Dear Coach Morris,
I am excited to see that Josh finally gets a chance to start. Josh Johnson, that is. The little known project QB from San Diego and the primary source of all TB offense gets the nod over the other Josh (Freeman). The Byron Leftwich experiment is over. So much for a smoke screen.
As I have long contended, Josh Freeman will amount to nothing in the NFL and his drafting will set the Bucs franchise back at least 5 years. This, of course, would be unknown to you, dear readers. On a message board immediately following Freeman's draft, I wrote:
[All stats are 2008's]
Player A: 136.48 Rating, 2,945 passing yards, 20 TDs, 8 INTs, 15 times sacked
Player B: 136.19 Rating, 2,934 passing yards, 19 TDs, 13 INTs, 21 times sacked
Fairly even numbers, though one guy clearly took a few more hits and made a couple more INTs. Slap some names on them and your view (likely) changes. Player A is Mr. Freeman. Player B is Billy Farris on Colorado State. Farris played on a far worse team and ended up doing virtually the same thing? Not exactly a ringing endorsement. One year of stats, though, is hardly an apt comparison. I just wanted to throw that out there for my own devices.
However, the pick, as a Bucs fan, is most perplexing because Tampa took a mobile, rocket armed, project QB named Josh last year and is probably further along in an NFL S&C program, and possibly the new playbooks, than the draft pick Josh is. Add the fact that TB went out of their way to sign Leftwich as a "smoke screen" (and in all likelihood will not even keep him through camp) PLUS the blurbs on ESPN saying that his biggest weaknesses were consistency and decision making, two traits the Bucs QBs certainly haven't lacked in recent memory PLUS the fact that they paid to move up to grab Freeman two picks earlier when he would still likely be available makes his selection at 17 all the more expensive and puzzling (and terrible, in my opinion). I thought the Gruden era of carrying 5+ QBs was over.
Especially given the multitude of needs on the TB team, the pick is tenuous at best and franchise crippling at very worst. The wound wouldn't be mortal, but it could be a long time towards relevancy.
This sentiment holds no less true today. Josh Freeman, for all of his alleged merits and drawbacks, will never be given a fair shot in Tampa. The FO has recognized this, going so far as to proclaim their marriage, a'la Ricky Williams and Mike Ditka. The fans, bandwagon or locals, will probably be cheering Freeman upon his entrance and booing upon his first incompletion. I myself want Freeman to succeed and am willing to eat any crow with any topping served if and or when he succeeds. I, however, personally believe he will be a massive failure.
I say all that to say this: Why not start Freeman if you have him? Many would argue that it will shatter his confidence and some such nonsense. If Freeman isn't ready to face the music in Tampa now, especially in a vacuous QB situation such as exists presently, will he ever be? Expectations will not be tempered over the long haul even if he doesn't start right away. Matthew Stafford is starting (and failing, of sorts) in Detroit, and you have said you would take Freeman #1 overall:
"You know, I made this statement the other day. If I had the Detroit Lions pick at No. 1, I might have taken Josh Freeman. I might have been fighting for him. Our owner is very excited, they haven't had an opportunity to be this excited for 15 years and they are really pumped up. They've got a chance for a franchise quarterback, man. That's our quarterback, to quote T.O." - Head Coach Raheem Morris on drafting Josh Freeman per the St. Pete Times
If you're going to hold Freeman up to the #1 pick standard, treat him like such. I don't want to see you fluffing him in the aftermath of the draft, then treating him like a baby when he actually has a chance to prove he's the true QB of the future. Pick a side, Raheem. You don't get two bites at the apple. If you really think Johnson is a career backup, like you've been on record saying, SACK UP AND THROW FREEMAN OUT THERE. If not, please step aside and let someone else run the show. You can also take my initial suggestion.
On the other hand, major kudos for starting Johnson. I love that kid.
Cheers,
Iroquois
Just think of the excellent players you will get to pass on next year with the high pick Tampa will have! If we learned anything from Matt Millen it is this, you do not win football games by only drafting skill players in the first round. Tampa should just pick a line, defense or offense and rebuild it.
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