“Four Games Are Not Going To Change Anything”
December 4th, 2012
Big name Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who’s been to the playoffs repeatedly and won about 70 percent of his regular season games, is playing in the final year of his contract.
Joe’s been of the mind that whatever deal 27-year-old Flacco may land in Baltimore — if they don’t slap the franchise tag on him for 2013 — would very much be a key mark for a potential Josh Freeman contract extension with the Bucs.
But what’s interesting is that there’s a lot of chatter out of Baltimore that Flacco might have more to prove before Baltimore commits to him for the future. Joe Fortenbaugh, a former agent who writes for NationalFootballPost.com, delved into that in a strong piece yesterday.
So it was a bit of an eye-opener when former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland said today that Freeman is sure to get a contract extension from the Bucs this offseason in the neighborhood of “six years and $60 million.”
“The next four games are not going to change anything,” McFarland said on 98.7 FM, during the Booger and Rich show.
Joe can’t agree that the next four games are meaningless for Freeman. If anything, they’re critical to his negotiating power and to making the Bucs sure of their plans for Freeman’s future. Freeman rising to this December challenge, or wilting under the pressure, will have an impact.
Of course, this assumes the Bucs even want to talk extension before the final season of Freeman’s rookie contract in 2013.
December 4th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
with our O-line in shambles it is amazing we are 500…Freeman has done a great job with what he has….sign the man.
December 4th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Which Josh Freeman are they going to negotiate with? Josh Freeman from 2009, 2010, 2011 or this Josh?
Yeah I KNOW that chaning offensive co-ordinators has an impact but there are times when I’ve really got to wonder what the He$$ Freeman is looking at with some of those passes?
During the last game did anyone else see how Peyton got the offense together after an unsuccessful drive and they discussed…..(who knows). Freeman doesn’t do that with his players.
Josh just really needs to step up and be a LEADER these final four games. Seattle has the edge to making the playoffs, both Dallas and Washington will beat the Bucs in a head-head tie; however they play each other.
If the Bucs can go 3-1 in these final four games then I say give Freeman a big extension – not Joe Flacco Big but bigger than his rookie contract.
December 4th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
@ lucky…so if we lose because thr CB’s can’t cover or the right side of the o-line can’t block…thats Freemans fault ? lol
December 4th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Joe , did you see reports that Steve Addazio will be Boston College new coach ?
December 4th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Joe…you’re starting to sound like a whiney little girl with all this negative Freeman talk. I predicted a double digit loss before the game. We did NOT stack up well against Denver. You expected a win apparently and because Freeman had a bad game (as did the whole freakin’ team) now all of a sudden Freeman sucks??. Dude, get a grip. Drew Brees threw five picks against Atlanta. QB’s have bad games. He is MUCH better this year than last year. Not even close. You are the same guy that was swearing that Blount should be the RB this year when I was telling everyone that Martin was in a different league than Blount. I love your site but I question your ability to stay objective about talent. You’re starting to have knee jerk reactions like a lot of the fans that post on here.
It’s not “Loser Mentality” to realize we are not where we need to be to win games like the Denver game. I chuckled when I read that comment from an earlier post of yours. I think we call that ‘reality’. Nothing wrong with it. We’re not going to stay where we are and I think Schiano has us playing at a high level. We just don’t have all the players in place to get it done right now. We are still fun to watch and last year we were impossible to watch. We are capable of beating anybody if we win the turnover battle but we have to come with our A game against a Manning offense and the Bronco defense and hope they make more mistakes than us. Didn’t happen. On to the Eagles.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Play out the season and then evaluate your QB. There are 2 areas of Josh’s game that need to be worked on- 1. Speeding up his release 2. Look off your receivers, pump fake, scramble to pass. He is doing a very good job on the downfield throws. He is also become better at blitz recognitions. Overall I rate him as a B-. If he could read defenses better and get rid of the ball faster he would be a top ten QB.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
It’s so important that the team keep Sullivan locked in through at least 2013. Even if it does come down to money. Josh will be a free agent in 2014 and with one more solid season under the same OC, it would give the team more time to give a fair evaluation of him. This would be beneficial for the team and Josh Freeman, in negotiating a possible future contract.
