Joe dude, you have lost your leadership role till your stats come back up.” ???? C’mon TurnThePage….think before you post. If it becomes too difficult we can assign you a designated poster.
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Who are the playmakers? where are they? why aren’t they showing up? Once a team gets used to losing it doesn’t matter who the coaches are or how they coach until the playmakers show up the team won’t win because the belief they can win no matter what is gone. Everybody inside and outside One Buc knows what’s wrong the mystery is why the players can’t regain their will to win.
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Maybe Freeman should lose about 15 pounds (he looks fat and soft), stop throwing INTs, stop bitching at receivers for not being 6’6, and maybe beat a team with a winning record. What’s his record against teams with winning records? 5-15 or something close to that?
When you draft someone who has been on the losing end of games more than the winning end of games in his career to be your “leader”, you’re basically shooting yourself in the foot. This kid, time and time against in his career has not shown the ability to take his team from the bottom and bring it back up. Look at his record at KSU. They’d start the year ok, then he’d basically lose the last 5-6 games of every season.
The kid is a LOSER. Loser’s lose, PERIOD. Draft Kellen Moore in the 4th round, open up a QB competition, and see who the team rallies around as a leader. I’d put my money on college football’s winningest QB ever.
How many other teams with pre-determined “franchise QBs” have players saying that their backup is a franchise QB? How many teams have their coaches calling a 23 year old a “career backup”?
Josh and Rah are both losers.
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Are you serious Buc”fan”34? Why don’t you check out how many players from Josh’s KState team are lighting it up in the pros right now. Jordy Nelson is just about the only one. Should lose 15 pounds? Looks soft and fat? What the hell are you even talking about dude? The kids not a “loser”. Sorry. If you wanna say that the verdict is still out on Freeman then that’s fine and fair to say. But calling him a loser and saying we should draft KELLEN MOORE is ridiculous. Colt Brennan went undefeated at Hawaii, you want him to? How much college ball do you actually watch to think that Moore, an undersized, weak armed spread system QB would fit on the Buccaneer roster. You MUST be crazy, and I think I’m actually more dumb after reading your ridiculous post.
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:56 pm
Oh, and he bitches at his receivers because they SUCK, outside of Kellen Winslow there are zero elite pass catchers to do Josh any favors on the team. Mike Williams can’t get open when the defense doubles him, and the rest of the receivers are terrible route runners that don’t know how to get open. Mike and Benn are close to the league lead in drops, and even Winslow has his fair share of drops. So Josh can bitch at them for sucking if he wants, the coaches aren’t so somebody has to light a fire under their asses.
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Josh is a loser. 14-20 record at KSU and 17-20 record in the pros. Oh, and as a high school senior, he only went 7-4. Kid’s a contageous loser. I don’t care how much he studies. He doesn’t win. He’s not someone who inspires other people to win either contrary to what Rah wants us to believe. You know why the Jets took Sanchez? Because they got the idea that his teammates responded to him and wanted to follow him more than Josh. Criticize Mark all you want, but his record at USC and now with the Jets speaks for itself. Jets sucked pre-Mark and are now looking at their 3rd straight playoff appearance with him. We’re 0-3 with Josh. Even the Lions are going to the playoffs with Stafford and we’re right back where we were… actually, we’re worse off than we were when we draft Freeman.
Mike Williams is a jump-ball possession receiver. He’s someone who you throw the ball up and he’s going to make a play, like Plaxico was with Eli. I’m tired of hearing about the drops. He’s been at that number since about week 6 and has maybe 1 since then. Benn blows I won’t defend him. But Briscoe is a weapon that Josh doesn’t use. Hell, defensive coordinators basically say that Josh fixes in on Winslow and Williams and if it’s not one of those two guys he throws to the checkdown. He makes slow decisions and can’t read defenses. This is his 3rd year and he’s regressed. He doesn’t take shots down field, he doesn’t inspire people, and he doesn’t win!
Big arm doesn’t matter if you make slow decisions and can’t read defenses. Does Drew Brees have a big arm? No. But he’s a better leader than 99.9% of players in the league, is smart, and is accurate.
And guess what, the NFL is becoming a spread league. Brady didn’t throw a single pass from under center last week. I bet 90% of Brees’ passes come from the gun.
Josh needs to go. He’s a loser, pure and simple.
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Somehow, winning against losing teams in 2010 equates to Josh Freeman proving himself. Oh yeah? Where has he been lately?
