Report: Leslie Frazier did not want Josh Freeman
Rob Ninkovich (50) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (right) embrace after a game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings were the best opportunity for Josh Freeman to get what he wanted the most; a chance at starting. However, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier did not want the team to sign Freeman, according to NBC Sports’s Shaun King, who is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback. King told this news to the Ron and Ian show, via Joe Bucs Fan.
Here’s the quote from Shaun King provided by Joe Bucs Fan, “They tried to get Josh to sign a two-year deal. But Josh and his camp wanted to just stay with the rest of this season. Leslie Frazier, you know, won’t handle it like Greg Schiano did, but Leslie Frazier really wasn’t in favor of bringing Josh Freeman in. This was [general manager] Rick Spielman and the owner who overruled the head coach and said, ‘No. We’ve kind of figured out what Christian Ponder is. We want to see what Josh Freeman can bring this team.’”
This is an extremely interesting report from King, but Frazier’s unwillingness to sign Josh Freeman ultimately didn’t make a difference on either side of the coin. Rick Spielman felt strong enough that Freeman would be able to potentially help the team, and Freeman also knew full well that the Vikings presented him with the best chance of starting. Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel aren’t awful, but neither of them have put their stamp as “QB of the future” either. Freeman had an excellent season in 2010, and he has significantly better physical tools than either Ponder or Cassel. But accuracy? That’s something he certainly lacks in comparison to the other two, but his arm strength would give the Vikings a dimension they are lacking.
I can understand why Frazier would be apprehensive about signing Freeman with the way things fell apart for Freeman in Tampa, but I agree with Zygi Wilf and Spielman here; it’s worth a shot.
Note: To all those stating that this is not credible, it’s not my report. If you have a problem, take it up with King, because this is Shaun King’s report I am referencing. I’m just writing about it, in case I didn’t make that clear enough in the piece (always read closely).
You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe. Be sure to like us on Facebook here and follow our site on Twitter as well.