Will Glennon Help Freeman?

April 27th, 2013

Joe’s expressed multiple times that Josh Freeman doesn’t seem like a guy that would benefit from a talented backup breathing down his neck and challenging him for playing time — on the field and by the media.

Not every player, regardless of the sport, has the makeup to thrive in that high-pressure environment. Freeman’s challenges in the NFL largely have been mental. So Joe really questions how Freeman will respond to the Bucs’ new quarterback, third-round pick Mike Glennon. The Raheem regime and last year’s edition of the New Schiano Order saw no reason to have competition for Freeman, so this is all new territory.

Now Joe has no doubt that Freeman will be a team player and be thoroughly professional to Glennon. But there are several unknowns.

Will Greg Schiano tell Glennon and new quarterbacks coach John McNulty to approach everything from Day 1 as if Glennon will be the starting QB, in an effort to push Freeman? Will Glennon get any practice reps with the first team, in contrast to Dan Orlovsky getting none last year? Or will the Bucs strictly try to slowly develop Glennon and keep Orlovsky as a third QB?

Joe knows there’s a faction of Bucs fans who love to say things like, ‘Yeah, the Bucs need a QB in here to challenge Freeman and light a fire under his ass.’ Joe just isn’t sold that will actually help Freeman, and it could backfire.

Joe will be watching Glennon’s role and handling closely. That should reveal how the Bucs believe Freeman may or may not benefit from competition.

65 Responses to “Will Glennon Help Freeman?”

  1. OB Says:

    Joe what are your thoughts on just having a QB that can come in and do something if Josh is hurt or sick? I am not an expert but from what I read, Glennon is inconsistent and needs work but has an arm. I have no clue if he is fast, slow, smart or dumb, so you are the coach/GM what are your thoughts on this?

  2. stevek Says:

    Joe,

    I am the one mentioning a “fire needing to be lit under Freeman’s ass”.

    No doubt, it could backfire for Freeman, but not the Bucs.

    The Bucs will benefit from having the best possible players on the roster, if Josh is not mentally tough enough to perform with others, then he gone!

  3. BigSombrero Says:

    Well Joe, this is how I see it. Every year since he’s been drafted, excuses have been made for the guy. “He’s only (insert age) years old guys, hes still got time to grow into his potential”. Or “He needs more weapons, he only has two great wideouts, a top notch o-line, and a potentially great running back, but how can he succeed without a dominate TE?”.

    Look, im no Free hater, I see myself as a realist, and its time to take the damn training wheels off. Name another QB that has under-performed like Free that has had such an easy ride in his early career. No competition for Free, coddled by coaches, excuses made by the dozens for him, weapons coming out the ying yang, and a dominant o line all without ever having his starting role questioned.

    Again time to take the training wheels off. If Free doesn’t like competition, too bad. He should’ve played better when given the perfect situation before. He’s not getting it done and we can’t sit around on our thumbs forever waiting for his potential to realize. And lets face it, how much longer can we use his age as an excuse?

  4. tampabaybucfan Says:

    Glennon will help Freeman out of a lot of money. Come time to renew Freeman’s contract, the presence of Glennon will put the Bucs in a much better negotiating position.
    Competiton always helps. Anyone who doesn’t subscribe to that has doesn’t understand human nature. It is time for Freeman to “s” or get off the pot. I do expect him to rise to the occaision.

  5. Bucnjim Says:

    I really like Freeman and have been a huge supporter. I’m confident that he comes out swinging this year. The problem is I’m not the GM or Coach. Freeman’s failure could cause the loss of jobs for both. They are protecting the team and their job’s with a plan B in place.

  6. Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Says:

    Time to take the training wheels off, sums it all up.
    Welcome to the NFL Josh.

  7. BucsFan007 Says:

    Will the real #5 please stand out ……

  8. Justafan Says:

    If the competition environment doesn’t help Freeman, nothing will. The Bucs have tried the non-competitive environment for Freeman’s entire contract, and he’s never rounded the corner.

    We needed a prospect to start grooming in the system this year to avoid being forced into finding one next year. Smart pick, IMO.

