You guys are amazing....

[Booker]

How much time have you spent with Freeman RPC to know he isn't it?

[cyberdude557]

This is why I'm not crazy about the pick.

#1, the Bucs had already addressed the position with McCown and Leftwich. I would rather have waited and seen if one of them was worth keeping before spending a first round pick on the same position.

#2, they traded up, which screams out 'we have to have this guy!' - which is not the case.

#3, he would have still been available; there was no need to trade up.

#4, a better strategy is to take the best available player that fits your scheme. Not the BAP, but the BAP that fits your scheme (and roster); there were others that I would have rated higher.

#5, if you are drafting on need rather than BAP, they should have been looking at available players on the DL, or one of the available CBs that would eventually replace Ronde Barber.

My responses...
1. In my opinion, the QB position was NOT addressed with McCown and Leftwich.
2 and 3. Denver and Minnesota were interested from all indications. Plus it was only a 6th round pick.
4. Morris wanted a franchise QB for the long-term. He and Dominik didn't feel McCown was the guy.
5. Morris obviously has guys on his draft board he likes in the later rounds for the DL.

5. Better to build the trenches (defense) before taking a QB, in my opinion.

Yeah because that worked out so well when Dungy was here. QB was a mess.

Now it looks like we going the other way. We are building offense now and defense later.

[DanTurksGhost]

So some people hate the Freeman pick. I wonder how many people here would have LOVED IT if the Bucs had drafted Mike Williams? Because, you know, we can all tell exactly how these guys are going to do their entire careers on draft day.

[watson]

For me, it's not that I don't think Freeman is a player, but how the hell are we going to stop anyone?..

What makes you believe there is anything wrong with the defense?

Oh I don't know.....maybe the 900 yards rushing they gave up the last 4 games last year.....or the fact that the team was either tied or in the lead in the 4th qtr of each of those games and the defense couldn't stop the other team. �To me those are indicators that something is wrong.

Let me refresh your memory:  PUKE MCCLOWN and BYRON LEFTWICH are the QB's on this team!!  

I have no problem with Freeman as the pick.  I like the pick, but the question was "what makes you think something is wrong with the defense?".....that was what I was replying to.  I predicted that Freeman or Ayers would be their pick in multiple threads and I said my first choice was Freeman.

[DanTurksGhost]

LOL. �Why? because he supposedly spent so much time with Freeman during Morris' 1 year stint as K-State's DEFENSIVE Coordinator?

RM went against him every single day.

[donny77]

You totally missed the point.  Gruden missed good to great QBs when they were available.  No one would ever be miffed if you passed over Freeman.  To take a QB just because one happens to be available and then trade up to boot is what everyone including myself is over the moon about.

Its so dumb there's no point in talking about it if you don't see it.  just amatuer night on the draft board for the Bucs.  I dread to think of what the other picks might be....oh wait.  We only have three more.  Third, Fourth and Seventh.  Do we even have a seventh this  year?  Who cares....

Again IN YOUR OPINION they took a QB to take a QB.  But maybe they believe he is a franchise QB.  Maybe they gave him a top 10 grade.  Maybe Denver WAS going to pick him if he was there.  So are the Bucs and Denver both such bad scouts?  Could they be wrong, yes.  But we can't determine that now.

You don't trade up for a guy you don't believe in.  If the Bucs FO believes, I am fine with the pick.

[watson]

So some people hate the Freeman pick. I wonder how many people here would have LOVED IT if the Bucs had drafted Mike Williams? Because, you know, we can all tell exactly how these guys are going to do their entire careers on draft day.

DTG,
I'm happy with the pick.  My first choice in the "Your Pick at 19" thread was Freeman and my second choice was Ayers.  Both were there and they took my first choice.  I think they finally have a QB that has the potential to be the face of the franchise for a long time.

[umguy1999]

One of the biggest complaints you guys had with Gruden was that he never drafted and developed young QBs. Just last month you all were tripping over yourselves for the chance at Cutler willing to forfeit our entire draft for him.

Now Raheem drafts a young guy and you are all pissed.

Truely amazing....Make up your mind!

In all fairness we were willing to give up next years draft because this year we would have lost our first and got a proven NFL QB, i think if the Bears offered a straight trade Cutler for Freeman we would take it in a New York minute.

[cyberdude557]

And those mocks that had Freeman going in round two are garbage. There was no way he was going to drop past Minnesota.

And Denver's QB situation isnt exactly steller either with Chris Simms and Kyle Orton. So jumping ahead of them wasnt a reach either.

[warrenfb12]

This is a good move. Will it pan out? Maybe it will maybe it wont. Regardless, RM and MD have done something here that Gruden failed to do for many years, plan for future success. Maybe the kid is a huge bust, maybe he is a decent starter, maybe he is a spectacular qb. It is all speculation, bottom line, the bucs are looking for long term success, not short term patches. Also, if the kid does get his chance, he has a decent offensive line, a pretty good running game, some decent WR and one of the best TE in football. Jags managed Matt Ryan, I know he is a different animal, but maybe through a strong running attack and play action, this kid can be effective.

[bucs1]

I think it was a great move, Mark showed great poise in making a deal that kept him from going to Denver and got his man. It's not like he is a rookie at drafting, and if people think that was a bad pick they are nuts! Even "NOONE" can't knock that pick, if he ever comes out of hiding.

Are you hearing that the Broncos would have selected him it he was available? I couldn't imagine them going offense twice in the first round. I guess it was safe to move up anyway just to be safe that the Bucs got the guy they wanted.