December 4th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Has anyone actually looked at what Freeman has done. I really do not think the offense is to blame for our record. I actually pulled out the stats and, well you judge for yourself.
He has a 91.9 QB rating (10th in the League).
He has thrown 23 TD’s (6th in the League) to only 8 interceptions about the only negative is his accuracy about 56%. Can he improve, yes I think both he his coaches and we all can agree to that. But I definitely think he is a good QB and if he had the defense Joe Flacco had we would have 8 or more wins easily. Also add to that all the intangible, good character, big, tough, clutch (sometimes) and I think he is a pretty good QB is he in the Top 5 – NO. Could we win a Superbowl with him. Sure I think so.
I really don’t think he is our problem and I hate to break it to you if we don’t sign him someone will. The problem lies on the other side of the Ball mainly. We need to pressure the QB and get a serious corner upgrade.
That said the next 4 games we face some questionable defenses and he could very well throw 8 or more TD’s and 1 or 2 picks. That puts him at 30 TD’s and 10 INT in the first year in this offensive system with a banged up O-line. Imagine next year when we get our O-line back as well as hopefully an improved D.
December 4th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Draft Geno Smith and make him hold a clipboard for a year. Maybe, he needs some pressure to keep his job.
Hire Norv Turner as OC.
Mediocrity is not the goal.
Some mock drafts have Geno #1 overall and some have him dropping down half way in the 1st round.
One mock draft had Marcus Lattimore as the 3rd overall spot in the 1st. Barkley seems to have dropped a bit as well.
McFarland is wrong, the last 4 games makes a big difference in the Buc’s draft position. I don’t see them beating the Falcons or Saints. The Eagles will be playing for their coach’s job and the Rams are better than you would think.
December 4th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Maybe Freeman, needs some pressure to keep his job.
December 4th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
He will get a contract extension… but if he only gets 60 mil for 7 years then he is losing out.
The guy has so much talent. He has the ability to max out his earnings… he just needs to man up and show he is actually an elite QB.
It is time for Josh to grow some more… into one of the better QBs in the league.
He has been able to measure up with the top QBs this season… while playing against them… but he has yet to match them.
Its time brotha Josh. It is time to play like a post season, hungry QB who can man handle this league.
COME ON JOSH!!!!!!! YOU CAN F—— DO IT.
We believe in you man!!!
December 4th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
@Bobby – Maybe I don’t get it, but how exactly is Joe being negative in this post?
December 4th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
The offensive line has done a stellar job in protecting Freeman,he just folds under pressure like a little girl.I understand that love is blind and ralfiel and bobbie(roberta) cant get over their mancrush and see the forest thru the trees but cmon girlz josh is never gonna be more than mediocre so go have your threesome,get it out of your system and be areal FAN.
December 4th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Grif…what is your address? I want to buy you ‘hooked on phonics’…..
moron…..
December 4th, 2012 at 10:58 pm
@Stick….Joe has gone all negative on Freeman. He got his little dig in on this post too: “Of course, this assumes the Bucs even want to talk extension before the final season of Freeman’s rookie contract in 2013.”
By the way, did Thomas come back with the name Grif4foozball?? Who the heck is this illiterate idiot?? Seems like one pops up every so often with no football knowledge but an axe to grind with one of the players. Oh well…free speech is the right of the stupid as well.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Sorry guys but Freeman is not even close to being in the top 8 QB’s in the league. Sure Freeman is having a good year but if he was having a great year the Bucs wouldn’t be 6-6 they’d be 8-4.
Yes the defense let the Bucs down but Freeman has to be able to nail the game much earlier and make things happen, like Big Ben does.
Sure Freeman looks great compared to Brady Quinn or Sanchez but how does he look compared to Brees, Manning, Brady, Rogers, Ryan, Schaub, Big Ben?
