HEADLINES

Josh Freeman

FA Notes: Freeman, Irving, Moore, Mays

March 16th, 2015 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Tim Tebow isn’t the only free agent quarterback attempting an NFL comeback. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets that ex-Buccaneers signal-caller Josh Freeman recently worked out for the Jets and has several other clubs taking a “hard look” at him. Freeman’s NFL success, which included a 4,000-yard season in 2012, was viewed as more sustainable than Tebow’s, so it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team give him a shot this summer.

Let’s check in on a few other free agent items from around the NFL….

  • Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links) has updates on a pair of free agent defenders, reporting that linebacker Nate Irving is visiting the Colts, while defensive back Sterling Moore is on track to visit the 49ers after meeting with the Steelers.
  • There’s mutual interest between the Dolphins and quarterback Matt Moore, who has backed up Ryan Tannehill in recent years, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. However, Moore only wants to return at fair market value, so the free agent quarterback will probably be more inclined to explore his options than to re-sign with Miami for a hometown discount.
  • Washington continues to show interest in safety Taylor Mays, and the sides are trying to work out a possible visit, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com.
  • Ron Parker drew plenty of reported interest during his few days on the open market, but the Chiefs safety said today that the Falcons were the team with the most interest in him, besides Kansas City, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • Speaking to reporters today, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), Tyrunn Walker said he was offered a three-year contract by the Patriots but opted for a one-year pact with the Lions instead. I’m guessing the Pats’ offer likely didn’t include any guaranteed money beyond the first year, so opting for Detroit instead will give Walker more freedom, and could land him a larger deal next winter if he has a good year for the Lions.

Pompei On Flowers, Incognito, Holmes, FAs

June 20th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Read Option piece for Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei spoke to three front office executives from around the league about the best remaining free agents on the market. Let’s dive right in and check out what Pompei and the trio of execs had to say about the top available players….

  • One exec wonders if Brandon Flowers might be declining after a poor 2013, while another likens him to Alterraun Verner, who received a $26MM deal ($14MM guaranteed) from the Bucs earlier this offseason.
  • All three of Pompei’s sources agree that Richie Incognito is easily the best interior lineman available, but no teams want to deal with him after last year’s bullying scandal.
  • Although Santonio Holmes is the most intriguing unsigned wide receiver, there are concerns about his durability, his asking price, and potentially his off-field presence. “We’d have to look more closely at what happened in New York with him in the locker room,” said one front office man.
  • Jason Babin and Ryan Pickett are both entering their mid-30s, meaning teams will proceed with caution. There’s also some concern that both players have become increasingly one-dimensional – Babin as a pass-rusher and Pickett as a space-eater – but the execs think both players will sign somewhere.
  • One exec on Josh Freeman: “He is probably better as a starter, but he isn’t going to get a starting job now. And if he knows he’s a backup, he might not prepare like he’s a starter.”
  • Michael Bush may be hard-pressed to find a role, since the devaluation of running backs means clubs are more inclined to pick up a rookie who can play special teams rather than a veteran like Bush.
  • Offensive linemen Eric Winston, Kyle Cook, and Tyson Clabo also earned mentions to round out the list of 10 players.

East Notes: Freeman, Eagles, Easley, Bills

June 16th, 2014 at 5:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Josh Freeman was on the Giants’ roster for just over a month before being released at the end of May, but now it appears he is trying to get his career back on track. In an instance of two former Buccaneers employees reuniting, Freeman will work with Jon Gruden next week, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old will then spend the following week with noted quarterback tutor Terry Shea.

