The announcement of Josh Freeman getting benched by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers means that trade talk is going to open very soon, if there are any buyers for him. Even though he might be a good fit for the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and possibly the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s unlikely any of them will try and make a move for him.
Freeman, making $6.5 million a season on the final year of his contract, has been announced as the new backup for the team, with Mike Glennon taking his place in the starting lineup. The Bucs started the season at 0-3 despite very high expectations, with Freeman completing only 45.7% of his passes, throwing for two touchdown passes and three interceptions.
There’s more than a good chance that this was the plan all along for Greg Schiano, never a big fan of the inconsistent Freeman, who threw for over 4000 yards during his first season under Schiano. However, he wasn’t chosen to be one of the team’s captains, and it’s been clear all this season that the two don’t enjoy each other’s company. According to everything being said by Bucs managements, they’re on board with Schiano’s decision to rock the boat.
According to FoxSports, Freeman is already asking for a trade and has no intentions of being a designated backup for the rest of his career or even this season. The problem is going to be the options out there, and even the teams that are unsatisfied with their quarterback situation probably won’t make a move for him.
The Browns, Bills, Dolphins, Eagles, Jaguars, Panthers, Packers, Titans, Bengals and Patriots all have enough cap space to accommodate his expiring contract. However, none of them might actually be looking to get him. The Bills are quite happy with EJ Manuel and the same goes for the Miami Dolphins with Ryan Tannehill. He can be a backup there, but it’s unlikely they’ll be giving up draft picks or players for a mediocre quarterback from what we’ve seen from him this season.
Teams with real problems at quarterback like the Jags, Vikings and Browns won’t be making a move for him because they’re all looking at the draft right now. The Oakland Raiders have been mentioned because of Greg Olson, the Raiders’ offensive coordinator, but no one is going to bench Terrelle Pryor for him, and Matt Flynn might be a better quarterback as well.
Where does that leave Freeman? Maybe with a backup job on the Packers, Bengals, Panthers or Pats, but unless they’re really worried at the moment about coverage to their starters, seeing them give away quite a lot for Freeman’s expiring deal just so he can be an insurance policy seems unlikely.
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