  9. FlBoy84 Says:

    What are the odds the team grabs another QB if one they like is available either late in the draft or as an UDFA? It wouldn’t surprise me if they did, being that the ceiling for them would be higher than just about any oter position.

  10. Andrew 2 Says:

    Josh had top 10 numbers last year

    and top 10 numbers over the last 3 years combined

    Nothing will make these haters happy, its not his play its their own stupid ideas

    3 games last season under a 70 QB rating…only 3
    5 games over 100
    8 games between 70-100

    fact,fact,fact

    what do they have opinions and delusions

  11. Macabee Says:

    I’m going to rant because it’s my rant and I’ll cry if I want to, cry if I want to! I’m having mixed emotions and my inner angels and demons are at war now. Let’s call it the glass half full guy (GHFG) vs the glass half empty guy (GHEG).

    The GHFG wants to believe that the Glennon pick was smart and had to be done sooner or later. The plan this year is to let Freeman get out of the pocket, throw on the run, let him resemble the QB of 2010. If that’s true, the risk of injury goes up exponentially and we need to have solid back-up to provide continuity should that happen. Then what happens if Freeman wants to walk at year end? If Bucs management thought this was the guy and the best chance to buy that insurance, why shouldn’t we trust their judgment as we trust their decision to pay a CB coming off of an ACL injury 16mil a year?

    The GHEG questions the motives and intentions of a coach that attacks in the victory formation and refuses to let a 1000yd RB play for personal reasons, wants to play throw back football in the modern era, and enforces toes-on-the-line rules that would make Lombardi cringe. GHEG heard Davin Joesph and was inspired by his team message and support for Freeman. Will Schiano’s moves show bias for either player during the season and cause divisions in the locker room affecting player morale? Can Schiano convince team leaders that this will not be treated like a Martin vs Blount move? Did we buy another inconsistent QB and could that pick have been used to fill a position of greater need?

    I’m a GHFG all the way and my inclination is at this stage to give the benefit of the doubt because I want what is good for the Bucs. But I would be lying to you if I didn’t admit, there is some doubt! Time will tell!

  12. Andrew 2 Says:

    http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2012/passing.htm
    Last year

    http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=2010&year_max=2012&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&league_id=&team_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_qb=Y&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pass_td&draft=0&draft_year_min=1936&draft_year_max=2012&type=&draft_round_min=0&draft_round_max=99&draft_slot_min=1&draft_slot_max=500&draft_pick_in_round=0&draft_league_id=&draft_team_id=&college_id=all&conference=any&draft_pos_is_qb=Y&draft_pos_is_rb=Y&draft_pos_is_wr=Y&draft_pos_is_te=Y&draft_pos_is_rec=Y&draft_pos_is_t=Y&draft_pos_is_g=Y&draft_pos_is_c=Y&draft_pos_is_ol=Y&draft_pos_is_dt=Y&draft_pos_is_de=Y&draft_pos_is_dl=Y&draft_pos_is_ilb=Y&draft_pos_is_olb=Y&draft_pos_is_lb=Y&draft_pos_is_cb=Y&draft_pos_is_s=Y&draft_pos_is_db=Y&draft_pos_is_k=Y&draft_pos_is_p=Y
    ^^last 3 seasons combined

    come with facts or dont come at all

    and wins-losses are a measure of a team not one player…Josh didn’t lose the Philly game or countless other games..N.O. NYG etc etc

  13. J 2.0 Says:

    I do not like this pick. Only time will tell. I hope I am wrong.

  14. JonBuc Says:

    Freeman is now on the clock..I didn’t like this pick but as another poster said- my job isn’t on the line. It is at Walmart but that’s a personal problem. 🙂

  15. Youpeoplearesodumb Says:

    Thank you Andrew. We could do a lot worse than Josh Freeman. Just ask Jax,the Jets, the Bills, the Cardinals, the Vikings and there are a few others thatI can’t think of rightnow.

  16. stevek Says:

    Andrew2,

    “Fact, fact, fact”- Freeman has led us to a 10 game losing streak in 2011, after a 4-2 start.

