Coaches in GM’s in professional sports love to have players they selected at important positions. No position in sports is more important than the quarterback position.
Greg Schiano didn’t draft Josh Freeman, and if you go by the reports, he would prefer a change. The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that everyone in the Buccaneers organization is sold on Freeman except head coach Greg Schiano.
There’s a reason for this: The Bucs, as an organization, aren’t all that concerned about the record-breaking Freeman and the quarterback position. In fact, people close to Freeman have confirmed that Just about everyone at One Buc Place seems onboard with Freeman except for one person: Schiano.
Whether that’s because the head coach didn’t draft Freeman or because he feels he hasn’t seen enough, everything you’ve read and heard about the Bucs looking into quarterbacks in free agency and the draft has been driven almost exclusively by Schiano.
General manager Mark Dominik, who drafted Freeman, admits the quarterback has displayed some frustrating swings in his play. Everyone knows that is indisputable. But Dominik, you’ll notice, maintains his effusive praise of Freeman. He’s been asked about the quarterback as often or more than Schiano during this offseason, and Dominik has never publicly expressed major doubts.
The Bucs flirted with Carson Palmer, and reports are that the interest was mutual. They’ve also had talks with Chase Daniels, and Matt Cassel among other things.
One thing that is for certain, is that Schiano would like strong competition at the quarterback position, and possibly for someone to unseat Freeman.
Freeman has the support of the GM though and that should buy him some time. The Bucs will probably draft a quarterback in the late rounds, and Schiano probably would give his right arm for that guy to pull off a Russell Wilson.