Josh Freeman - Pro Football Rumors

Josh Freeman Working Out For Colts

December 28th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts are bringing in former Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman for a workout, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Indianapolis may be in the market for a free agent QB, with most of the team’s in-house options battling some sort of injury.

The Colts’ still have an outside chance at earning a playoff berth, but several things would have to go right for the team, and that includes winning its Week 17 game against the Titans. With Andrew Luck having been on the shelf for a good chunk of the season, the club’s backup options are dwindling — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Matt Hasselbeck has sustained a sprained AC joint, while Charlie Whitehurst suffered a hamstring injury. Despite having four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, the Colts may only have one (Stephen Morris) who is healthy enough to play, and he has been with the team for just four days.

Freeman, who turns 28 next month, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the Buccaneers. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012.

Since a brief 2013 stint in Minnesota, however, Freeman has bounced around from team to team, unable to find a permanent NFL home. Most recently, he spent some time with the Dolphins this summer and then played for the FXFL’s Brooklyn Bolts in the fall.

Considering how long it has been since Freeman played in an NFL game, the Colts are unlikely to sign him with an eye toward having him play on Sunday. But if he impresses in his audition, perhaps Freeman could be added to the club’s roster as an emergency backup for Week 17 and a potential option for 2016.

Josh Freeman To Play In FXFL

September 22nd, 2015 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

After being let go by the Dolphins during the team’s end-of-preseason cutdown to 53 players, Josh Freeman will throw his next professional pass in a non-NFL league. The Fall Experimental Football League, a professional football minor league, announced today (via Twitter) that Freeman will suit up for the FXFL’s Brooklyn Bolts this season.

Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the Buccaneers. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012. Over the last couple years, he has bounced around from team to team, unable to find a permanent NFL home.

With Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore ahead of him on the depth chart in Miami this summer, Freeman was never considered a good bet to make the Dolphins’ regular season roster, barring an injury to one of the top guys, or an unexpectedly productive preseason by Freeman. The former Bucs starter completed 13 of 22 passes against his former team in Miami’s preseason finale, throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions, sealing his fate.

The Bolts’ season gets underway on October 2, so Freeman will be back in action soon. The terms of his FXFL contract aren’t known, but I expect he’ll have the freedom to work out for NFL clubs later this season, if there are any teams interested.

Dolphins Cut Josh Freeman

September 4th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

For the second time this summer, the Dolphins have cut Josh Freeman, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). When Miami cut Freeman in July, the club re-signed him four days later, but it’s not clear if he’s still in the team’s plans at all after his latest release.

Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012.

With Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore ahead of him on the depth chart, however, Freeman was never considered a good bet to make the Dolphins’ regular season roster, barring an injury to one of the top guys, or an unexpectedly productive preseason by Freeman. The former Bucs starter completed 13 of 22 passes against his former team in Thursday night’s preseason finale, throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions.

AFC Notes: S. Smith, Weddle, Bengals, Pats

July 29th, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

While some players like the idea of going out on top, veteran receiver Steve Smith thinks he might continue playing even if the Ravens win the Super Bowl this season, per Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com.

“You still have the same bills, the same issues, you’re the same person,” Smith said, joking, “You don’t all of a sudden get free cable for life because you’ve won a Super Bowl.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

As expected, Chargers safety Eric Weddle doesn’t have a new contract in place as San Diego’s training camp gets underway, so expect him to play out the 2015 season with an eye toward free agency in the winter, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
With James Wright done for the year, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com expects the Bengals to add one more receiver via free agency. Harvey ran down some notable names that are still available, including Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, James Jones, and Dane Sanzenbacher. Greg Little, who will audition with the team this week, earned an honorable mention on his list.
Cornerback Tarell Brown got a one-year, $1.5MM deal from the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. Brown will receive a $100K bonus if he makes the team in Week 1, to go along with a $400K signing bonus and a $1MM base salary.
There was some confusion this week when the Dolphins re-signed quarterback Josh Freeman just four days after cutting him. However, as Field Yates of ESPN.com explains (via Twitter), Freeman’s new contract includes a split salary, which would allow the team to save money if the signal-caller gets hurt and lands on injured reserve.
After meeting with San Diego officials earlier this week to discuss the stadium situation there, NFL executive Eric Grubman was in East Bay today to talk about the Raiders‘ stadium progress, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Dolphins Re-Sign Josh Freeman

July 28th, 2015 at 10:44am CST by Luke Adams

10:44am: According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, a clause in Freeman’s contract meant that the Dolphins assumed less risk financially by cutting him and re-signing the quarterback, rather than just keeping him.