    Freeman led us to a 5 game losing streak in 2012, after a 6-4 start.

    While the season numbers look great, Freeman’s performance deviated greatly from game to game, without providing the genuine consistency needed to hold down the position and win.

  17. lightningbuc Says:

    “It’s all about 5” hasn’t exactly worked out! it’s time for 5 to crap or get off the pot

  18. BigSombrero Says:

    Haha, anyone suggesting Freeman was a good QB last year is the delusional one. Obviously even the coaching staff questions his ability. But I guess the Free die hards somehow know more than they do.

    Get real guys, is Free the worst in the league? No. Is he capable of helping us not only get to the post season but also win? Hasn’t shown he is yet. But maybe 5 more years of patient hand holding is all he needs….

  19. Bucs Fan #238 Says:

    Draft Matt Barkely too. That would REALLY send a message. Surely we will be able to squeeze a first out of someone next year once we do that.

  20. Aldo Says:

    look, every QB to land in the mid to low rounds have issues, so im ok to take a risk on a QB that Schiano know and wants, look, i support josh and i still believe in him, but if he can handle some pressure on the same team he will never be the QB we want, that simple, i think josh will be aggressive, will work even more and will prepare for the best….. for Glennon, let the kid learn, work and prepare for the moment when we need him

  21. Youpeoplearesodumb Says:

    Stevek , Free is not without blame but I will hang the majority of our losses on our defense and last time I checked Free wasn’t on the field on our opponents offensive scores.

  22. Snook Says:

    Glennon can help Freeman with his poor mechanics. That’s for sure.

  23. jb Says:

    I completely agree with BigSombrero. it’s time to take the training wheels off and quit making excuses for Freeman’s massive inconsistencies. If he doesn’t have the mental makeup to handle some competition for his future as our quarterback, why in hell would we want him? A true leader is gonna say, “Bring it on, let’s see what you got”! If Freeman is that fragile, what on earth makes you think he’s gonna stand up tall enough to win us a Super Bowl?

    Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Josh take that next step, but when you compare him to the other playoff quarterbacks in the league, even with his big numbers last season, he falls woefully short, due to his inconsistent play. We need a quarterback we can count on EVERY Week, not just those where Josh has it dialed up!

    If Josh does like we all hope, and he steps up this season and beyond, he’ll be rewarded with a nice fat contract, (In fact if he does, and it’s going into December, I’m sure Dom will drop a $100 million or so in his lap) then we develop Glennon for a few seasons while being a capable backup, and get a nice pick or 2 for him. I liken this to the Falcons Matt Schaub pick in the 3rd round back in 32004 when the Falcons had Vick as their starter.
    Do you think Vick was shaking in his boots when the Falcons picked Schaub?
    The Falcons ended up getting two that’s TWO second round picks for Schaub from the Texans.

  24. PRBucFan Says:

    Drama Queens lol

    Pretty simple, every team needs a back up who can step in if their starter goes down. We have one now.

    Free is on his last year, we need to have a plan in place in case he decides to showcase “Bad Free” this year again. We have one now.

    Competition brings out the best in you. We have some now at the QB spot.

    If you can’t handle the heat Free, get the hell out of the kitchen.

    This team has shown a clear desire to succeed more so now than in the past and now it’s as clear as can be for Free. It’s now or never bud.

    P.S. This is a more appropriate tread for this post.

  25. PRBucFan Says:

    thread*

  26. Bucfan4life7 Says:

    I am a Freeman fan and it is unfair to put all the blame on Freeman when the defense blew leads in the past and if they haven’t this team would have been in the playoffs last season but now with the additions of Revis, Goldson and Banks this secondary looks really good so that won’t be an issue.

