Former Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman has been on the street since Thursday and the interest in him has been understandably quiet. Still, there have been several rumored locations for the former starting passer and Freeman is expected to sign with a team soon. Freeman could be signed as early as this Sunday, according to Pro Football Talk.
Josh Freeman rumors: Raiders, Packers could be interested in former Bucs QB
Rumors are slowly starting to develop about the future of former Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.
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The rumors have sporadically popped up in the days following Freeman's release. Pro Football Talk has speculated that the Raiders, Jaguars and Packers could be potential spots for the former Kansas State quarterback. The Raiders are reportedly fans of Freeman but are worried about missing on another quarterback, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Packers running back coach Alex Van Pelt has also raved about Freeman from his time as Freeman's position coach in Tampa Bay, according to ESPN. The Vikings have also been rumored as a potential target for Freeman.
Brendan Kennedy of SB Nation’s Acme Packing Company believes that if the Packers added Freeman as a backup, it would be a win-win for the team and the player:
In the longer term, it gives the Packers a potentially valuable asset to trade later on. Mike McCarthy is already renowned for his ability to build quarterbacks so even by sheer association, Freeman's value likely goes up - benefiting both Freeman and the Packers. Remember, the Packers are the same team that landed Matt Flynn nearly $20 million in guaranteed money based on two good performances. And if the Packers can sneak Freeman into a few garbage time blowouts and he shows a little something, they could potentially command a high draft pick from a team in need of a starter if Freeman does well.
Arif Hasan of the Daily Norseman believes Freeman’s ability to make downfield throws would be an asset to the Vikings:
He hasn't been the most accurate passer, but he generally makes up for it with deep throws, having hit 13.3 yards per completion was the second-best in the league, just after Cam Newton. In fact, his average depth of target-passes completed and missed-was an astonishing 10.7, tied for first in the league alongside Colin Kaepernick and Andrew Luck (second was Joe Flacco at 10.6).
Levi Damien of Silver and Black Pride believes a Freeman signing would be nice but he does not expect a move:
Freeman is a hot commodity on the market for a team in need of an emergency fill-in. Remember, before the Raiders traded for Palmer, they looked to sign David Garrard before he revealed he had a back injury that required surgery. And Freeman is a heck of a lot more enticing to a team in need than David Garrard ever was.
So, while I think adding Freeman would be a valuable thing, it doesn't seem very likely to happen. Now, if Pryor becomes that player who goes down with injury, leaving the Raiders desperate (again), we have a different story. We'll cross that bridge if/when we come to it.
Freeman is likely an upgrade at the backup quarterback position for most teams but is likely looking to start. While he would have to learn the playbook for the team that he joins, he could be an upgrade for a team with an immediate need for an experienced passer. The sooner he signs, the more likely the chance he will have to play in games.
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