10:37am: Just four days after cutting him, the Dolphins have re-signed quarterback Josh Freeman, the team announced today (via Twitter). Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report first reported (via Twitter) that Freeman was returning to the Dolphins.

It’s not immediately clear why Miami released Freeman, only to re-add him to the roster a few days later. It’s possible that the team simply wanted to negotiate different terms, but I wouldn’t expect the new contract to look much different from the one-year, minimum-salary pact Freeman initially signed. Either way, with Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore ahead of him on the depth chart, Freeman probably won’t make the Dolphins’ regular season roster unless there’s an injury, or he has an unexpectedly productive preseason.

Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012.

In 2013 though, Freeman’s completion percentage in four starts with the Bucs was just 45.7%, a number which declined even more after he joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start. After not playing in the NFL in 2014, Freeman signed with the Dolphins earlier this offseason.

Dolphins Cut Josh Freeman

July 24th, 2015 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In advance of training camp, the Dolphins have parted ways with Josh Freeman, releasing him from his contract, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The move leaves Miami with three quarterbacks on its roster — starter Ryan Tannehill, backup Matt Moore, and third option McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012. In 2013 though, Freeman’s completion percentage in four starts with the Bucs was just 45.7%, a number which declined even more after he joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start.

After trying out for the Jets this offseason, Freeman joined the Dolphins on a minimum salary contract. While there was some initial speculation that the former Buccaneer could challenge Moore for the No. 2 job, it seemed more likely that Freeman would simply serve as a camp arm. However, after today’s release, he won’t even be with the Fins when their training camp gets underway next week.

AFC Notes: Freeman, Steelers, McCourty, Anderson

June 13th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Ben Levine

Josh Freeman is trying to make the most of his opportunity with the Dolphins, but the quarterback understands that he could be on the outside looking in:

“We’ve got four quarterbacks on the roster and a limited amount of time,” Freeman told Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. “Some days, I might not get the reps in practice.

“I don’t think anybody can see the future. You don’t really think of those scenarios that haven’t really come up in your mind at times. I’m just taking it in stride. Whatever it becomes, I’m trying to make the most of it.”

When asked about this chances to make the team, Freeman had an honest outlook:

“I couldn’t tell you either way. The coaches are the decision-makers. All I know is I’m going to keep giving it my best, continue to improve and let the people whose call it is to make make the call.”

Let’s see what else is happening around the AFC…

Keith Butler waited patiently a dozen years for his opportunity, but he’s finally the man in charge of the Steelers‘ defense. This offseason, the team did not renew the contract of Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau, giving Butler the opportunity to ascend to defensive coordinator. Prior to that, Butler had opportunities to be someone else’s defensive coordinator, as Dan Scifo of The Associated Press writes. “To me, if you’re going to coach in this game, you want to win a Super Bowl,” said Butler. “I always thought the best chance for me to win a Super Bowl as a coordinator would be (in Pittsburgh).”
The Patriots lost several notable defenders this offseason, including veterans Darrelle Revis and Vince Wilfork, and that makes safety Devin McCourty the de facto “face” of the defense. Of course, the All-Pro defensive back would never admit that. “We have a lot of really good players on defense,” McCourty said to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “Last year, a lot of guys stepped up and made plays, and I think that is going to continue to happen. I don’t really think we have a face. We have guys that have been here a longer time than other guys…There’s so much that goes into being a good team and a good defense that you can’t put it on one guy to be the so-called face of the defense.”
Broncos running back C.J. Anderson signed a new contract yesterday, but it had nothing to do with his football career. The 24-year-old inked a sponsorship with Storm – The Bowler’s Company, essentially making the running back a professional bowler. “This could also be something after football,” he told Rod Mackey of Colorado’s 9News. “A lot of people pickup golf, I might be picking up bowling.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Daniels, Allen, Bucs, Eagles

April 20th, 2015 at 10:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Packers defensive end Mike Daniels is entering a contract year but he’s not thinking too hard about his financial future, as Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel writes.