    Now on Glennon I was upset at first with the pick but I decided to look at his tape and I came away pretty impressed from what I seen so far. He is really good at looking off his WR’s and using the pump fake. He has a really good play action move, and he makes throws that no other QB in this draft could make because he has such a good arm and the spiral is so tight. His accuracy numbers aren’t all telling because there was a lot of dropped passes and some of these interceptions were not his fault at all. What I also noticed is that his offense line play wasn’t very good at all and he had to throw under pressure a lot and he isn’t bad under pressure and can still throw the ball well but when he does get time can he throw it as good as anyone. Mike got really good play from his o-line vs Clemson in 2011 and that tape is very impressive. The inconsistency is something he has to work on but I feel from what I saw that was more of a blame on his teammates then him. I also noticed he is a really tough QB and will stay in the pocket and take the big hit to make the play. After I saw the tape I was curious to see what was Russell Wilson’s numbers at NCST before he transferred to Wisconsin and the numbers were pretty similar.

    Russell Wilson in his last two years in NCST
    224 378 59.3 3027 Yards 31 TD 11 INT 147.8 Rating
    308 527 58.4 3563 Yards 28 TD 14 INT 127.5 Rating

    Mike Glennon

    283 453 62.5 3054 Yards 31 TD 12 INT 136.4 Rating
    330 564 58.5 4031 Yards 31 TD 17 INT 130.7 Rating

    Now after he transferred to Wisconsin Russell Wilson completion percentage jumped all the way to 72.8% which tells me the accuracy is partly NCST’s supporting cast fault and his INT numbers dropped to only 4 so either Russell Wilson developed greatly the next year or Wisconsin’s supporting cast is a whole lot better than NCST and I think it is more of the latter. Now I am not saying Mike Glennon is like Russell Wilson because Mike will never have Russell’s speed but Mike does have the better arm. Do I believe Mike Glennon can be a good quarterback after seeing his tape? Yes but I believe Josh will have a great season and we will eventually trade Mike for a good draft pick in a couple of years from now but if this organization decides Josh isn’t the guy then Mike Glennon is definitely a good fall back option.

  27. bucrightoff Says:

    If Freeman folds because of this, he was never mentally strong enough to make it in the NFL anyways. I expect he`ll step it up next year, and if not he`ll be the Chiefs 2014 starting QB.

  28. Snook Says:

    @Bucfan4life:

    Not knowing the stats, maybe Wilson’s completion % improved bc he was throwing shorter passes in Wisconsin’s offense?

    Thanks for the research.

    I think Glennon will learn a lot from Mike Sullivan as well.

    Only 2 pick so far this season and we’ve already addressed two positions of weakness: CB and QB. Love it.

  29. feelthepewterpower Says:

    stevek writes:

    Andrew2,

    “Fact, fact, fact”- Freeman has led us to a 10 game losing streak in 2011, after a 4-2 start.

    Freeman led us to a 5 game losing streak in 2012, after a 6-4 start.

    While the season numbers look great, Freeman’s performance deviated greatly from game to game, without providing the genuine consistency needed to hold down the position and win.
    ————————————————

    fact – the Buccaneers were horrible in 2011, and it didn’t matter if Tom Brady was our qb.

    fact – we had a number of injuries on offense and defense. Freeman led us back to fourth quarter leads, or had leads in a number of games but the defense gave-up the lead.

    fact – we had the second worse pass defense in NFL history.

  30. rhenry Says:

    We should have waited until the 4th round to draft a QB.

  31. Gus Says:

    I don’t think this will cause Freeman to fold. Gametime he has shown to love the pressure situation. He will ball and hopefully Glennon will be very good too

  32. Fritz50 Says:

    “No doubt, it could backfire for Freeman, but not the Bucs”

    It could very well backfire for the Bucs ! Not saying it will, but if Free’s mind gets messed up AND Glennon doesn’t develop, the Bucs will be hurting. Prolly not a high probability, but the possibility is there. Still, if Free’s mind is that fragile, I agree it’s time to let go.

  33. bob Says:

    we needed a good backup, hopefully , he will push josh but 16 games is a lot not to get banged up so we will see what this guy can do this year, and we can cut the big O right after pre season.

  34. stevek Says:

    YPASD & feelthepewter power,

    What about 2010? We had a QB throw for 25 TDs 6 INTs, and win 10 games.

    Where is that guy? Will he come back?