More notes from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Eagles running back LeSean McCoy says the release of DeSean Jackson was a wakeup call for the rest of the team, per NFL.com’s Albert Breer. “The whole DeSean Jackson thing, that helped out, to be honest, in making all the other guys aware,” said McCoy. “It’s all possible. They’ll cut one of your best guys if (he’s) not buying in. On any team — any team — you look at that, and as a player, you can look at it from so many different sides, but no matter how good you are, you gotta follow these guidelines. And if you don’t, you could be gone. You gotta buy in.”
  • Dominique Easley is one of only five first-round picks who has yet to sign a contract, but injury protection language isn’t the reason the Florida product hasn’t signed with the Patriots, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Rookie contracts are standardized under the new CBA, so it’s unclear what the two sides could be haggling over.
  • Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News believes it would be a risky proposition if Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula purchased the Bills, as Pegula sometimes failed to listen to his advisors early on in his NHL tenure. Pegula would keep the team in Buffalo, however, which would obviously sit well with local fans.
  • Bills general manager Doug Whaley is trying to dispel the notion that his recent moves, including trading up to select Sammy Watkins, are indicative of a new, must-win strategy, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “Everybody’s like, ‘Whoa, you’re in a win-now mode.’ The NFL is a win-now mode,” said Whaley. “I disagree when people have been saying it’s a win-now mode because of the ownership. It’s always a win-now mode in this. So that’s something I’d like to dispel as quickly as possible. It’s a results-based business.”
  • The Giants had a workout with former Air Force linebacker Alex Means, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).

NFC East Notes: Manning, Freeman, Allen, Smith, Melton

May 31st, 2014 at 9:18am CST by Matt Feminis

After having arthroscopic knee surgery on April 10, Giants quarterback Eli Manning is participating in OTAs with no limitations. That’s two months ahead of schedule, notes Giants.com Senior Writer/Editor Michael Eisen, who quoted head coach Tom Couglin: “He’s so far ahead. When we started out I didn’t think I would have him for anything. We’re about two or three days into the phase two (when the offense and defense worked separately) and he’s running around. I’m trying to slow him down but he feels good. I’m not surprised at all.”

In other NFC East notes…

Giants Release Josh Freeman

May 30th, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

With Eli Manning healthy enough to participate in this week’s OTAs, the Giants have continued to clear out their excess of quarterbacks. The team announced today in a press release that it has released Josh Freeman, who was signed earlier in the offseason to provide spring depth and potentially compete for a backup job. The Giants used Freeman’s vacated roster spot to claim offensive lineman Rogers Gaines off waivers from the Bears.

Freeman, 26, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off last year 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.

The Giants picked up Freeman a little over a month ago, and gave him $55K in guaranteed money (via a signing bonus), but the former Kansas State QB was never viewed as the favorite to win the No. 2 job behind Manning. Ryan Nassib and Curtis Painter remain on the roster, competing for that backup role, and Rusty Smith was also signed to provide offseason depth, though he has since been cut as well.

Freeman won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team.

Poll: Which Embattled QB Will Have Most Success?

April 28th, 2014 at 9:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Vince Young is set to work out for the Browns, and if he catches on he’d join a list of quarterbacks looking for a restart.

A number of embattled quarterbacks found new homes this offseason, each hoping to resurrect their once-promising careers. The majority of them will likely be serving as backups, but that also means an injury could suddenly thrust them into a starting role.

Mark Sanchez inked a one-year, $2.25MM deal to sit on the bench with the Eagles. He could be Nick Foles‘ backup, but the team could also select a quarterback in the draft. If that’s the case, Sanchez’s opportunity diminishes even more.

Brandon Weeden will have another opportunity to showcase the talent that (debatably) justified his first-round selection in 2012. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, minimum deal with the Cowboys where he will serve as a backup to Tony Romo. Considering Romo’s injury history, Weeden may have a chance to start next season (assuming Kyle Orton is not on the team).

It seemed inevitable that Matt Schaub‘s tenure in Houston would come to a close, and he was traded by the Texans to the Raiders last month. Following the trade of Terrelle Pryor, the starting gig seems to be Schaub’s. Barring the team drafting a top quarterback, he’ll likely be atop the depth chart heading into next season.

Josh Freeman was the starter for the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2012, but he completely unraveled prior to his release. After finishing the season with the Vikings, he signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Giants this offseason. Eli Manning is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL, but Freeman is certainly a competent backup.

Which embattled quarterback do you expect to have the best season in 2014?

Giants Sign Josh Freeman

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:51pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY,10:51pm: Freeman gets just $55K guaranteed in the deal, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

8:59pm: Freeman’s deal is a one-year, $750K pact, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

MONDAY, 9:48am: Freeman officially inked his deal today upon arriving for the start of the Giants’ offseason program, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 11:29am: Freeman’s contract with the Giants will be a one-year pact, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds, as a sidenote, that the Packers would have been interested in signing Freeman if the Giants had landed Flynn (Twitter link).

11:08am: Freeman has agreed to terms with the Giants, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.

