The Packers might not necessarily be interested in former Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, though they have shuffled through backup quarterbacks all offseason.
But one of their assistants is convinced Freeman is going to be effective again, wherever he lands.
Packers running backs coach Alex Van Pelt was Freeman’s position coach in Tampa Bay in 2010 and 2011, and said “No doubt” when asked whether Freeman could still be an NFL starter.
“I loved Josh,” Van Pelt said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “Josh and I had a good working relationship. He was nothing but a pro when I was there with him. He was never late for meetings. We actually had 6:30 [a.m.] quarterback meetings; we were an hour before anybody else, and I never had an issue or anything like that. He did everything that I asked him to do.
“He was a great teammate, watched him work around the other guys and had a lot of respect for him. I don’t know what happened, but I know the guy that I was there with I really enjoyed being with.”
That’s a far different narrative than is being advanced in Tampa right now, and indicative of the fact the guy’s going to get another shot. Regardless his poor play this year, he’s been productive before. And given the scarcity at the position, guys who were first round picks and have been productive before get many, many chances to fail.