Expect Josh Freeman To Return In 2014
July 23rd, 2013
No subject gets Bucs fans worked up more than Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman. At times, he looks like the second coming of Ben Roethlisberger. Other times, he looks like the second coming of Rob Johnson.
At his best, Freeman is among the elite of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. At his worst, he makes Bucs fans run to the nearest liquor store and demand the return of Trent Dilfer.
Some fans have had enough of the Freeman rollercoaster and simply want to turn the page. Well, for said fans, Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune has bad news for you. Barring a complete and utter collapse by Freeman and the Bucs this season, a Walter Football-type collapse, Freeman will return as your Bucs starting quarterback in 2014, and very likely, beyond, as Cummings told Howard Balzer and Dan Leberfeld, co-hosts of “Press Coverage” on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“Josh had a pretty darn good season last year if you break it down. He had two or three bad games and they came at the end of the year which scarred the whole thing. He threw for most passing yards – more than 4,000 yards – in Buccaneers history and threw for 27 touchdowns. He was really moving along very well until very late in the season.
“If he has that kind of a season again the Bucs will be in a tough situation. He is certainly capable of putting together 15 or 16 superb games. It is a matter of consistency. I think the fact he is in a system, the same system for a second year in a row for the first time in his career, truly the same system. I think that will benefit him. He now has four years of experience. He is a very confident kid. It is very hard to predict how this is going to go.
“I can say this: If he just does his job he will do just fine. He has all the ability in the world. At the end of the day, after putting in so much effort, time and of course, money, into developing Josh Freeman, I have a hard time believing that no matter what kind of season he has unless he has 14 horrid games and this team goes 4-12 or something, I have a hard time believing this team will let him go. I think at the end of the day he will remain a Buccaneer. His play will determine for how long he will remain a Buccaneer whether it’s a one-year deal, maybe a two-year deal or a $100 million five-year type deal. At the end of the day, I think [the Bucs] probably stick with Josh Freeman and you know what? At the end of the day, I say he will earn that right.”
Well of course, if Freeman earns the right to return as Cummings suggests, Joe is of the belief the Bucs would have been fighting for a playoff berth or in fact will be playing in the postseason this January.
Even if Freeman has an average year, Joe’s pretty sure Freeman will be franchised if his agent tries to play hardball with Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.
If Freeman plays more like his 2011 season than his 2010 season, and the Bucs fail to make the playoffs, all bets are off.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Woodrow’s on top of it.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:24 pm
a couple things
“he makes Bucs fans run to the nearest liquor store and demand the return of Trent Dilfer.”
LOL HELL NO. Freeman at his worst is still waaay better then Dilfer at his best.
secondly, how do we know Freeman would even accept a 1 year deal if it does infact come to that. if a 1 year deal is all that we would offer than I think its a pretty safe bet that he would move on elsewhere.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:36 pm
“If Freeman plays more like his 2011 season than his 2010 season and the Bucs fail to make the playoffs, well, all bets are off.”
I agree
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Andrew 1 the one year deal would most likely be a franchise tag.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:47 pm
Woody Cummings hit the nail on the head. The haters will insult him and deny it, but in the end he and the non-haters will be proven right.
I dare say, even if Freeman has a season like last year he will still be here. He had a good season except for two games. They just happened at the end of the season, so everyone remembers them more.
But the Bucs organization remembers all the games.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:51 pm
Thus is why I bought the jersey.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Dom’s not known for using the franchise tag, but like Joe said, if Freeman’s agent plays hardball there is always that option. Personally, I don’t see it coming to that. Unless Dominik completely low-balls the numbers, Josh will either sign to a long term contract or take his show on the road. Either way Josh has to play well for any of this to happen. He controls his own fate.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Unless there’s one of those rare opportunities to get a Farve or Manning type from either a trade or free agency ( there won’t be ), Freeman remaining a Buc for the forseeable future is a good thing IMO. Buc Nation sure is divided on this topic…..more so than I can remember seeing since Dungy vs Gruden I suppose 🙂
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:06 pm
i’m tired of hearing that he threw for 4,000 yards etc..fact of the matter is most of those yards came from hail mary’s bouncing off the helmet of an opposing player into mike williams hands to v jax out jumping his man to a one yard pass to doug martin turning into a 50 yard gain to getting those yards off prevent defense etc..etc..overall, we won in spite of him NOT because of him. keyword: “overall”. do you remember that bullet pass to v jax in the endzone near end of game that basically won it for us against carolina? yes? ask yourself why do you remember that ….it was because it was few far in between. i wish him success this year. i honestly do….i’m just not so sure.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:07 pm
this year him can be the best
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:14 pm
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0204/jackson/1-2048X1219.jpg
3 game losing streak after that right there folks.