    Freeman has any and every chance to remain the starting QB, just play like one. *CONSISTENTLY*

  35. TAC Says:

    If Freeman can’t handle the “pressure” of a 3rd round pick behind him on the roster, then please Dominick, cut his now, and start big bird.

    Not everybody gets a trophy, and if this is soul glows personality, dump immediately, and move on.

    Grow up Joshy, get better, or GTFO. as for the fanboys, tough shiz, he has some competition now.

  36. passthebuc Says:

    Lets look at the whole picture. Free. knew that he was always going to play catch up in games last year. Did that make his decision making suspect? That should not happen this year with a much better defense. Then there is the offensive line that went missing, at least from a psychological standpoint. He should be more at ease this year and if he cannot produce at a high level now, he never will and the Buc’s will pull the plug.

    I suspect not much will change in his production but lets wait and see.

  37. Jerry Says:

    If Freeman is that weak mentally, he has no business being a starter in this league.

    This idea that we need very weak back-ups in order for Freeman to feel comfortable is asinine. The chance for injury is high in the NFL. If your starting QB goes down and you have no quality back-up….your season is over.

  38. PRBucFan Says:

    “Free’s mind gets messed up?”

    I’m sorry but that sounds like we have a child as our QB

  39. Max Says:

    Glennon is not going to challenge to start at all…waste of a pick. Freeman is going to light it up this year.

  40. PRBucFan Says:

    Thanks Ms.Cleo

  41. Mark Says:

    Who should we take with our first pick in round 4 today? I’m praying the front office trades up to get Khaseem Greene. IMHO, a LB corp of David, Foster & Greene would be very tough.

  42. TrueBlue Says:

    Freeman has to play in the big boy world. Drafting another QB is nothing personal. It’s necessary for the best interest of the team. Make the most of it. Use it as a motivator or lose your job.

  43. PRBucFan Says:

    Khaseem Greene is who I am also hoping for.

    Honestly I was hoping he’d be be picked in the 3rd but we shall see, i liked surprise.

  44. Illuminati Says:

    @Andrew2

    First of all, I don’t know why a rating of 70 seems to be your barometer of QB success. Fact is, Freeman had eight games with a rating below 80 last season. Of course, he did have seven games with a rating of 90 or higher.

    I think part of what has a lot of people rattled is Freeman’s monumental late-season collapse last year. Through the first 11 games, he’d only had three games with a rating under 80. In the last five games, he never had a rating as high as 80. Through the first 11 games, he threw 21 TDs (1.9 per game). In the last five, he threw only six (.83 per game). In the first 11 games, he only threw seven picks. Over the last five games, he threw 10.

    So, he clearly showed some regression last year. He also showed what scouts said about him during college, that he has a tendency to run hot and cold. He did have that five-game hot streak in the middle of the season where his rating was over 100 every game, but it’s the four games prior and the seven games after that have people concerned.

    We know he can be good, because we’ve seen it. Now it’s time for him to be consistently good. All QBs are going to have the occasional crappy game. It just sucks when your QB plays solid for 10 or 11 games, and then completely drops a chalupa when you’re trying to make a playoff run. We can’t expect to be reliable playoff contenders if there’s always the looming possibility that Freeman will suddenly slide into a five- or six-game cold streak.

  45. Pewter_Power Says:

    I’m not opposed to the pick because he is a qb, I’m opposed to it because of the guy they took. The big knock on Glennon is that he is inconsistent. It doesn’t help to have two guys on the roster who for four weeks looks like Aaron Rodgers than for four weeks looks like Ryan Leaf.

  46. feelthepewterpower Says:

    YPASD & feelthepewter power,

    What about 2010? We had a QB throw for 25 TDs 6 INTs, and win 10 games.

    Where is that guy? Will he come back?

    Freeman has any and every chance to remain the starting QB, just play like one. *CONSISTENTLY*

    ——————————————

    We had that same guy when we were 6-4. People got hurt, we lost a close game to Atlanta, things went south. no excuses with the injuries, but hard to get cohesion. Freeman was one of the best in the league for through the first ten games.

