General

Bucs Eschew Younger, Faster Version of Byron Leftwich, Will Start Real Thing

Aug 29, 2009, 3:30 PM UTC

FoxSports.com reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have named Byron Leftwich their starting quarterback. â†µâ†µ
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â†µâ†µLeftwich beat out Luke McCown and rookie Josh Freeman for the job, but he has yet to play a full season in his NFL career, and, at 29, has yet to start and win a playoff game, despite his Super Bowl ring from last year’s backup role in Pittsburgh. He and McCown are both no more than journeymen, guys who reached their ceilings and have knots on their skulls to prove it.â†µ

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â†µâ†µAnd in all likelihood, this will be a woeful season for the Bucs: The team is breaking in a new coach, Raheem Morris; it lost longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin; it released franchise stalwart Derrick Brooks; and it plays in a division with three teams capable of making runs at the Super Bowl. â†µ

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â†µâ†µSo why not throw in a rookie and let him learn? â†µ

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You can’t torpedo playoff aspirations you have no right to have, and Freeman, much like the similarly large and big-armed JaMarcus Russell, must add savvy to his physical tools to be a competent starter.â†µâ†µ
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â†µâ†µI’ll guess Leftwich will only be under center until Freeman fully understands the playbook, or until one of Leftwich’s dozens of balsa wood bones gives way. That might be the second week of October.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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