As long as he eats raw meat and avoids the *cough* questionable engagements we might make the playoffs.
one can hope.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:16 pm
@JonBuc
The only place the Bucs might find a new QB is in next years draft. There will be quite a few true and talented first round QB’s next year. But, not only would we need Josh to play badly but need the whole team to perform and finish terrible to have a legitimate shot. ……Of course, I hope none of us are hoping that.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:16 pm
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/23328000/ngbbs4e812ae1251cb.jpg
I just pray to God soul glo doesn’t offer him an endorsement deal!!!!!!!!!
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:18 pm
Cummings is wrong. It won’t take a terrible, 4-12-type season for Freeman to be gone. If it’s 6-10 or even 8-8 but wildly inconsistent and fading at the end, Freeman won’t be back.
Drafting a QB in the 3rd round was the perfect hedging move by the team — you’re not committing to him as the future, but you can lean on him (after a year in your system) in 2014 if Freeman didn’t pan out.
Absolutely make or break for Josh, and he’s got to show himself as a better-than-average QB when judged over the entire season for him to make it. I think he’ll do it, but I think there’s also a very good chance that he won’t.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:19 pm
I wonder if Hillis and Visanthe Shiancoe share the same agent?
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:19 pm
Josh needs to get mentally stronger. When he’s in those lapses and is rattled he’s as bad as Sanchez. But when he’s on he plays like a top tier qb. He was the best statistical qb in that 5 game stretch but they weren’t against the playoff competition. As the pressure grew he played like a bottom tier qb.
Gotta get it together.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Hills I mean.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:34 pm
We will make the playoffs this year despite JFro six pack.
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:37 pm
I agree Mean D
but I think we need to change it up a bit….maybe
jfro 6 pack soul glo jackson?
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:39 pm
I’m in…He’ll be fine…WE all could use a little more consistencey
July 23rd, 2013 at 3:45 pm
ok robert put Mean D away….
July 23rd, 2013 at 4:00 pm
@ Sneedy
oh ok I was getting confused between a 1 year franchise tag and a 1 year free agency deal.
July 23rd, 2013 at 4:04 pm
BuccaneerBonza, right the fist time.
July 23rd, 2013 at 4:09 pm
So the esteemed Woodrow extols the virtue of Freeman being “certainly capable” of putting 15-16 games together.
That’s a joke right?
This guy has been lucky to put two good halves of one game together.
July 23rd, 2013 at 4:58 pm
@lynch- The reason we remember that throw is because it was an absolute dime. Go back and watch the throws from that 6- 8 game stretch. The raiders, chiefs, saints, panthers, chargers were all in that stretch. He made a lot of unbelievable throws. The one you are talking about is just special though. At least he isn’t scared to pull the trigger downfield like most every young qb is.
July 23rd, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Yes, because successful quarterbacks never do photo shoots. I can’t believe the people upset because he took some pictures. It is hilarious what great lengths people will go to complain. News flash, he is a starting NFL quarterback. (Whether you would like to admit it or not.)
http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2012/01/14/216912-tom-brady.jpg
As for Freeman returning in 2014, I have said before that he only needs to match last years output to get some form of an extension.
July 23rd, 2013 at 5:18 pm
The TRUE Situation is Simole ( HATERS )
THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS NEED JOSHUA FREEMAN MORE THAN JOSHUA FREEMAN NEEDS THE BUCCANEERS!!!