“All of that is just a distraction,” Daniels said. “That’s just a distraction. I’m here to play football. I’m here to get better. I’m here to watch film, relearn the defense, get bigger, faster, stronger. All that stuff, that’s nothing but a huge distraction. The instant people start putting a focus on something like that, that’s when their play starts to suffer. And I don’t have time for my play to suffer.”

Daniels played in 63.8% of the defensive snaps last season and has 76 tackles and 14 sacks across three seasons. Here’s more from around the NFL..

After checking in for the Colts‘ first day of offseason conditions, tight end Dwayne Allen is heading back to Arizona to work out on his own there, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Rapoport notes that Allen, who is entering a contract year, doesn’t expect to discuss a new deal with the club until after the season.
Buccaneers GM Lovie Smith says that he and GM Jason Licht are in “total agreement” as to who the team should draft, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets.
Linebacker Mychal Kendricks and running back Chris Polk were not present for the start of the Eagles‘ spring workouts, sources tell Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Polk has yet to sign his low-level restricted free agent tender offer and therefore cannot partake in activities yet. Kendricks, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Dion Jordan was not present for the Dolphins‘ voluntary workouts today and it’s not immediately clear why, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. The defensive end is under contract through 2016 with cap numbers of $5.6MM and $6.5MM in each of the next two seasons.
The Dolphins discussed trading for Matt Barkley before ultimately signing Josh Freeman, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (on Twitter). That deliberation is what kept the Eagles from signing Tim Tebow even sooner.
Paul Posluszny‘s 2015 cap number with the Jaguars should go from $9.5M to $6.8MM with his renegotiated three-year deal, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
Toledo safety Jordan Haden, the younger brother of Pro Bowler Joe Haden, has decided not to pursue an NFL career, his father tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The younger Haden drew interest from nine NFL teams, but has elected to work for the family business after sustaining a number of injuries during his college career.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

East Notes: Bills, Landry, Eagles, Biggers

April 7th, 2015 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

So far this offseason, one noteworthy free agent – wide receiver Percy Harvin – has moved from the Jets to the Bills, following Rex Ryan to Buffalo. Now, Ryan and the Bills are considering bringing in another player who played in New York a year ago. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), former Jets safety Dawan Landry is paying a visit to Buffalo.

The Jets don’t appear to have any interest in retaining Landry, but Pro Football Focus (subscription required) was fond of his 2014 performance, grading him as a top-10 safety in the NFL. We’ll have to see if the Bills have a spot for him in a secondary that has lost Jairus Byrd and Da’Norris Searcy in the last two offseasons.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:

As the Eagles eye potential defensive backs, they’ll bring in former Washington cornerback E.J. Biggers for a visit today, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Biggers, who spent three seasons in Tampa Bay prior to his time in D.C., also has some experience at safety, a position of need for Philadelphia.
James Walker of ESPN.com wonders if Josh Freeman has a chance to unseat Matt Moore as the Dolphins‘ No. 2 quarterback. As Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweeted this morning, Freeman’s deal with Miami is a minimum salary pact with no guaranteed money, so it’s not as if the team has much invested in him.
Richie Incognito is grateful to the Bills for giving him a second chance in the NFL, and told reporters on Monday that there were times when he didn’t think he’d have the opportunity to continue his playing career (Associated Press link via USA Today).
Referring to the atmosphere at the Bills‘ facility, LeSean McCoy said there’s “more of a NFL type of feel,” as opposed to the “college feel” he’d experienced in Philadelphia during the last couple seasons, writes Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. The veteran running back also made some comments about Eagles head coach Chip Kelly yesterday.

Dolphins To Sign Josh Freeman

April 2nd, 2015 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Josh Freeman has signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement.

Unless the Dolphins go back to carrying three quarterbacks on the roster, Freeman will probably just serve as another arm to have in camp, according to Abramson. The Kansas State product has always been praised for his arm strength but he did not play a down of NFL football in 2014. Still, he isn’t all that far removed from his 2012 season in which he threw for more than 4,000 yards with the Buccaneers.

Freeman worked out for the rival Jets earlier this month, but he’ll instead make an attempt to break camp with Miami. The quarterback celebrated his 27th birthday in January so there’s plenty of reason to believe that he can get his career back on track in 2015.