Should we trade for Freeman?

[Eli]

Then, instead of the joke reading:

Who should the Vikings start
- Christian Ponder or
- Matt Cassel?

it would read:

Who should the Vikings start
- Christian Ponder or
- Matt Cassel or
- Josh Freeman?

That _is_ a little funnier, but not in a good way.

[Funkytown]

Minnesota Vikings Should Sign Josh Freeman

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/minneosta- ... --nfl.html

There's no reason the Vikings shouldn't go after Freeman and the sooner the better. Going into a game with McLeod Bethel-Thompson as your backup quarterback is not really an ideal situation and is reminiscent of Joe Webb being forced into action against Green Bay in the playoffs last season. Signing Freeman over the weekend would give him a week to learn the playbook before the Vikings host Carolina on Oct. 13.

Freeman is just six weeks older than Ponder and has already done things that Ponder or Cassel are unlikely to ever do in the NFL. He threw for the more than 4,000 yards last year and did so without an Adrian Peterson in the backfield or a Greg Jennings as a wide receiver. He has never played with the type of offensive weapons that the Vikings posses and opposing defenses would have to respect his ability to throw the long ball, making Peterson that much more dangerous.

Signing Freeman would not change the Vikings' long-range plans one bit. If one of the quarterbacks doesn't step up over the final three-fourths of the season, Minnesota can target a Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, Tajh Boyd or possibly even a Johnny Manziel in the draft. The Vikings could also use the money currently being paid to Jared Allen to try and lure a Philip Rivers away from San Diego.

[mondry]

lol WaT? Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, Doug Martin....

[indianation65]

New scenery and life can offer lots of rewards. I have so little confidence in Ponder as a backup, starter, practice cat, whatever, that I'd be okay with giving Freeman a shot at 1 or 2. Anything is possible except one thing, Ponder's progress.

...wisdom ?, who knows...nobody until you try!

[Demi]

Exactly. He was spoiled with weapons in Tampa. Their OLINE was very good as well. Something ain't right with Freeman...

And he put up over 4000 yards, 27 td 17 int. With a qb rating higher than Ponder or Cassel have for their career...
I think AD...Jennings...Simpson...Patterson...Rudolph are equal...or likely better.

Before him and his idiot head coach went nuclear and blew everything up this year...

[Texas Vike]

Too many people are assuming he must "suck" because no one wanted to trade for him (even for a measly 6th+ rounder), a team cut him, no one has signed him yet, and since the Browns want Tyler Thigpen and not Freeman, therefore Thigpen is actually better than Freeman.

This is not a black and white issue at all. The reason no one wanted to trade for him was because of his big contract, which the new team would inherit. In this day and age, its extremely rare for teams to trade for guys with deals, that's just reality. As for why the Bucs cut him, from the day Greg Schiano walked in the door it was clear the HC and QB weren't on the same page. Just ask Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley what kind of performance you get when you're not on the same page. Again, this isn't a black and white issue so I'm not saying "Schiano don't like Freeman so that's the ONLY reason he's gone", but these are all factors.

As for why no one has expressed outward interest, most teams are set at QB. For the few that are not, most of those teams are smack dab in the middle of evaluating their own personnel. The Vikings are in a Cassel/Ponder situation, the Browns might've found their guy with Hoyer, the Raiders are still evaluating Pryor, etc. Then for teams who have likely moved on from their QB, these are teams with poor records staring at a strong QB draft group in April 2014. In general, most GMs prefer to build around their own guy then someone's sloppy seconds. It's not that Jacksonville believes in Gabbert, they just believe they'll get 1st pick when it comes to QB's in 2014. And as for "interest", there were only TWO TEAMS "interested" in Drew Brees, and Miami passed on him because they thought he would be retired by 2007!

The biggest thing against Freeman is timing. this is the worst timing for him so I can picture him sitting out all season, because despite his past success, he is not a sure thing (Texans passed on Peyton in 2012 because of the risks.) Next spring the teams will have settled out, and we'll see new teams pop up like the Eagles (Vick will be UFA), and maybe the Raiders and some other teams.

As for the Vikings, even if Cassel wasn't here, I don't think Freeman could walk in and play. He would need a full summer to learn our offense. If he did that, I think he could be a perfect fit for the Vikes. He's still young and has game, and knows how to throw the ball downfield with strength and put up big numbers. As for someone saying he was "spoiled" by good teammates, he's no more spoiled than Aaron Rodgers or Matt Ryan. And besides Jennings, Simpson, Rudolph, and Adrian ain't too shabby. So I would definitely bring him in next Spring, but not now.

That's a Russian novel of a post built on a premise ("Too many people think Freeman sucks") that simply doesn't apply to the majority of posters on this board. Read through this thread; it's clear that most would be open to Freeman being signed.

I think the more important issue is what's going on with these drug reports; and secondarily, why was Freeman playing so poorly early on this season. I watch a fair amount of Big 12 ball and I have liked Freeman for a while. He's definitely worth a look once his current malaise is vetted properly.

[joe h]

Good or not, he's still a headcase, don't know what went down in Tampa, but his own teammates didn't even vote him team captain. Sounds like a Harvin extreme to me.

Schiano is the second coming of Childress, is what happened. Tom Coughlin without a super bowl ring is the best way to describe him. A real pos #### that should be coaching college ball.

[dead_poet]

Rumor has it that Schiano rigged that vote.

Schiano is going to get canned.

[lyzarde]

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports free agent Josh Freeman is hoping to sign with a team by tonight.
Freeman wants to go somewhere he could "compete for a starting job." Per Glazer, the Raiders, Bills, 49ers, Vikings, and Packers are among the teams that have already reached out to Freeman. ESPN's Chris Mortensen indicated Sunday Oakland and Minnesota are atop Freeman's likeliest destinations.

I'd take him personally. As a bucs fan as well who has watched a lot of his games I think he has way more upside and ability than we have on the roster. As much as the vikings annoy me, the bucs are a damn disaster and it starts with schiano. Can't wait till he's gone.

Freeman would be a great fit for us.

[yezzir]

Zygi definitely has a say in this. I bet he is pushing really hard to get Freeman here.

[yezzir]

Freeman had a couple of brilliant years. If he is the knucklehead the Bucs want everyone to believe, Frazier has the personality to get him focused. I say get him in here.
My main concern is this....say we draft a QB, by the time he is serviceable, AD will be OUT of his prime.

Getting Freeman gives you a QB with experience who has played extremely well more than just 1 season, and also has the chance to at his prime while AD is in his prime.

[vikingsbliss]

I'd be happy if we sign him! I'd be interested to see what he could do for us .

[mondry]

Yeah, unless they really think they have something in MBT and they can sign him for cheap I don't really see a reason not to bring him in.

[Eli]

Report: Vikings currently the most likely destination for Freeman
Posted by Mike Florio on October 6, 2013, 3:00 PM EDT

As previously mentioned, Jay Glazer of FOX strongly linked quarterback Josh Freeman to the Raiders. Glazer linked Freeman even more strongly to the Vikings.

Per Glazer, Freeman has spoken with coach Leslie Frazier and G.M. Rick Spielman. Glazer calls Minnesota the “most desirable option” for Freeman.

(more at link)

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... r-freeman/

[yezzir]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... r-freeman/

Sh!ts about to get real. I hope he comes here. It also gives Spielman another route to escape Ponder.