Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman is planning a three-day minicamp for the last weekend of June, and he wants all of his teammates to know he expects them to be there.
“I don’t know about some of the free agents and rookies, but we’re hoping to have about 45 guys there,” Freeman told the Tampa Tribune. “We’re going to try to get everybody in and go over some scheme stuff and even install some stuff. I held on to some of my playbooks from the [regular] season and we’re putting together scripts and everything and just trying to get things back to normal as much as possible.”
Freeman has been one of the most outspoken players in the league about the importance of getting together for offseason workouts. In April he said he was committed to keeping the Bucs’ momentum going from last season, and he got 100 percent participation from the offensive skill position players for the passing camps he hosted. Freeman even got center Jeff Faine on board, after Faine initially said that he wouldn’t participate.
Freeman has a playbook, and he kept practice scripts from last year that he plans to use to guide the Bucs’ minicamp. Although he’s only 23 years old, Freeman is acting like a veteran leader keeping his teammates focused on the task at hand.
“We’re young and we’re hungry,” Freeman said. “And when the lockout ends it’s going to be a level playing field, but it’s also going to be about going out and getting wins and that’s the only thing that’s on this team’s mind.”