Worst case scenario...

[chace1986]

There are many positions on this team that have pretty big question marks.

Offensive Line...other than Nicks...Will the 2 "pro bowlers"( ) play consistent? Will Zuttah play solid? Will Trueblood not suck?
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends...Other than V-Jax...we have no clue who will step up and make plays, get open, etc.
Defensive Line....Will they stay healthy? Will they get penetration and pressure on the QB?
Linebackers....Will they not suck?
DB's...This could be the biggest mystery unit. Health, youth, consistency...all possible issues.

Anyway....all those pale in comparison to the biggest one of all:
Quarterback....Will #5 bounce back??

This leads me to the whole point of this thread and the "worst case scenario" title.

What if Josh Freeman has a repeat performance of 2011? (btw...injuries don't count in this scenario)

This will be a disaster, IMO. I know, I know...he is just 24...but in this scenario...it would be 3 out of 4 years of sub-par play.

So...where do we go from here??

Free Agency.
Really...there is only one guy out there who is worth talking about.
Joe Flacco.
Personally...I don't love him...but I don't hate him. He is wildly inconsistent...but he did play well last year at times and he did out play Tom Brady in the title game...unfortunately his team didn't do the same.

Draft.
If Freeman bombs in 2012...it is possible that we would have a top 3-5 pick.
Notable candidates: Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Tyler Wilson, Aaron Murray, Logan Thomas.
It will all depend on who has a good year in college football, and there could also be a surprise candidate pop up out of nowhere and be a top 3 pick(RG3, Cam).

Trade options.
Not many promising guys out there from what I see...
The loser of the contest in the NYJ competition...Tebow(oh no), or Sanchez.
Colt McCoy.
Ryan Mallett.
Kirk Cousins.
...maybe a few other guys..

Last option...Hold strong and see what he does in 2013.

What say you?

[The Anti-Java]

Draft a guy........if Free sucks this season that would most likely mean the record is going to suffer. So a pretty high choice.  I like Barkely a lot.  They could draft him and groom him under Freeman for a year. Then if it works out, trade Freeman later.

[chace1986]

Draft a guy........if Free sucks this season that would most likely mean the record is going to suffer. So a pretty high choice.  I like Barkely a lot.  They could draft him and groom him under Freeman for a year. Then if it works out, trade Freeman later.

2013 is Freeman's contract year...so we would have to trade him before the deadline of the 2013 season in your scenario...otherwise he will bolt for FA and we get nothing.

I say if we pick a QB with the no.3 overall (or higher) pick...start him right away and see what you can get for Free...

[Hate]

If Free sux, we MUST draft a Qube

[The Anti-Java]

Draft a guy........if Free sucks this season that would most likely mean the record is going to suffer. So a pretty high choice.  I like Barkely a lot.  They could draft him and groom him under Freeman for a year. Then if it works out, trade Freeman later.

2013 is Freeman's contract year...so we would have to trade him before the deadline of the 2013 season in your scenario...otherwise he will bolt for FA and we get nothing.

I say if we pick a QB with the no.3 overall (or higher) pick...start him right away and see what you can get for Free...

They could keep both for a year to see who wins the job.  Using the tag.

[chace1986]

Draft a guy........if Free sucks this season that would most likely mean the record is going to suffer. So a pretty high choice.  I like Barkely a lot.  They could draft him and groom him under Freeman for a year. Then if it works out, trade Freeman later.

2013 is Freeman's contract year...so we would have to trade him before the deadline of the 2013 season in your scenario...otherwise he will bolt for FA and we get nothing.

I say if we pick a QB with the no.3 overall (or higher) pick...start him right away and see what you can get for Free...

They could keep both for a year to see who wins the job.  Using the tag.

After drafting Barkley (or who-ev) in 2013...then giving him a year to understudy...you then tag Freeman for what could be $15+ million in 2014? Personally, I would rather spend that tag money on helping out the new QB with a playmaker and maybe a blocker.

[The Anti-Java]

Draft a guy........if Free sucks this season that would most likely mean the record is going to suffer. So a pretty high choice.  I like Barkely a lot.  They could draft him and groom him under Freeman for a year. Then if it works out, trade Freeman later.

2013 is Freeman's contract year...so we would have to trade him before the deadline of the 2013 season in your scenario...otherwise he will bolt for FA and we get nothing.

I say if we pick a QB with the no.3 overall (or higher) pick...start him right away and see what you can get for Free...

They could keep both for a year to see who wins the job.  Using the tag.

After drafting Barkley (or who-ev) in 2013...then giving him a year to understudy...you then tag Freeman for what could be $15+ million in 2014? Personally, I would rather spend that tag money on helping out the new QB with a playmaker and maybe a blocker.

Hell they just tagged Barth !    Some pretty mediocre players have been tagged before to just keep them around one more year.

[chace1986]

Draft a guy........if Free sucks this season that would most likely mean the record is going to suffer. So a pretty high choice.  I like Barkely a lot.  They could draft him and groom him under Freeman for a year. Then if it works out, trade Freeman later.

2013 is Freeman's contract year...so we would have to trade him before the deadline of the 2013 season in your scenario...otherwise he will bolt for FA and we get nothing.

I say if we pick a QB with the no.3 overall (or higher) pick...start him right away and see what you can get for Free...

They could keep both for a year to see who wins the job.  Using the tag.

After drafting Barkley (or who-ev) in 2013...then giving him a year to understudy...you then tag Freeman for what could be $15+ million in 2014? Personally, I would rather spend that tag money on helping out the new QB with a playmaker and maybe a blocker.

Hell they just tagged Barth !    Some pretty mediocre players have been tagged before to just keep them around one more year.

Hard to compare the two, IMO.

A. It's not like we had another kicker on the roster who we had just drafted with a top 5 pick.
B. They just tagged Barth...which was meaningless...since they signed him long term.

Personally, I don't think you should tag someone(especially a QB)..when you dont even know if they are all that good...or even could see them as part of the teams future.

I see your point though.

[The Anti-Java]

Matt Cassell [sp?] got tagged a couple years ago, just sayin.

[Skull and Bones]

Two bad years in a row at this point in his career combined with being in the last year of his contract would mean he would have very little trade value.  We would have to replace him obviously but don't expect to get a decent pick for him, if anything at all.

[chace1986]

Matt Cassell [sp?] got tagged a couple years ago, just sayin.

Well, if the Bucs copied that scenario..then I would be cool with that. The Pats tagged him...then traded him to the Chiefs just over a month later that brought the Pats a high 2nd rounder.

[The Anti-Java]

Matt Cassell [sp?] got tagged a couple years ago, just sayin.

Well, if the Bucs copied that scenario..then I would be cool with that. The Pats tagged him...then traded him to the Chiefs just over a month later that brought the Pats a high 2nd rounder.

I think nowadays the tag just buys you time, its not so much that the player is the greatest anymore.  I am just sayin it might work if they drafted a QB high, then wanted Free to stick around just in case.

[Skull and Bones]

But he was coming off a 10 win season and had value.  If Freeman wins 10 this year we aren't even talking bout this.

[Skull and Bones]

Actually I think it was 11.  But the point still stands.

[The Anti-Java]

But he was coming off a 10 win season and had value.  If Freeman wins 10 this year we aren't even talking bout this.

Agree, I am actually his biggest fan, just playing along with the...."what if".


By the way, your sig link doesn't work.