  47. mark2001 Says:

    PPower…Shiano said that they wondered why G’s accuracy dropped from the year before to last year. He said the receivers the second year weren’t the same and dropped many more balls, but that G needs to work on accuracy.

    If Josh doesn’t have the mental toughness to win a starting job with some rookie competition, he isn’t mentally tough enough to win a big playoff game against Rodgers, Brady, Manning, Etc..

    I think this will be great for Freeman, in the long run. You always appreciate a job…or even a girl more…when you know you beat out the competition.

    Hee Hee….he’s bad, he’s bad….you know it…you know it.

  48. chris Says:

    For any, including Joe, to say this could “backfire” and not motivate Freeman will only give us the answer that he isnt a Franchise QB.

    Freeman hasn’t faced any sort of competition since he’s come in to the league. He basically has been treated like a Franchise QB. Well his play has spoken otherwise and Schiano sees that there needs to be someone here if Freeman’s play becomes erratic.

    I was Josh Freeman’s biggest fan coming out in 09, but I’m not going to be one of those homer Bucs fans to sugarcoat the truth: He’s extremely inconsistent. Too many excuses are made. We get him Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson and Dallas Clark as the safety valve and I still see fans complain and make excuses for “what is around him”. Clark got too much flack for “not being good”. There are many times I’ve seen him at games OPEN and Josh just doesn’t see him.

    Freeman needs to do a better job with his eyes and play recognition. He doesn’t see the field very well and leaves plays out on the field. Too many IMO that has had us in too many tight games to rely on that poor secondary play last season. Sure in the end, people see the secondary give up that game winning TD. But if Josh completes that 3rd down pass, we don’t get in that situation.

    Look, Freeman has talent. But he needs to get better mentally. That cowboys game where the “communicator went out” on 3rd and 9, he calls a run? Come on Josh.

  49. Justafan Says:

    According to stats, Freeman’s alright. Unless you watch his play on the field. Unless you consider that his overall numbers only just get him ranked in the top half of starting QBs in the league. Unless you look at the fact that he’s got great help in his starters at WR and RB.

    Nobody is saying the defense is good – but Freeman could have (and should have) definitely been better than he was. Now we’ve provided a little insurance toward 2014. Freeman can keep his job by doing what he should do, turn the corner and become a franchise QB. If he doesn’t, we now have options.

  50. gracelivin Says:

    Did anyone happen to see the interview with Dom and Coach, both said that Free is their starter, and if so he was hurt they wanted a backup: Glennon, who has similar game as Josh, so that the gameplan didn’t need to be changed. I believe that to be the case Glennon was picked to be the backup but also to give competition which doesn’t necessarily mean equal reps, just someone that can push a little which Orlovsky can’t do… I think Josh will have a big year if as a team we can stay healthy.

  51. SensibleBuc Says:

    Derek Landri/Gary “White Lightning” Gibson are our options for starting nose tackle.

    Demar Dotson is our starting RT.

    John Castillas is our starting Mike.

    Glennon was a luxury pick. We need all hands on deck in terms of talent in starting positions to make a push for the playoffs this year. I’m fairly disappointed in this pick

  52. Posey99 Says:

    We wouldn’t be having this conversation if the guy was ‘ranked’ like Andrew Luck. Who gives a damn about Freeman’s feelings this is the NFL not middle school bullying.

  53. SirustheVirus Says:

    We will see, but if Keenan Allen or Steadman Bailey do more than Glennon in the next 2 to 3 years Dom needs to be slapped. He better have real big confidence at our RT/TE/DT/DE position and position depth to take a F@%king QB with the 3rd pick when teams like the Browns, Jags, and Cardinals haven’t taken one yet. Sometimes I want to hug Dom other times I want to punch him in the face.

  54. SensibleBuc Says:

    *John Castillas is our starting Sam

  55. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    On to other business…Banks.

    We are assuming he will replace Wright. But what if Wright has a really good season? And Banks earns the starting role?

    Could we only have Revis for 1-2 years? Think about it…the Bucs can cut him at any time without paying a steep price.

