“He Didn’t Look It”
June 1st, 2020
Joe spent time over the weekend watching Devonta Freeman film and listening to those who watched the running back play over the years in Atlanta.
One plainspoken take came from 11-season, 426-catch tight end Randy McMichael, who now works on sports radio 92.9 FM in Atlanta.
McMichael thinks Freeman will be “really good in somebody’s committee” but isn’t the No. 1 back he once was.
“There’s no reason I could give you other than the fact, you know what, yeah, he played 15 games but he didn’t look like the same Devonta,” McMichael said. “I kept saying it last year. He just doesn’t look as explosive as Devonta used to look. He didn’t look it, and I think that’s what team’s saw.”
Of course, Joe brings this up because of the report last week out of Philadelphia that the Bucs have legitimate interest in adding Freeman. So do the Eagles, per the report, and Freeman turned down the Seahawks before they signed Carlos Hyde, according to multiple reports.
Freeman caught 59 balls last season, hauling in a whopping 84 percent of his targets and finding the end zone four times. He’s always been a threat out of the backfield, and he had 1,066 all-purpose yards last year. Heck, he even had a respectable 58 yards in the season finale against the Buccaneers’ league-best run defense.
Joe doesn’t care what Freeman once was, or will be in 2021. If he lands on the Bucs roster, he might be the best they got, and isn’t that what this season is all about, loading up the roster and going for broke?
Freeman won’t make a ton of money. There’s always a way to squeeze room under the salary cap for a guy at that price tag.
The crew of Ronald Jones, Dare Ogunbowale, T.J. Logan and two rookies makes Joe feel like the all-in Bucs could do better.
June 1st, 2020 at 9:17 am
I still maintain that while running back is a need, by far the smartest thing this team could do would be to add more depth at Edge rusher.
Even with a nothing special running game and 35+ turnovers from our offense, we still had the #3 scoring offense in the league.
So it stands to reason that the biggest impact to be made would be an improvement on defense. I dont care how but this team needs to find a way to sign Jadeveon Clowney, or both Everson Griffen and Clay Mathews.
June 1st, 2020 at 9:23 am
Joe, please get off the Devonta Freeman gig. I don’t believe he’ll add that much, if anything, to the stable of backs they already have. He’s done! And besides, they need to save any cap space they have left, as I’m sure there are going to players they’re watching and may be able to pick up after teams start trimming their rosters to 53 later this summer.
June 1st, 2020 at 9:27 am
Relax, lots of time and opportunities left.
June 1st, 2020 at 9:42 am
Waste of money, worn out RB. Need another edge rusher, defensive nose tackle. Do not need anymore offensive players. In fact trade Brate to the Redskins for Tim Settle and a third day draft pick.
June 1st, 2020 at 10:01 am
Just let rojo have his “year 2 jump” because we all know kotter couldn’t develop a rb . Jones had 700 yards on the ground splitting the touches . Give em heavy dose of jones sprinkle in the others. unless the rookies prove they are better (Vaughn) . If you give rojo the carries they gave barber jones is well over 1000 yards rushing
June 1st, 2020 at 10:05 am
We do not need him Joe. Rojo will be just fine watch the fire this year. Vaughn will probably have a bit to learn and adjust to speed. That takes life experience on the field in live games. GO BUCS!!!
June 1st, 2020 at 10:06 am
Joe wouldn’t be satisfied with our running backs if they were Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Walter Peyton & DARE!!!!
June 1st, 2020 at 10:29 am
Idk it’s been days I have not been able to calm my anxiety down and read this site. I’m so nervous with the protesters impending martial law and covid I just want to go to training camp worry about the Aints in week 1 ugh
June 1st, 2020 at 10:44 am
Pryda – Since you brought it up, I have concerns too. Not with the peaceful protesters but with the looters, arsonists, and anarchists.
June 1st, 2020 at 11:05 am
Every year Joe does this.
A familiar name that had past glory always gets him excited.
Whatever our perceived position of need is, Joe will lobby for a worn out savior.
I mean there’s absolutely no way that any of our RBs could be good right?
June 1st, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Always pining for any name you recognize. You claim to not be a fan of fantasy football, but you sure talk like that chump in the league that drafts old washed up players thinking you’re going to get their hay day numbers.
Impossible to know what kind of numbers our running game would have put up last year with the extra 35 possessions the QB gave away.
June 1st, 2020 at 1:12 pm
“Every year Joe does this.
A familiar name that had past glory always gets him excited.
Whatever our perceived position of need is, Joe will lobby for a worn out savior.”…..I’m with you on this one, Doosh…..he’s obssection with washed up FA is overwhelming…smh
June 1st, 2020 at 1:52 pm
I’d wait until final cuts before adding anyone.
June 1st, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Curious Question Joes.