The BEST excuse is to blame Raheem Morris… otherwise you are saying Josh Freeman sucks, McCoy sucks, Mike Williams sucks… and on down the line. I don’t believe Josh sucks nor do the othet players (maybe Geno Hayes… that little guy SHOULD NOT be starting).
I like the players… so guess who’s fault it is? Raheem Morris and the rest of the coordinators.
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:59 pm
@Bucsfan34
Mark Sanchez is the most overrated QB in the NFL. You know why he wins? Because he has one of the best defenses around him to help him out, so therefore he doesn’t have to do much. He also has MUCH MORE talent and a much better staff around him than Freeman. He has Burress and Santonio Holmes as receivers and he’s still mediocre.
Sanchez had QB ratings of 63 and 75 in his first two seasons. Wow, that’s so good.
I sure as hell would never want the guy on my team. He’s the most overrated QB in the NFL. And the Jets are the most overrated team in the NFL. If Sanchez wasn’t in that big New York market, he’d be nobody.
December 23rd, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Patrick. Let’s dig a little deeper. The Jets defense was number 6 his rookie year, number 13 last year, and is 20 this year. That’s scoring. So points he has to score basically to win games.
His QB rating went from 63 to 75 to 82 this year. That’s an improvement each year. His TDs went from 12 to 17 to 23. Again, improvement every year. His INTs went from 20 down to 13 the last two seasons. IMPROVEMENT. He gets better every year.
Sanchez doesn’t have Blount, he doesn’t have K2. Williams is as good if not better than Holmes. Burress isn’t what he used to be, not even close.
Sanchez, contrary to what people want to believe, is getting better and better. Josh isn’t. Oh, and Mark wins. Period.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Bucs”fan”34 you didn’t answer my question about how many players Josh had around him at KSU that are playing well in the NFL besides Jordy Nelson. Go ahead. Then you can make your point about him having a bad record in college. People knock Sanchez because he had very little to do with the team success in his first 2 years. The defense was opportunistic and the running game was ranked towards the top. Mike Williams isn’t better than Holmes, and despite what you say about Burress he’s got 8 touchdowns this year. You of course leave out his top ranked offensive line, and great coaching staff around him. So spare me the Mark Sanchez talk.
Lots of holes in your argument bud. If you’re tired of hearing about Mike Wills drops then maybe…uh….he should stop dropping the ball? Do you ever watch the game downfield or are you one of those dudes that just watches the QB. Because guys don’t get open for Josh on a regular basis. That’s why the checkdowns and ALWAYS throwing to covered receivers. Because his dudes just flat out can’t run routes and aren’t disciplined in that regard at all. We really do have some bad pass catchers in Tampa.
Does Drew Brees have a big arm? Gee, when he’s throwing 60 yard darts to wideouts down the field it sure looks big. Ask Chad Pennington how far a weak arm will get you in the NFL. What in the world tells you Brees can’t throw the deep ball? Kellen Moore is not an NFL starter. Spread teams in the NFL require an elite quarterback, ala the 2 QBs you named, Brees and Brady.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:12 pm
K2, the Jets o-line isn’t great. Mangold is great and that’s about it. Burress has 8 TDs and 38 catches. Williams and K2 have more catches and yards than Holmes does. Oh and Preston Parker is about even with Burress as far as yards and catches this year.
And lil Schotenheimer is a great coach? HAHAHA. In what universe? The Jets receivers basically had a team munity earlier in the year that got Holmes benched.
Josh sucks. I’ve watched Williams. He’s a possession receiver that is good in space. Josh needs to give him opportunities to catch the ball 1v1. Throw sideline fades, back shoulder routes. Josh doesn’t do that because he sucks.
Parker is one of the best third down WRs in the league. It’s not about hitting wide open guys. Hell, 75% of the plays Biggers gives up, he has decent coverage but the QB puts it where the receiver can make a play and Biggers cant. Josh doesn’t do that. He either tries to force it to K2 (interception) or dump it to the RB (3 and out).
Josh sucks.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:14 pm
and who’d Todd Reesing have at Kansas? Dez Briscoe who Freeman seems unable to get the ball to.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:16 pm
Bottom line. Josh has to prove himself. He looks more like Dilfer and Testeverde than a winning franchise NFL QB.
Winning against losing teams a year ago is exactly too far in the past to be considered established… especially after this down year.
1st to go Raheem. Then, the pressure goes on Freeman. Can’t wait.
December 24th, 2011 at 5:13 am
Yeah man I just hope that we don’t screw this draft up. i already expect next to nothing in free agency, here’s hoping that scrubs like Black and Hayes are playing their final two games with the team and we can all move on from this horrific season