Yasinskas: It Really is a New Day in Tampa Bay

[Morgan]

You know who also maybe horrible picks by sitting their rookie QB? San diego, Giants, Steelers, Denver, the list goes on.

You people w/ Luke signatures have some work to do......making a new one.




Most teams do sit their rookie QB's in year one, unless you're coming off a horrible record from the previous year and have nothing to lose by starting him like Atlanta did. We are not in that bad of a situation...........yet.

[cyberdude557]

It really is a new day in Tampa Bay

April 25, 2009 9:33 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

TAMPA, Fla. -- On the Himes Ave. side of Raymond James Stadium there's a huge painting of Jeff Garcia. If you want to see it, drive by real soon.

It's going to be erased just like everything else related to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the last decade. Josh Freeman is coming and a whole new way of thinking around One Buccaneer Place already is here.

"This guy coming in is the franchise quarterback,'' coach Raheem Morris said Saturday evening. "He's the long term.''

What the Bucs did by jumping up two spots to No. 17 to get Freeman was hit the brakes on the way the franchise has thought pretty much since the Bucs moved into their new stadium. The go-for-it-now mentality that characterized the entire Jon Gruden era and the last couple years of the Tony Dungy days is gone.

If your head hit the dashboard when the Bucs drafted the Kansas State quarterback or were one of those fans at the draft party in the stadium who booed when the pick was announced, get used to the idea. The pace has slowed and the days of acting now and worrying about it later are over.

At least for as long as Morris and general manager Mark Dominik are around, and they're sounding and acting like guys who think they'll be around for a while.

"We just made a long-term decision for this franchise,'' Dominik told me a few minutes after picking Freeman.

Drafting a guy like Freeman, who was considered a bit of a project by some teams, isn't the kind of move if you think you're holding a seat for Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan for a year. This is the kind of move you make when you're thinking about setting down roots for a family and a franchise.

"I am married to him,'' Morris said when asked if selecting Freeman would mean he was going to be married to the quarterback. "There is no 'going to be'.''

If the Bucs were going for the quick fix, they would have followed the paths of their NFC South rivals in New Orleans, Atlanta and Carolina. Those teams went out and filled immediate needs on defense. The Saints took defensive back Malcolm Jenkins, the Falcons grabbed defensive tackle Peria Jerry and the Panthers traded up in the second round to get defensive end Everette Brown. Any of those three picks immediately would have looked very good in a Tampa Bay uniform.

Instead, those three might be chasing Freeman around for the next decade. That's what the Bucs are picturing, even though they didn't quite come out and declare Freeman the starter for September.

They declared him much more than that.

"If I had the Detroit Lions' pick at No. 1, I might have taken Josh Freeman,'' Morris said. "I would have been fighting for him.''

Those words could come back to haunt the Bucs when it comes time to negotiate Freeman's contract, but who cares? That was Morris talking honestly and out of pure emotion.

"He's my guy and I went and got him,'' Morris said.

Freeman truly is Morris' guy. They met when Freeman was a freshman at Kansas State and Morris was the defensive coordinator there. Morris left after that season, but kept an eye on Freeman.

Morris has heard the criticism that Freeman isn't very polished and the coach did make the obligatory comments about how the rookie will be competing with veterans Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich.

But let's face reality. After what Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco did as rookies last season, the NFL model for quarterbacks has changed. And speaking of Ryan, the Bucs have his former college coach, Jeff Jagodzinski, as their offensive coordinator.

Go do it again, Jags, and do it fast. Yeah, it's possible the Bucs could start the season off with McCown or Leftwich. But Freeman's not going to be sitting for very long. The Bucs literally and figuratively made him the franchise Saturday.

The paint that's going over that Garcia image already has been ordered.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcsouth/0-10-139/It-really-is-a-new-day-in-Tampa-Bay.html

[dbucfan]

That is one of the stupider columns yankshisweenie has written that I have read.  Yea - those idiots in the NFC South that picked Defenders are idiots... for filling needs with good prospects -

But Tampa is genius like for taking a shot at a franchise qb

Okay - Jack and water please - going take some medicine to forget this one.

[O.S. Buc76]

A "new day in Tampa Bay"; we won't find out if it's going to be a good pick for us for a year or two unfortuneatly, whereas at least a DT, LB, or CB would be put on the field for 15-20 plays in their rookie season and alot more each year after that.

[Booker]

You know who also maybe horrible picks by sitting their rookie QB? San diego, Giants, Steelers, Denver, the list goes on.

[O.S. Buc76]

You know who also maybe horrible picks by sitting their rookie QB? San diego, Giants, Steelers, Denver, the list goes on.

Most teams do sit their rookie QB's in year one, unless you're coming off a horrible record from the previous year and have nothing to lose by starting him like Atlanta did. We are not in that bad of a situation...........yet.

[bradentonian]

Been waiting 5 years for this kind of mentality.  Hopefully the FO made the right choice

[NavyBuc19]

Been waiting 5 years for this kind of mentality.  Hopefully the FO made the right choice

While I agree that a first round QB should have been the way to handle the situation....this should have happened in 2010 and not this year.

[DanTurksGhost]

While I agree that a first round QB should have been the way to handle the situation....this should have happened in 2010 and not this year.

Why?

[wolfet]

I am happy.  It is good to start talking about a franchise QB, and if Freeman is not it, keep going after one until you get one.

[cyberdude557]

I want to know who everyone wanted in 2010... What QB would have been a sure stud? Bradford? Another guy from the Big 12 that no one in here likes and also has trouble reading defenses?

Or Tebow with a slower wind-up than Leftwich?

Who was the stud in 2010?

[dbucfan]

While I agree that a first round QB should have been the way to handle the situation....this should have happened in 2010 and not this year.

Why?

Pretty easy to understand - better qb class.  If Bradford, McCoy and Tebow came out this year - well one wonders if Stafford, Sanchez and Freeman are first rounders - not so difficult given the sig pic.  It kind of gives it away

[DanTurksGhost]

Pretty easy to understand - better qb class.  If Bradford, McCoy and Tebow came out this year - well one wonders if Stafford, Sanchez and Freeman are first rounders - not so difficult given the sig pic.  It kind of gives it away

Well, that would put us another year behind. And I don't see any sig pics or avatars, so I'm not sure what you're referring to.

[dbucfan]

I want to know who everyone wanted in 2010... What QB would have been a sure stud? Bradford? Another guy from the Big 12 that no one in here likes and also has trouble reading defenses?

Or Tebow with a slower wind-up than Leftwich?

Who was the stud in 2010?

Ummm - Bradford reads Defenses well - as do McCoy and Tebow.  And Tebow's delivery hasn't been an issue from what I have seen...

[dbucfan]

Pretty easy to understand - better qb class. �If Bradford, McCoy and Tebow came out this year - well one wonders if Stafford, Sanchez and Freeman are first rounders - not so difficult given the sig pic.  It kind of gives it away

Well, that would put us another year behind. And I don't see any sig pics or avatars, so I'm not sure what you're referring to.

One can be a year behind on O or D - the buccs picked D obviously.  And you can enable the avatars or sig pics if you want to -