The Buccaneers demoted quarterback Josh Freeman on Wednesday, and they may be in the process of getting rid of him altogether.
Head coach Greg Schiano announced that rookie Mike Glennon would be the Bucs’ starter this week, pushing Freeman down to No. 2 on the team’s depth chart. The team will now look to trade the former first-round pick, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs are hoping to get a conditional late-round pick in return for the quarterback.
Freeman had a rough start to the season, completing just 45.7 percent of his passes and throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions through three games. Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, which dropped the Bucs to 0-3, seemed to be the final straw, though. He completed 19 of 41 passes and threw an interception as the Bucs managed just three points in the lopsided loss.
The Bucs selected Freeman 17th overall in 2009, envisioning him as their quarterback of the future. He seemed to be developing into a reliable starter during his second season, completing more than 61 percent of his passes and throwing 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He’s had an up-and-down career since, struggling with his accuracy and seemingly unable to find any consistency from week to week.
The Jaguars, Browns and even Vikings could be potential landing spots for Freeman, as each is facing some major questions at quarterback. However, his $8.43 million salary might be more than most teams are willing to pay for a player who appears unlikely to capture any of his former potential.
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