Editorial: 5 Reasons Tampa Bay Buccaneers Josh Freeman Should get a Contract Extension

Even though starting quarterback Josh Freeman’s contract isn’t over until 2013, I believe it’s close enough to start thinking about locking up the 23 year old quarterback for the better half of this decade.

Throughout Free Agency, we have heard Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik talk about taking care of the Bucs own players and Free Agents. He proved that with signing back players like OG Davin Joseph,  RT Jeremy Trueblood, and OLB Quincy Black. All of these players are young and heading into the prime of their careers. Dominik was also quick with the Buccaneers 2011 rookie class, getting every rookie except  running back, Allen Bradford, in for the first day of training camp.
 

There are many of reasons why Dominik shouldn’t waste any time extending Freeman’s contract before his rookie contract is over, but I decided to narrow it down to the 5 main reasons Tampa Bay should extend Freeman’s contract at the end of the 2011 season.

Please READ MORE to find out what they are…

1) Consistency at the position: The reason why teams like the Steelers, Colts, and Patriots have been able to win in this league on a consistent basis is because of the lack of constant quarterback change. The Steelers have Big Ben, Colts have Manning, and the Patriots have Brady. All of these teams have perennially been in the playoffs and have won 6 Super Bowls between the three. If the Buccaneers want a chance at that type of success, they must stay consistent at the quarterback position.

2)Because Freeman is for real: I understand that this is his 3rd year and only his 2nd as the starting quarterback, but if you take Freeman away, the Buccaneers don’t win 10 games in 2010. He is a huge difference maker for the team and brings more than just talent to the table. His maturity is beyond his years and his leadership, work ethic, and drive to be great is way underrated by outside viewers of the Bucs. Say what you want about Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets, but Josh Freeman is catching up, and considering where the Bucs have come from, that is saying something.

3) Freeman will sell the Buccaneers: It’s no secret that the Buccaneers are not a big market team. I don’t know about you, but whenever there is Buccaneer news on ESPN, I stop whatever I’m doing and get 5 inches from the TV. Point being, the Bucs don’t have a huge media following and any type of national news is mind blowing for Bucs fans. Well Freeman will change all that; as the signal caller, Tampa Bay will go to the playoffs many times and that in turn will begin to create interest in the team. I believe that there will be even more interest than that of the 2002 Buccaneers simply because this time, its the offense that’s center stage and not the defense. While defense may win games too, offense sells. Freeman can do both.

4) He’s one of the best quarterbacks in Buccaneers history: Already? Yes, already. Freeman not only has as much talent as any QB that the Buccaneers have ever had, but he also has the stats to prove it. Even though Freeman had a rough rookie season, he took it upon himself to improve and to take his game to the next level. He did it in every aspect of the imagination. Attacking the 2010 offseason with a determined focus, Josh Freeman pretty much lived at One Buc Place spending countless of hours watching film, working out, and improving his game overall. His hard work paid huge dividends for him and the Buccaneers, as Freeman threw for 25 TD’s and only 6 INT’s, posting the 9th best TD:INT ratio in NFL history. He even tied Brad Johnson’s mark for most touchdowns thrown in a game with 5 and rushed for over 360 yards, ranking 2nd among all quarterbacks, with Eagles starting QB Michael Vick ranking 1st.

5) Freeman is on his way to being an All-Time Great: Josh Freeman is going to be one of if not the best quarterback to ever play. He has every physical aspect that you would want out of a quarterback plus more. He has an amazing arm, can run, good pock presence, can throw out of position, can move outside the pocket and be accurate throwing on the run, is 6’6” 250, doesn’t go down easily, has incredible work ethic, and above all, is a tremendous leader. What he was able to do in the offseason during the lockout is what completely sold me. Getting 50 guys to come to a player-organized activity that was completely optional tell volumes of the type of respect Freeman has among his teammates. Tight End Kellen Winslow has even said that he wants to play with Freeman until he retires and doesn’t want to play with anyone else. Other teammates, such as Pro Bowl LT Donald Penn, have said that Freeman is a beast and will win Super Bowls. Freeman above all, expects the most of himself. It wasn’t good enough that the Bucs went 10-6 and he threw 25 TD to 6 INT’s, because they missed the playoffs. A quarterback that can’t watch the Super Bowl because his team isn’t in it is who I want leading my team, and so should all Buccaneer fans.
I know that Dominik understands how important Freeman is to the Buccaneers, and believe that he will get him signed sooner or later. For me though, I wouldn’t wait around, lock him up long term, and lets enjoy watching this 23 year old quarterback blossom into a star.