July 23rd, 2013 at 5:19 pm
“Simple”
{darn 7″ touch screen typo}
July 23rd, 2013 at 5:47 pm
that’s got to be the stupidest thing I have read in some time…..and I read some stupid $hit
July 23rd, 2013 at 6:15 pm
@robert…especially if you proof read your own posts…
July 23rd, 2013 at 6:16 pm
I know that no one can predict the future with accuracy and this is just another opinion about JF remaining a Buccaneer but if “The Sporadic Kid” still continues to disappoint this season and the team signs him anyways then I see that move as an attempt by the Bucs to go for the record as longest playoff drought in NFL history!…
July 23rd, 2013 at 6:18 pm
^^^^ and written some too
July 23rd, 2013 at 6:25 pm
“This year him can be the best” ?
Wow.
Now that’s a Freeman fan. He even talks like Freeman.
July 23rd, 2013 at 6:37 pm
No you worry Loung, Boob be a-hole too.
July 23rd, 2013 at 7:05 pm
WCB, classic !!!!!!!!… and to true !!!!!!!
July 23rd, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Gawd, I really expect some heads to exploded Free’s sined to ANY contract, no matter what kind’a season he, or the team, has. Methinks some people confuse their OPINION on Free’s (and the team’s) future with absolute certainty what the team’s gonna do. Sorry guys, the teams management, and coaches, don’t give a rat’s patootie what you think, nor should they, it’s not your butt on the line. And yes, this applies to me, only more so, due to my demonstrable lack of football knowledge. After all, I don’t think posing for a magazine shoot makes Free gay, and a bad QB. Look what doing it did to Namath, and Tom Brady
July 23rd, 2013 at 7:10 pm
Ummm
Robert & Bobby together swapping knobby (More Like it)
Free already announced he ain’t phased by bums like you. He’s made $Millions and 4,000 yds passing & multiple seasons tossing over 25 TDs says he will continue to get paid! Buccaneers or not!
July 23rd, 2013 at 7:26 pm
What i liked the most about what freeman did last year was that he opened games with td drives consistently. That consistency can move to other areas of his game. Im excited for this year more than last year. Let these closet falcon fans hate cuz they know winning the south wont be as easy as last year.
July 23rd, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Is there an English language version of this site?
July 23rd, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Freeman at his best IMO there are few better
Freeman at his worst IMO is one of the worst out there
That’s why he’s so maddening to me
“I can say this: If he just does his job he will do just fine.”
^^^^ I believe that as well, I think the team is sooooo good around him him that that’s all he has to do. Reaaaally think this might be a special season.
Free just do your job manage the game and nothing more this season and we have the talent around you to carry us far 🙂 Again IMO
July 23rd, 2013 at 8:52 pm
This article explains it all
July 23rd, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Let him start running again and that will screw up many defensive plans hehe… One of his talents. I think last year they wanted to really get him comfortable in the pocket for his reads don’t run…. read (like the Giants did with Eli) but if he see’s a play on the run go for it… He’s very accurate with his roll outs and strong enough to get it downfield we’ve seen that time and again… This year they let him be mobile and thats why we’re looking at fb’s that can line up at te also for the underneath dumpoffs if he has nothing downfield…. Just my opinion.
July 23rd, 2013 at 10:37 pm
How funny. A positive article is FINALLY posted about Freeman and it doesn’t garner a 150 plus comments. Hang in there guys the seasons almost here.
July 23rd, 2013 at 10:56 pm
Buc1987 – we are all still stunned that you coughed up a whopping $100 for a Jfro six pack soul too Jackson jersey. Did iron on numbers come with that t-shirt?
July 23rd, 2013 at 11:32 pm
Hey I found a video of Mean D that explains it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioAuBla0IkI
July 23rd, 2013 at 11:35 pm
Jon Kitna also threw for 4,000 yards one time!
What the hell is Cummings talking about? Three bad games at the end of the year? He had WAY more bad games than that. And they were spread out pretty well through out the season. Twisting everything as usual.
July 23rd, 2013 at 11:58 pm
So too did the immortal Marc Bulger.
July 24th, 2013 at 3:41 am
Dang whatever happen to Bulger lol
July 24th, 2013 at 5:30 am
And on and on it goes.