Bucs Locking Onto Freeman

Posted by Mike Florio on April 24, 2009, 5:33 PM EDT

Per a league source, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are leaning strongly toward drafting Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman.
But the Bucs fear they might have to trade up to get him, for fear that the Jets would take him at No. 17.
Tampa currently holds the 19th overall pick.
The fact that the Bucs recently signed Byron Leftwich is meaningless; because he received no signing bonus, they could cut Leftwich and owe him nothing.
Alternatively, the Bucs could decide to keep Leftwich and dump Luke McCown, who received a $2.5 million signing bonus earlier this year.
Or the Bucs could trade McCown prior to the start of the season.
Coincidentally, McCown’s brother, Josh, was traded by the Dolphins last year after becoming the odd man out during camp — and after signing a new contract in the offseason.
And after receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus.
OK, this crap is creeping me out.

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27 responses to “Bucs Locking Onto Freeman”

  1. The Bucs are wanting to trade down and grab a DE like English or M Johnson. This is just strategy.
    Besides, you never believe anything “league sources” say within the last 24 hrs.

  3. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    First off, as a team in the Bucs situation, you do not use the 19th pick to draft a project QB with second round talent. Secondly, as a team in rebuilding mode, which the Bucs are inexplicably in (at least to me), you DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT waste picks to trade up to draft said project QB who CANNOT start immediately. This better be a smokescreen, or there will be one less Bucs fan (not that they care). Tampa Bay fans and media, you ran Jon Gruden out of town for this???? If they take Freeman (and trade up to do it sacrificing picks), isn’t this EXACTLY what the previous regime did? Not have enough picks and yet have 10 QB’s on the team?

  4. It’s a tough year for QBs if teams have to trade up in the first round for a guy that should be a second or third round pick. The Bucs may be better served by holding their spot and getting some defensive help.

  6. This is a smoke screen. They will go D-Line. Hopefully, they’ll trade down a couple of spots and pick up a late second or another 3rd first. I’m thinking Michael Johnson, Peria Jerry, or maybe Larry English.

  7. This seems more like Florio trying to keep his “Leftwich is a smokescreen” theory alive. Granted, it would make sense for that being the reason he recieved no signing bonus, but i really don’t think that’s the case.
    At least Bucs fans hope it’s not… This team already has “works-in-progress” battling for the job. Why bring in another and waste a first round pick in the process, much less trade up to waste a pick.
    This team better be thinking D-line, especially a big D-tackle. PFT’s coverage of the bucs usually sucks anyway, this article is no different.

  8. Smokescreen, this rumor is almost as transparent as the plot in “Quarterback of the Future”.

  12. Florio seems to be forgetting Josh Johnson. The Bucs have 4 QB’s already. They are taking 4 to camp, as has been stated many times already by Jagodzinski. They are not getting rid of McCown. If they were to cut Leftwitch, good luck ever getting another free agent to sign for no bonus.
    The only options are to cut/trade either Griese or Johnson if they actually want Freeman, which they don’t. Florio conveniently pick the complete opposite scenarios that might happen…

  13. They have only themselves to blame for flushing that $2.5 mil on Luke. Is there any sane person in the league who’d trade for the guy? Really?

  14. Or, I don’t know, Florio, the Bucs could choose to draft Freeman, keep McCown, Leftwich and maybe even one more year of development for Josh Johnson, and they could cut the cord on the one remaining Gruden QB on the roster; Brian Griese.
    Regardless of the lack of signing bonus for Leftwich, the Bucs are not going to dump him. The same goes for Luke McCown who the team is high on. I think Josh Johnson will stick around, but that’s not a given, as he was drafted by the old regime. Brian Griese would be the clear man out the door. He doesn’t fit into the youth movement as it is, he was one of Gruden’s QB’s, and the new regime resigned McCown and picked up Leftwich, so it would be ridiculous to dump them in favor of a declining Griese. McCown, especially, as Gruden lost his job because he had second thoughts on starting Luke against Atlanta, a game that the Bucs almost won, and had they pulled out the victory, they would have been in the playoffs.
    Now, with all that said, I don’t think the team is looking to pick Freeman, unless he falls to them and I don’t think he makes it past New York. With Raheem Morris coming from K-State, there already is a built in smoke screen regarding their interest. Tampa should try to trade down if a prospect slips in an attempt to recoup a second round pick, and the focus should be on the defensive line and the pass rush, with perhaps another swing on a WR in a later round (unless Percy Harvin slips, which again is doubtful, regardless of his medical history and his other troubles, he’ll go in the first round).
    j.

  15. Yep, ‘Twould be teh st00pid. TB needs all sorts of defensive guys. And WRs. They can get a QB next year.
    And the Jets would be way ahead to go WR, O-line or RB. They have decent QBs, whether they know it or not.

  17. Forget about Freeman! McCown will be the starter, there’s no way they trade him. Leftwich will back-up. If that doesn’t work, let the Tebow era begin.

  19. Agree. This would be one boneheaded, initial move by the Dominik/Morris administration, if they select Freeman. Unproven, Big 12 qb where they don’t play defense. Too many other needs on defense.

  20. Unnamed sources said yesterday the Tampa Bay Buc’s are looking to sign Mike Florio as the Manager of misinformation. Rumors today said the unnamed sources were misinformed, but after further investigation, the NFL said the sources will be named if the misinformation is deemed to be true.

  21. If Tampa Bay makes the pick against freeman i’m going to laugh at you florio when i come back from vacation on wednesday, because you, Mel Kiper, and Michael Lombardi are idiotic enough to realize the Freeman to Tampa Bay deal is an absolute smokescreen.

  22. This is great. It will drive the good players down one pick to the Patriots. Life gets easier and easier. ;- )

  24. Total smokescreen. You can’t “lock” on anyone when you have the nineteenth pick! And the Bucs have far greater needs.
    There is no way this happens. I will lick my left t—–le on Dale Mabry Blvd at noontime if it does.

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