11:04am: The Giants and Josh Freeman are working toward a deal and are expected to reach an agreement within the next day or so, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Freeman was one of two veteran free agent quarterbacks said to be visiting the team this week, but the second – Matt Flynn – ended up re-signing with the Packers instead, leaving Freeman as the apparent top target for New York.

Freeman, 26, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off last year 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.

Still, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report recently suggested (via Twitter) that general managers feel like Freeman was “thrown to [the] wolves” in Minnesota. And at age 26, with multiple strong seasons under his belt, there’s room for the former Buccaneer to turn things around.

For the Giants, Freeman figures to provide veteran insurance for Eli Manning, who recently had surgery on a troublesome left ankle. Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib are also under contract with the club.

Giants Notes: Amukamara, Freeman, Beason

April 22nd, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning a Super Bowl earlier this year on a Seahawks squad that featured arguably the NFL’s best secondary, Walter Thurmond thinks he may take that title with him to New York, telling reporters today that he feels like the Giants could have the league’s best secondary in 2014 (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). As Vacchiano tweets, Thurmond also thinks he’s the best slot corner in the NFL.

While the Giants’ secondary may not reach the heights that Thurmond envisions, the group definitely looks stronger than it did in 2013, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie having arrived along with Thurmond in free agency. As the former Seahawk prepares to back up his comments, let’s check in on a few more Giants notes:

  • Cornerback Prince Amukamara is hoping the Giants pick up his fifth-year option for 2015, and admits he might feel a little insulted if the club turns it down, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. A team source tells Vacchiano (Twitter link) that the Giants remain undecided on the option, and likely won’t announce anything until next week.
  • Josh Freeman‘s new contract with the Giants is a minimum salary benefit deal with a $55K signing bonus and a $10K workout bonus, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links). Assuming he plays out the season, Freeman will earn $795K, while the cap hit for the team will be $635K.
  • Jon Beason, who represented himself in contract negotiations this offseason, said today that the Giants called him eight minutes before free agency opened in March (Twitter link via Vacchiano).
  • Earlier today, we heard that Will Hill‘s time with the Giants may be over, as the safety faces another drug-related suspension.

Josh Freeman Visiting Giants

April 15th, 2014 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 1:01pm: It now appears that Flynn’s visit with the Giants may not be on the docket, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter links). There are a number of possible explanations for that — perhaps the Giants are close to an agreement with Freeman, or Flynn is close to signing with another team. It also could just be a matter of a visit coming at a later date.

MONDAY, 11:36am: Flynn is expected to work out for the Giants tomorrow as well, tweets Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network. Both free agent QBs will arrive in town today, and Caplan tweets that he gets the sense New York wants to add a veteran prior to training camp.

11:09am: Freeman’s visit with the Giants is scheduled for Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

FRIDAY, 11:15am: According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Freeman may work out for the Giants, though nothing has officially been set up yet. Vacchiano adds (via Twitter) that the team has also reached out to Flynn.

8:40am: Free agent quarterback Josh Freeman will work out for the Giants next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday, a source tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). With most potential backup signal-callers off the market, Freeman represents one of the more noteworthy names still available, along with Matt Flynn and Rex Grossman.

Freeman, 26, recently visited the Bears. However, even if Chicago saw a fit with the former Buccaneer, the team has yet to strike a deal to bring him aboard, so the QB’s free agency tour will continue. The Giants re-signed Curtis Painter a month ago and still have Ryan Nassib under contract to back up Eli Manning, but Manning opted this week to undergo surgery on a troublesome left ankle. Although the longtime Giants starter is expected to recover from that procedure in plenty of time for the season, it seems the club may be considering further insurance policies, just in case.

Freeman was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2010 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off last year and was cut by the team. Freeman joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start, though Mike Freeman says (via Twitter) that general managers feel like the former first-round pick was “thrown to [the] wolves” in Minnesota.

Bears Notes: Freeman, Eachus, Ringer

April 7th, 2014 at 8:55pm CST by Peter Sowards

While Kentucky and Connecticut go to battle in one of the more improbable NCAA title games, the machine that is the NFL never stops, and the rumors continue to stream in. The Bears had a busy day, hosting former Buccaneers and Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman and signing long snapper Chad Rempel.

Rounding up more of the latest Windy City news below…

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