I think that Freeman has more potential than Romo but Romo has a leadership quality that Freeman lacks
December 4th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
Still no rumors of a Threeman and Out contract extension.
December 5th, 2012 at 3:01 am
4 seasons, 0 post-season appearances. Don’t know how you offer a huge extension to a guy who’s never seen a post-season game at either the collegiate or pro game as the starter.
December 5th, 2012 at 6:30 am
Bobby, I don’t think Joe was being negative at all. In fact, he has a solid point. The Bucs may wish to wait to renegotiate. It seems to be a common these where QBs are concerned these days. I could see Dominick having Freeman play next season, slapping a franchise tag on him, and then negotiating.
That isn’t negative on Freeman. If that happens he would likely get a really good-sized deal in the end.
I’m with you on Freeman’s potential. I think the Bucs would be idiots if they let him slip away. I have no doubt that if he were trade bait, the Bucs would get 2 first rounders for him, and he would go on to win Superbowls in the coming years.
But there is no way I want him gone.
grif4foozball, yet another new name for someone without the ballz to show their true identity (sure are a lot of “new” names lately), has no idea how to evaluate QB talent. Josh Freeman is doing a great job. Yes, he is still making some mistakes. But considering the injuries to the offensive line and the facts that he has three new members to the offense, all starters (Jackson, Clark & Martin) and the entire offense is in the first year of a NEWLY DEVELOPED playbook, Freeman is progressing well.
Make no mistake. Josh Freeman is not Alex Smith. While it is true he has had questionable coaching until this year, he has remained positive and is learning quickly. Alex Smith was not as young as Freeman. At 24, Josh is the age of a second year QB at most. So he still has a couple years of maturing ahead of him. Yes, he has 3 years in the league. But honestly, the Reheem/Olson years did more damage than good.
Not that I think Gruden would have done well either. In fact I thing Jon Gruden would have destroyed Freeman by year 2. Jon is not a developmental coach. Neither was Morris. Schiano and dominick have assembled the perfect blend of teachers for the whole team, offense included.
December 5th, 2012 at 6:31 am
“It seems to be a common these” = “It seems to be a common theme”
December 5th, 2012 at 6:35 am
Mr Lucky, wasn’t Ryan taken the year before Freeman? And didn’t Ryan have a down year as well?
I agree Freeman is not top 8 QBs yet, but I also believe he WILL be in a year or two…probably next year. Remember, he didn’t have an entire off season to work with Sully. And obviously what time he has had has caused a large amount of improvement.
December 5th, 2012 at 7:36 am
Freeman has alot of “baby” in him IMO. He’s been coddled forever, it seems, with no real competition. He get his “bitter beer face” goin every time he air mails a ball, like the reciever is supposed to jump 20ft up in the air and snag another errant laser. Freeman is a servicable QB, but NO WAY is he a Franchise QB. He needs outstanding talent around him, via a run game, top-notch recievers, a great o-line, to be the modestly successful. This, by definition, is NOT a “Franchise QB”.
December 5th, 2012 at 8:35 am
JOE here,
@Bobby: You wrote: “@Stick….Joe has gone all negative on Freeman. He got his little dig in on this post too: “Of course, this assumes the Bucs even want to talk extension before the final season of Freeman’s rookie contract in 2013.”
Bobby, this is ridiculous. That’s not any kind of dig in any possible way, merely a reminder after McFarland’s comments that the Bucs may not want to engage, ala the Flacco detailed reference above.
December 5th, 2012 at 8:46 am
Give the man an extension. He’s good enough to build around even if he doesn’t develop into a hall of famer. These last four games shouldn’t mean much in regards to that decision.
We really want to use a high draft pick on a QB, not using it to shore up the pass defense, and live through the growing pains of an unknown commodity?
Please don’t do that!
