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Josh Freeman skill set

JOMO25 : 4/22/2014 7:56 am
Up until recently, Freeman was not unlike Joe Flacco, a middle of the road QB with a lot of physical talent and encouraging/developing upside. Then Flacco won a SB and Freeman saw his career crash thanks in part to Greg Shiano.

Is the following an accurate snapshot of him?

6'6", 250 lb

He's generally been fit as a pro but had poor conditioning early in college. Light came on in latter part of college career.

Top 10 arm. Huge arm and hands. Powerful thrower and can throw it with people draped all over him a la Big Ben. Throws a tight spiral.

Reasonably accurate, but not a precision passer like the elite guys.

Lacks pocket awareness. Takes a lot of sacks. Although, I can't put my finger on how much of his 25+ sacks a year were on him versus his line in TB.

Outside of the pocket, he displays surprising athletic ability. Not a speed demon by any stretch but certainly not Eli like where its painful to watch the guy run. Also seems to throw it well if on the move.

Intangibles: Intelligence? Work ethic? Leadership? Competitiveness? Ability to inspire? I know the Shiano experience was a disaster for Freeman. I don't know how much was his fault nor do I recall his reputation pre-Shiano. Any off the field concerns?

Old (pre draft scouting report) that I found:

GENERAL REPORT

GRADE: 6.94

Body Structure: Freeman has a solid build with long limbs and a well-proportioned, tall frame, looking the part of a classic pocket quarterback. He has a tight waist and thick thighs and calves, but doesn't have much more room for additional growth without an adverse impact on his quickness.

Athletic Ability: Well-built athlete with excellent height and muscle tone for his position. He shows good strength and balance as a runner with the strength to break arm tackles. Has good quarterback skills, but needs to quicken his release. He displays one of the strongest throwing arms in this draft and shows good change-of-direction agility running with the ball or when escaping pressure. He has very good lower-body explosion to run into the second level, and the result from dropping weight (10 pounds) prior to the 2008 season was better footwork driving back from center to his set point and 14 touchdown runs. Takes long strides, shows good savvy setting up the defender when forced to run with the ball and enough scrambling ability to make things happen rolling out of the pocket. Has a strong arm to make throws on the move and has the arm velocity to get the ball deep downfield. He has made improvement in his timing and shows much better field vision than he did in the past. Sets up quickly and shows good mechanics and precision in the intermediate passing game. Can do a better job anticipating receivers coming out of their breaks and had a tendency to be late hitting targets on deep throws. For a player his size, he has decent mobility, but does get his feet crossed at times. GRADE: 8.0

Football Sense: Is a good rhythm passer, but could have used a year or two in a pro-style offense. Not great anticipating breaks on deep routes by his receivers and must do a better job of reading coverage and making checks, as he is prone to throwing into tight areas. There could be questions about his ability to make proper reads and act instinctively. He showed a better grasp for the system as a junior, but needs time before he is comfortable calling his own game. GRADE: 6.0

Character: Comes from a football family and gets good support. He has no known off-field issues and spends a lot of his spare time in the film room. He is a solid leader on the field and players have total confidence in him. He is a hard worker who also takes well to hard coaching. GRADE: 7.1

Competitiveness: Freeman is highly competitive on the field which can also get him into trouble on the field. He plays as if the next snap is his last and even though he was yanked from just one game during his career, his sense of urgency to create something with the ball in his hands could lead to costly interceptions, especially when he tries to fire into tight areas. He will show no hesitation running with the ball but he has coughed up the ball quite a bit when trying to do something on the run (23 fumbles, turning it over 12 times in his three years as a starter). GRADE: 6.6

Work Habits: Freeman has a strong frame and likes being "one of the guys" in the locker room and weight room. He is a good self-starter with solid football bloodlines (father played in the USFL and is a high school coach). He is well-respected, yet assertive in the huddle and a take-charge type in a positive way. He plays through pain and despite poor pass protection, you will not see him get openly frustrated on the field. He throws under duress and plays with good poise and confidence. GRADE: 7.0


My biggest issue with Josh is he isn't a fighter.  
L.T.=Lawrence Taylor : 4/22/2014 8:19 am : link
He absolutely got a raw deal with Schiano, but I expect to see more fight from a quarterback in his situation. Instead he went into a shell and withered. It was dissapointing. I like the kid, a lot.
I noticed the same  
JOMO25 : 4/22/2014 8:41 am : link
in the Minny game (where he wasn't presented with a situation where he could be successful).

But yeah...I'd love to see some competitive fire out of our QBs.
character concerns  
aquidneck : 4/22/2014 8:49 am : link
related to participation in NFL's substance abuse program. And war with former TB head coach.
google search - ( New Window )
Man,  
Curtis in VA : 4/22/2014 8:57 am : link
I can't be mad at him for that whole Vikings deal. That was so effed up.

Agree about his time in Tampa Bay though. And hopefully it was a learning experience for him. He's still a pretty young guy.