You keep talking up Devonta Freeman, but in looking at his stats last year he caught 59 passes on 70 attempts with a 2.5% drop rate.
Ronald Jones 31 passes on 40 attempts with a 2.4% drop rate.
Why not give the younger more explosive player more attempts?
June 1st, 2020 at 2:49 pm
The only reason to bring Freeman in, is to learn more about the Falcon’s offensive tendencies & add competition in camp.
June 1st, 2020 at 2:50 pm
Dang I don’t know why so many people are against Freeman. We have nothing special at RB right now. Freeman could be special or at the least can make some plays catching the ball.
I’d want him just for the passes hell catch. Having a threat there adds an element to the offense we don’t have.
I agree with the above comments about Edge but Freeman will be cheap. He won’t hold us back from adding elsewhere.
June 1st, 2020 at 3:08 pm
JJ
I hear ya but I suspect some here simply believe his “special” days are behind him. I’m not sure he couldn’t find a spot as a role player here however.
But if things go according to plan we shouldn’t need him, in fact if we do our plan is messed up.
Like many here I believe ROJO didn’t get enough credit for last year and he’s going to be effective again this year. I hope his greatest difficulty is getting on the field because Vaughn turns out to be the real deal and Calais shocks everybody as the little change of pace speed flea who comes in to shake things up.
IE We MIGHT have a good backfield in house…MIGHT being the operative word.
June 1st, 2020 at 4:02 pm
JimmyJack Hi there sir. I am not against freeman at all except that his cost is too high for a RB who is actually OUT OF GAS! (>”)>GO!! BUCS!!!<("<)
June 1st, 2020 at 4:03 pm
no thanks
June 1st, 2020 at 4:36 pm
Let us create a pros and cons list for Freeman, Shall We? Pro: If used in RED ZONE he could be effective. Con: He is a Mckay cast off.
Pro: He can help Rojo to that next level.
Con: His cost is too high for that scenario. Con: The Falcoons wore his ass out.
RESULTS? Highly unlikely unless the Bucs really think his Red Zone presence is worth that heavy cost. FRANK GORE ANYONE HAHAHAHA
June 1st, 2020 at 4:49 pm
Just about any pro RB who can catch will do well with a QB who knows how to lead him with a well timed, well thrown ball.
Brady MADE his RBs look great, not the other way around.
Jeez…… it’s not really that hard to see that is it?
June 1st, 2020 at 5:21 pm
Pro: He’s not Ronald Jones, Dare Ogunbale or T.J. Logan.
Con: He’s not Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson or Tony Dorsett.
June 1st, 2020 at 5:26 pm
No to Freeman. Yes to Rojo, Vaughn, Dare and the 7th round pick.
June 1st, 2020 at 5:34 pm
What is so bad about Ronald Jones? He averaged 4.2 ypc, had a 1,000 yards from scrimmage, and had a 100 yard game to end the year when given a full work load.
June 1st, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Heheh Funny Joe. I am a firm believer in Team Player Development.
Some of you folks want the threat of a dangerous Freeman to pull those LB toward him to help the already deadly air force and Rojo won’t have the
STAR POWER needed to do that. So I get you. Somebody talk to him and tell him to be a walk-in to Tampa let the chips fall where they may. GO BUCS!!!
June 1st, 2020 at 6:34 pm
Freeman pros and cons
Pro: He could possibly not be completely washed and may have something left.
Cons: IN HIS CURRENT STATE he as much as one of the Joe’s hoot and holler about isn’t much better then the current backs on the roster. There is an off chance he could not be washed and last year was on Dirk doing what he does best and destroy running backs. Also at the end of the day he is asking for way too much money more then he is worth. End up moving cap around to pay him 5 million dollars to sit on the bench most of the year or on IR.
June 1st, 2020 at 6:35 pm
Our rbs are embarrassingly misevaluated and used. Now that Brady has trumped leftwich on the playcalling we see ronald jones explode aong with the two rookies.
June 1st, 2020 at 7:01 pm
Why did they replace him with broke-knee Gurley?
June 1st, 2020 at 7:13 pm
If Freeman were to simply walk into the Buccaneers office and say I want to participate with the Buccaneers Training camp without thinking of any money and show what he can do to provide a serious dual RB threat. Then it would remove the tarnish of inflated player cost by Mckay and allow him to pretty much get a free SuperBowl and get him into the HOF!! Talk to him. tell him to try that if he want’s to do something. I think that is fair Don’t you? GO BUCS!!!!!
June 1st, 2020 at 8:53 pm
Excellent question Jean.
June 2nd, 2020 at 7:39 am
I remember that game they are showing we lost because of the defense .
June 2nd, 2020 at 5:39 pm
Ronald Jones was clearly better. You can’t cherry pick stats for one guy and expect to make a case. Freeman showed little last season and the Falcons don’t believe he will return to form. Leave him be.