“You Have To Draft A Quarterback”
February 20th, 2013ProFootballTalk.com creator/guru Mike Florio and the folks at NBC Sports looked at the Bucs’ offseason roster and declared that drafting a quarterback is a major priority. “You have to draft a quarterback,” Florio explains.
Joe can’t jump on that bandwagon.
Yes, it would be intriguing and possibly beneficial for the Bucs to use a 2013 mid-round pick on a quarterback, but this team has much greater needs. Joe’s long thought the desired “competition” for Josh Freeman is a bunch of hot air and needless. If Freeman cant lead a winning team and/or look like a guy who could be a Super Bowl winning quarterback next season, the last on his contract, the Bucs are sure to part ways and retool the offense. Better to address QB in 2014, if (and hopefully not) necessary.
Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
No… you draft a quarterback. You sure as heck aren’t signing one in Free Agency or pulling a blockbuster trade. That would scare the jherri curl off Freeman. You’re not going to trade for Phillip Rivers and let him sit while you make up your mind about Freeman. If you pull the blockbuster trade, you’re cutting Freeman or trading him… and that’s not happening.
You draft someone in the round 3/4. My gut is telling me that it’s going to be EJ Manuel (because God won’t let me be done with that guy). You let him sit behind Freeman for 2013 and 2014 (a franchise year). I honestly do not think that Freeman is going to turn it on. It’s been 4 years. He has weapons. If he can’t do it, you’re prepared for the future with a draft pick who gets to learn for a year and if you’re STILL not confident, maybe you can sign a big-name FA in 2014.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Florio is in over his head (that’s not a short joke:) when it comes to the Bucs. He’s lost touch or is being fed bad info
February 20th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
I never take anything Florio says too serious. Case in point being the other day when he wrote an article saying Trueblood is a candidate for the franchise tag hahahahaha..but I agree completely with him on this one. No one in free agency is a starting qb..thats why theyre available. Gotta draft someone mid round
February 20th, 2013 at 3:09 pm
I am projecting Freeman ends up a top 10 QB for 2013 and we sign him long term. He has the weapons and he will use them with another year under the same offensive scheme. I’ve said it all along. Freeman will be fine.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
Heres my question, you say the Bucs have bigger needs. But if Josh isnt the Qb this team needs then wouldnt a QB be our biggest need? A mid or late round pick at QB has to be a priority, I’m not sure how you can think otherwise. Something is seriously wrong if you are 100% behind Freeman as the long term solution. I’m not saying he’s not but he hasent shown us enough to say he is either… so you have to atleast try to upgrade the depth incase he isnt.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:26 pm
I’m fine with Josh….but…..how about that defense
“Almost set an NFL record for passing Yardage”
I don’t think many QB’s would have a winning record..
with that Pass defense
February 20th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Freeman needs to be consistent.
He had a good season, collectively, but look at his ups and downs.
Our offense averaged 34 points a game for a 6 game stretch, followed up by a 5 game losing streak, where Freeman bombed out our season, and our offense averaged a mere 17 points a game.
When you lose your offensive production up to 50%, and you lose several games in a row, then you must start looking at the QB position.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:44 pm
We can win with Freeman, and an upgraded pass defense. Wait a year before we go down that road.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
How many more games would we have won if our DB situation was even AVERAGE!!!
When you start feeling that you have to do everything by yourself because you can’t trust your defense to stop Nick Foles, i can understand some of the “ball-forcing.”
I’m in the rare camp that believes Freeman will be fine next year and make us all remember the good times. A half-way competent defensive back field and we maybe slip in as a wild card last year.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:54 pm
Wait, Celly? Nick Foles isn’t a Hall of Famer? Wow… the way he moved the ball………
(good post, Celly. Wish we had a ‘like’ button)
February 20th, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Adam,
Help me understand your logic. Did you just franchise a player at the tune of near 20mil for 2014 that you don’t think is worth a nickel?
February 20th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Point blank, you are not going to win many games when your defense gives up leads in the 4th qtr. Fix the defense and you have 90% of your Freeman issues fixed. I counted 4 games the defense screwed us, we win those 4 and no one is even mentioning Josh Freeman this off season…
February 20th, 2013 at 4:12 pm
@Adam,
He probably made a case for being one after that game. smh.
I agree w/ ‘flmike’ in his assessment. Hopefully, though, you’re not counting the Giants game. Nicks was just having a great game that day and I don’t think there anyway you look at it, we would’ve won that game (granted, better DBs probably would’ve stopped some of those passes to the other WRs, but sometimes, you just have to give credit to the offense)
Nicks made EVERY catch while Talib was all over him. I almost felt like Nicks should’ve had to register as a sex offender for the way he violated Talib that day. smh. (made it even worse that my GF is from NY, smh)
February 20th, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Consensus from scouts/gms/so-called draft experts this is the WORST; REPEAT WORST QB talent draft in years. You don’t go hunting for diamonds in a barren wasteland, wait a year hopefully Free progresses in the 2nd year of his first legit offensive system and it’s a moot point. If not 2014 will be a far stronger draft.
February 20th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
A QB with one of our 2) 4th round picks would be wise, D.O. is an okay backup but will never be a starter. A 4th round pick will give us a guy with upside and potential. Plus a franchise friendly contract and be either the QB of the future or give us some trade bait in 3 to 4 yrs.
February 20th, 2013 at 4:29 pm
This is a very weak draft class for Quarterback. There isnt a whole lot of filet mignon available in the first round let alone the 4th or 5th (Does anyone think Matt Barkley is really a 1st rounder???)…why waste a pick? Wait until next year.