I would like to see him resurrect his career. More than likely it won't happen here long term, but this would be a great place for him to get started.

If a guy like Kerry Collins can come back from everything he went through, Josh Freeman certainly can if he chooses to.
worth noting  
JOMO25 : 4/22/2014 9:03 am : link
In response to this, Freeman issued a Monday statement through his agents explaining the report, and his participation in the program. Pro Football Talk was the first to post it.


Let me be very clear. I have NEVER tested positive for any illegal drugs or related substances. Further, I have agreed to take, and have PASSED 46 NFL-regulated drug tests over the last year and a half.

Since the confidentiality of my medical status has been publicly violated, I am choosing to address this matter so that grossly erroneous assumptions about me do not persist. Like millions of Americans, I have ADHD and I have been prescribed and permitted to take medication to treat this condition for the entirety of my NFL career. Well over a year ago, I took a different medication for the same condition (Ritalin rather than Adderall) , and to assure everyone that the error was a one-time mistake, I agreed to be voluntarily tested in the “NFL Program”. Since that time, I have taken and passed all 46 drug tests I’ve been given, which test for every drug and banned substance imaginable. I agreed to allow such testing to be done at my workplace (team facility) because I spend all of my time there and I have nothing whatsoever to hide or be embarrassed about.

Unfortunately, it appears that some people who may have noticed the testing at my workplace have made hurtful and incorrect assumptions and chosen to disseminate inaccurate and very disturbing information. It is a shame that when times have gotten tough, people have chosen to attack the character of others, rather than supporting each other. I remain dedicated and focused to being the best quarterback I can be and to help a team win a championship.
Dude has lots of talent  
BeerFridge : 4/22/2014 9:06 am : link
He probably won't get many chances to resurrect his career. He can have a pass from the Schiano/Vikes disaster. But if he can't get on the straight and narrow here, in a generally functional and stable organization, he will be seen as the problem.

I think he has a chance to play well, learn to be a better pro and then he could get another shot at QB somewhere. And talent wise, he's better than Painter for sure. In the meantime he upgrades the Giants in terms of talent.

Also lets the Giants trade Nassib if they are inclined to do so.
Hopefully  
Glover : 4/22/2014 9:09 am : link
after 2 seasons Nassib might be able to play, but Freeman makes his chances of ever getting a chase, even slimmer. I disagree with the many that scream about the trade up for Nassib. Give him another season as the 3rd QB, but if he isnt ready to be the #2 after that, then what else can you say?
or Nassib  
JOMO25 : 4/22/2014 9:14 am : link
beats out Freeman (in which case, Freeman is likely cut)
I don't think there's any way the Giants trade up to grab a 4th  
Curtis in VA : 4/22/2014 9:14 am : link
rounder and then give up on him after one year.

To me thats pretty laughable. When has this organization ever given up on a draft pick so quickly? They just don't operate that way.

Nassib isn't going anywhere and I don't really understand how people have come to the conclusion that he is or isn't going to be a good QB or that Freeman has anything to do with him being here.
We upgraded the position  
Randy in CT : 4/22/2014 9:18 am : link
if he wins the job over Painter. And let the best man win between Nassib and Freeman.
Well he's now in a very good organization  
ImaGiant86 : 4/22/2014 9:19 am : link
and I think that may have been a big deciding factor for him. He could've went to a lesser team and competed for a starting job but he came here knowing (barring injury) he would be at best the #2. Now either he's become content with not being a starting QB in the league, or he's come here ready to work, learn, and reestablish his name as a competent QB.
1st Schiano could fuck up a wet dream  
gtt350 : 4/22/2014 9:28 am : link
2nd Nassib could never beat Freeman out, Never!
Let  
Doomster : 4/22/2014 9:53 am : link
the competition begin....
I'm hoping he can be  
Tittle 9 20 64 : 4/22/2014 10:04 am : link
a solid backup to Eli. Look what happened to Indy when Peyton went down.
If you're posting like Nassib is a finished product  
Ten Ton Hammer : 4/22/2014 10:08 am : link
Does that make you an armchair GM, armchair scout, or armchair fortune teller?
RE: or Nassib  
HomerJones45 : 4/22/2014 11:09 am : link
In comment 11631649 JOMO25 said:
Quote:
beats out Freeman (in which case, Freeman is likely cut)
There is no chance Nassib beats out Freeman. None. Nassib's only hope is that we keep 3 qb's
Curtis in VA  
jbeintherockies : 4/22/2014 8:09 pm : link
The Giants did not trade up to get Andre Woodson, but they gave up on him pretty quickly ...

Quote:
On April 27, 2008, Woodson was drafted in the sixth round (198th pick overall) to the New York Giants starting his professional career.[7] On August 30, the Giants waived Woodson during final cuts. He was re-signed to the team's practice squad a day later, where he remained until his release on October 23. Woodson was later re-signed to the practice squad on October 27, 2008.

Following the 2008 season, Woodson was re-signed to a future contract on January 12, 2009. He was waived on September 5, 2009.
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