Should the Bucs sign QB Josh Freeman to long-term extension now?

[lyronmewis]

Yet Freeman is still probably going to break all of the single season passing records for a QB in franchise history.

Freeman isn't consistent, but with the history of this franchise QBs, I don't see how people can complain.

It's like some of you want to draft a mediocre QB prospect in this year's draft, and leave undrafted FA rookies to start at CB.

So because a lot of us have endured 30+ years of QB suckage, we should settle for mediocre?

So you would rather draft a first round QB in a weak draft, and leave glaring holes on the team unfilled?

Freeman may be mediocre, but he would be consistently winning 10+ games if the rest of the team were good enough.

If Freeman were the only problem on his team, and he was turning the ball over nonstop, not being able to score any kind of points, then I would agree with letting him go, but he's putting them in a position to win in the majority of games.

Also, Alex Smith has never thrown for more than 18 TDs.

[VinBucFan]

Freeman is arguably one of the best QBs we have ever had, but he is FAR from a franchise QB.  The reason the team goes long stretches with no momentum is largely because he routinely misses routine passes. Go back and watch the first half of the game and there are several examples.  The problem with his early struggles is that the easiest way to win a "must win" game at home against an inferior team is to crush them early. To knock the hope out of them early. Freeman's awful play early let them hang around and get a lead.  Sure, the offense turned it around (after the Eagles made a key turnover) BUT they were in the game, playing with a ton of confidence by that point.

[upthegut]

realistically we all know we will stick with freeman for the foreseeable future, we will overpay him and he will continue to be inconsistent. one week people will say he is an elite quarterback the next week people will say he stinks. At the end of the day he will be an ok qb and will end up breaking all our franchise records, leading people and analysts to claim he is much better than he really is, at this point it would be far worse for us to draft another quarterback and potentially go through all the growing pains all over again, especially when we have so many other holes on this team

[The Anti-Java]

Lyron.  Half the QBs in the league right now would be the best QB the Bucs have ever had.  Alex Smith would be the best QB the Bucs ever had.  If we had Alex Smith, would you be ok with signing him to a 5-year deal?

No because Alex Smith is 28 years old, we have most likely seen his best.   Free is 24, we don't know if we have seen his best yet,

[Feel Real Good]

Freeman is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,929 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 10 INT's. Yeah, I'm not sure he's good enough.

[chace1986]

Yet Freeman is still probably going to break all of the single season passing records for a QB in franchise history.

Freeman isn't consistent, but with the history of this franchise QBs, I don't see how people can complain.

It's like some of you want to draft a mediocre QB prospect in this year's draft, and leave undrafted FA rookies to start at CB.

So because a lot of us have endured 30+ years of QB suckage, we should settle for mediocre?

Pretty much.

[Hate]

Freeman is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,929 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 10 INT's. Yeah, I'm not sure he's good enough.

Those #s don't tell the whole story. Dude is woefully inconsistant. If he does anything in the first half today, this game has a different outcome.

[The Anti-Java]

He had a bad day, no question.   But still put up 21.    I would think you should win most of your games putting up 21.   

[lyronmewis]

Lyron.  Half the QBs in the league right now would be the best QB the Bucs have ever had.  Alex Smith would be the best QB the Bucs ever had.  If we had Alex Smith, would you be ok with signing him to a 5-year deal?

No because Alex Smith is 28 years old, we have most likely seen his best.   Free is 24, we don't know if we have seen his best yet,

I'm a Freeman fan, but if we were in a position to draft a RG3/Luck kind of prospect, and we had no other holes, I would do it.

If we had a chance to get a Peyton Manning type player in his prime in free agency, I would do it.

There's neither of those options though.

For those who want to replace Freeman, who do you want to replace him with?

[QaZ]

you need more than a simply average or above-average starter, you need a top 10 guy.  And someone who can AT LEAST complete more than 60% of his passes.

And how do we get such a QB? By letting walk the one guy that is closer to this than any QB before in franchise history ,he atleast has a slim chance to become one?
If we get a top10 QB by NOT extending Freeman, i'm all for this. Just we have no one.
If we extend Freeman and by this stopping to look for a top10 QB via draft, trade or FA, i'm totally against this, until Freeman has proven to be a top10 QB himself. Just i'm not willing to throw away the next years looking for a top10 QB, and most likely having to watch guys suck even more than Freeman, wasting draft picks for this, instead of improving our team in other areas. With Freeman we can atleast grind for PO, with a great D# mabye even more, in the end we can still hope for him to be the guy, no matter how unlikely this might be right now. Else we can just hope someone else is the guy, while still having our #32 pass defense etc.

If top10 QBs are so important to have, there is just more reason to NOT have one out of the bottom 10, those guys would even suck against defense like ours.

[Feel Real Good]

Freeman is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,929 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 10 INT's. Yeah, I'm not sure he's good enough.

Those #s don't tell the whole story. Dude is woefully inconsistant. If he does anything in the first half today, this game has a different outcome.

I'm sure we can just find some other player who will never be inconsistent and put up 7,500 yards, 65 TD's, and 0 INT's. Maybe he'll be able to play CB, too.

[The Anti-Java]

Freeman is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,929 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 10 INT's. Yeah, I'm not sure he's good enough.

Those #s don't tell the whole story. Dude is woefully inconsistant. If he does anything in the first half today, this game has a different outcome.

Well ...he did put up 21.    What does he need to do?  Put up 35?   45?

The D blows.

[JavaRay]

You count a TD scored off getting the ball on the 5 off a muffed punt toward his scoring?    I don't.

[Bschucher]

Freeman is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,929 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 10 INT's. Yeah, I'm not sure he's good enough.

Those #s don't tell the whole story. Dude is woefully inconsistant. If he does anything in the first half today, this game has a different outcome.

Well ...he did put up 21.    What does he need to do?  Put up 35?   45?

The D blows.

Ill get flamed for this im sure.. but AT LEAST 34 points was there to be had today but the quarterback was PURE suck for over 30 minutes of football today.

[Hate]

Freeman is currently on pace to finish the season with 3,929 passing yards, 31 TD's, and 10 INT's. Yeah, I'm not sure he's good enough.

Those #s don't tell the whole story. Dude is woefully inconsistant. If he does anything in the first half today, this game has a different outcome.

Well ...he did put up 21.    What does he need to do?  Put up 35?   45?

The D blows.

That's no secret to anyone. Doesn't dismiss the fact that our QB stunk it up against a team that was ready to quit at the coin flip.