    Are the Bucs, wisely, attempting to prepare for that possibility even though they only just got Revis? I think so.

    Even though I don’t really think Wright will have THAT good a season, and I don’t think Banks is nearly as good as Revis, it’s a thought to consider.

    And really, we don’t know that Banks won’t be as good as Revis in a couple years.

  56. CC Says:

    Redskins took RG3 and Cousins in last years draft , people said it was a wasted pick on Cousins. But it worked out pretty good for them. I have no problem with the Glennon pick.

  57. ryan Says:

    I believe glennon will start , a cannon arm and Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams , dangerous, just watch out right now is the best time for a qb change, great receivers , great ofensiveline , a great running back, glennon has no reason not to flurish same with freeman but freeman had his chance ,i believe he is done in tampa

  58. Oil Derrick Brooks Says:

    Sombrero nailed it.

    If Freeman plays like he should, it shouldn’t matter if Glennon is on the team. If he doesn’t, at least there’s a plan in place. Orlovsky is not a plan. He is a last resort.

  59. Curmudgeon Says:

    I don’t see why this is controversial.

    1) Glennon is not going to challenge Freeman, at least not this year.

    2) Good teams develop depth at QB, whether it’s for backup or to be an eventual starter.

    3) A third round pick may seem a little high, given other needs on defense, but my guess is they saw qualities in this guy they didn’t see in other QBs.

    4) It is what it appears to be: an insurance policy against Freeman getting hurt or leaving as a free agent. This seems like a very wise investment.

    5) Given that Freeman is in the last year of his contract and we don’t have a decent backup plan, one could argue that this was a position on need on par with DE, DT, LB, etc… This is not a “luxury” pick.

    Pretty simple.

  60. Bucs Fan #238 Says:

    I don’t hate Josh Freeman… I hate Josh Freeman lovers, apologists.

    Who cares if Freeman loses his job and goes on elsewhere to play backup for the Raiders or Bills… as long as the Buccaneers win that is all I care about.

    Like your boy Shau Kng. He stunk, got benched and Brad Johnson took us to the Super Bow. And that is all that should matter as a fan.

  61. CanaBuc Says:

    I respect Greg Cosell’s opinion. He rates Glennon above Geno Smith, Barkley and EJ Manuel.
    So, While maybe we could have gotten him as a 4th rounder, there was an equal chance he would be gone.
    He has a year now behind Freeman to learn the offense and with similar size and arm strength, if he has to come in to spell Freman or if Freeman is no longer here next year due to a subpar season, we have someone who can clearly fit our offense and lead this team.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VHsTL4tTaQ

  62. Tye Says:

    It would be interesting to know why the Bucs chose Glennon with so many to chose from at that time…. Hopefully it was about more than just his build and abilities…. Like he also has a high football knowledge to go with that.

    I can only pray that we the Bucs fans did not just get “Josh freemand” yet again!

  63. Daffy Buc Says:

    2013 is Freemans year to lead us to the playoffs. Glennon’s upside is very high and if you watch some of his highlights his feel going through his progressions is outstanding. Has a very strong arm and will find the underneath receivers as well. I’m hoping Free lead us to the playoffs, but if that doesn’t happen I think Rockstar and Stokes found a stud QB for the future!!

  64. Sgt Mike Says:

    I agree, If Freeman is not mentally tough enough then he will never be the star we need him to be. Most of his mental issues, as some call it, come from the fact that he an IDIOT in Greg Olson coaching him. That in itself may prove to be detrimental to him more so than true QB competition. That guy was a friggen dumb ass. We all know one thing at this point, it’s a 50/50 shot that Free comes out and earns the big contract that he covets and becomes the real franchise QB we have not had since Doug Williams. Shut up and play football! Go Bucs!!!!!!

  65. lurker Says:

    pewterpower said:

    ” It doesn’t help to have two guys on the roster who for four weeks looks like Aaron Rodgers than for four weeks looks like Ryan Leaf.”

    maybe they can alternate 4 week rotations?
    ———————————————————————————–

    jaws just talk about qb’s and said the “tall oak” will compete with freeman this year.