December 5th, 2012 at 8:52 am
I dnt blame Josh for his record I just look at what he has had to wrk with when he was drafted absolutely Nthn, he didn’t get drafted into a good situation he got drafted into uncertainty. other QBs Like Flacco and Ryan came into a good situation. We finally give him some legitamate weapons and he plays like a stud… Sign the man
December 5th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Another year under Mike Sullivan’s and Ron Turner’s tutelage will put Freeman in the top ten next year. The Bucs would have to be fools to let a 24 y/o QB with 3 years of experience go, just to start all over again. Freeman will get better as he gets older and matures. The people who want to compare him to the Brees, Manning, Brady, Rogers, Ryan, Schaub, Big Ben of the league, forget to realize that they are older and seasoned veterans. With Matt Ryan being the youngest mentioned, he is still 3 years older than Josh.
December 5th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Has anyone looked at the stats for Freeman ?? He has a good QB rating (10th in the league) is 6th in the league in TD’s and only has 8 INT. You can heep blame everywhere in a loss but come on we have a defense that couldn’t hold a lead if their life depended on it. After all they are last in the league is Pass Defense which is if I remember correctly is the preferred means of attack when performing a comeback. Let’s look at the losses you could pin on the defense.
1. Giants – our D held them to 41 points with 25 yes 25 4th quarter points. How can you blame Freeman for that one.
2. Redskins – Freeman moved us down the field for a Field Goal but I guess he should’ve realized how much our D sucked and ran more time off the clock.
3. New Orleans – we are up 2 Touchdowns at home with a “decent defense” middle of the pack mind you you. It is probably over. Not with our D – they score 28 Straight Points to take the lead. Despite that we still almost tie it up at the end of regulation on a Questionable call.
Add those three wins which we he would’ve gotten with a middle of the pack defense and we are 9 and 3 and in really good shape for a Wild Card spot.
December 5th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
@ Joe… “Bobby, this is ridiculous. That’s not any kind of dig in any possible way, merely a reminder after McFarland’s comments that the Bucs may not want to engage, ala the Flacco detailed reference above.”
Fair enough. It just seems like you’ve gone sour on Freeman after this loss like it was all his fault so I guess I just took it as “why would the Bucs want to look at a contract extension with this guy??” I understand the frustration with Freeman. Before the bye week I was saying I didn’t think he was the guy but since the bye week he has really been balling. I think a lot of it has to do with the coaching staff taking the restraints off and opening up the offense. It was just a bad game. Putting it all on Freeman is like blaming Doug Martin for a poor day rushing. Their defense just outplayed our offense.
Now, next year when Nicks and Joseph are back and we can rotate in players that have gotten all this experience this year….our offense should be a machine. Right now it’s just a patchwork line that really is doing an amazing job of being competitive. On the other hand….we need a new defensive secondary coach or some new corners. I still think Gaitor has potential and I even think Leonard Johnson is going to grow into a decent corner. Sometimes the only way to get better is to get burned enough to learn how NOT to get burned. He makes rookie mistakes but he shows potential too.
Can Freeman take us to the super bowl? I predict within 3 years we’ll be playing in one so my answer is YES.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
I for one love Freeman. I think he is growing more and more into Sully’s schemes and Sully is learning what Josh’s talents are and playing more towards those strength’s. I would like to see Freeman gather the troups a little more on the side lines. It appears he sits on the bench by himself looking at defensive formation pictures. Maybe he is just not a rah, rah sort of guy. I still like what the future holds for the Bucs with Free playing QB. Pay the man.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
All this chatter over Freeman not making the playoffs, but with the crappy defense he has had since he has been in the league I understand why. It’s like saying Mark Sanchez is a franchise QB because he has been to the NFC Championship game twice.
I will give Freeman another year with this this offense before I make any suggestion on if he has the ability to lead this team to a championship. I want to see progression with the same offensive coordinator and a better defense.
I’m not hometown bias towards Freeman. I will admit his pisses me off with some of his passes, but it all comes down to timing, and not everyone gets it right away. If we had a decent defense we would be 8-4 now and not 6-6.