February 20th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
imagine if we had freeman in the late 90’s, and early 2000’s. That would have been wicked.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:04 pm
@ Macabee
Maybe Freeman gets into the playoffs as a 6 seed and he does “better” so management tags him before ’14 thinking they see progress. Or maybe they TRY to sign him to a long-term deal because he did well and Freeman turns it down? So the Bucs tag him to KEEP HIM HERE and to give their drafted QB one more year to develop and one more year to negotiate.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:09 pm
I agree that this is a horrible year for QB’s in the Draft. Wait until next year and draft the Bridgewater kid from Louisville that shredded the Gators last month. He’s 6-3 around 220 and best of all he looks like Jeremy Zuttah’s little brother. I think he may also be Sharon Stone’s cousin.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Matthew & Mikeck, I agree. Don’t waste a pick this year. Tampa Bay is actually in a nice position–if Freeman flops, 2014 has a good-looking group of QBs who will be available in the draft.
The exception might be, if the kid from Arkansas drops far.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
I am with Florio, its very possible that Josh has a an average year where its not clear once again if he can lead us to a Supebowl. Then the debate will begin again. I say bring another competent guy in so if Josh falters we have someone to plug in. To whoever says this is a weak draft class nobody last year thought Russell Wilson would amount to anything.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:26 pm
@wideout 1811,imagine if we had freeman in the late 90s and early 2000s. WE DID HIS NAME WAS DILFER THEN.LOL!!!!
February 20th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
I agree with bigmac. Teddy bridgewater next year if freeman goes all Freeman again. Maybe he should channel his inner raheem. Its a race to 10 but try 11 to be safe this time. But i did like the lil bit i seen of that bridgewater kid. Hopefully were not that high to draft him tho :/
February 20th, 2013 at 5:41 pm
You can’t fix stupid. It’s not like the Moron is going to grow a brain. Time to plan for the future.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:42 pm
We can draft the best QB option to fall into the 4th/5th round.
Why not?
It would be wise to err on the side of caution.
Inconsistently consistent is our QB situation. Expect something crazy to happen.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Adam,
Pardon the pun, but I’m “Joshing” with you a little. I understood what you meant. The reality of it though is if Freeman gets to the playoffs this year, he won’t be franchised, he will get a new deal.
I’ve followed the Bucs since their inception and we’ve never had a franchise QB. We’ve run off 3 guys that went elsewhere and won a SB. And up until Brad Johnson won one, he was only referred to as a journeyman.
You know history has a way of repeating itself. I hope that isn’t the case this time. Even the so-called Franchise QBs have won only one, no more than the journeymen the Bucs have had. Kind of makes you want to stop and think a minute or it should!
February 20th, 2013 at 5:53 pm
@Macabee
Same here bro, I don’t there is one franchise that’s given away more Super Bowl winning QB’s.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Oh… duh…..
There’s no font for sarcasm.
I love this blog, but the interaction/debate needs some tweaking.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:54 pm
*I dont think there is one Franchise; that’s given away more Super Bowl winning QB’s
February 20th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Those quarterbacks that won Super Bowls never had the talent around them on offense that Josh Freeman has. Just sayin…..
February 20th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
@Nick2
Very True…And to be honest I would still give him more fire power. To create more mismatches for opposing defenses.
February 20th, 2013 at 6:58 pm
@ Adam
Im with you on this one. please please please please please dont draft E.J. Manuel. he is a poor man Freeman. thats all we need to do is get rid of Freeman only to have his clone as our next start. but my gut also has the feeling that we will draft him.
February 20th, 2013 at 7:08 pm
E.J Manuel = big, lumbering guy with a strong arm, but has accuracy issues. does that remind you guy on anybody…
February 20th, 2013 at 7:58 pm
If Freeman had been the QB in the late 90’s early 2000’s you could kiss the only Super Bowl we have good bye. At what point does Freeman stay cool under any kind of pressure like Brad did?
February 20th, 2013 at 8:13 pm
Zac Dysert will be the best QB from this draft class, and I think the Bucs can/should grab him in the third round.
Dysert played at a small school with absolute deplorable receivers, and an even more pathetic offensive line.
I hope he’s on Dom’s board.
February 20th, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Andrew 1 , my thoughts exactly, & I am a big Florida State fan. (Although I have always made a point of keeping my Saturdays & my Sundays separate.) I’m always surprised when I see Manuel’s completion percentage, thinking, ”When did that happen?” I am not sure where all this sudden love of E.J. is coming from.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:20 pm
Joe, as a LONG-TIME reader I respect your posts, postions and enjoy reading you biased rants and raves.
NEVERTHELESS, I disagree with you that the team has greater needs than a QB.
In today’s NFL a QB has to be first rate – PERIOD.
Yes the Bucs have other needs but Freeman is too unpredictable – he’s NOT a franchise QB.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:06 pm
EJ Manuel = Poor Man’s Freeman
I don’t think there’s a more accurate description of a QB ever.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:11 pm
BKNY,
Might want to see what the experts have to say about Dysert before you bring him to Tampa. This JoeBucs crowd is ruthless!
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1631626/zac-dysert
February 21st, 2013 at 9:56 am
Round 1 Xavier Rhodes
Round 2 EJ manuel
Round 3 Brandon Jenkins
Round 4 Menelik Watson
Fits needs across the board, and not over paying at any point. EJ is going to light the combine up and make himself known, Time to give Josh one more year, and finally decide that its time to move on.
February 21st, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Frees not the guy..it’s like when a girl is cheating on your friend and no one has the heart to tell him and he’s to in love to notice…all the big names Jo has interviewed over the past couple weeks seem to get it…they are all trying to tell us but they just being nice about it..Florio is the dick at the bar looking in from the outside saying ur gf is a whore or your Qb sucks and its time to move on and he’s probably right…