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Copy This: Bucs Trying To Build Like Champions

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 21, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS - The NFL always has been a copycat league. The idea is to emulate the Super Bowl champions. Right now, no one is trying to emulate the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers more than the Bucs.

They have hired a coach who reminds everyone of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, their offseason objective is to get tougher, just like the Steelers, and they're contemplating drafting a quarterback who reminds everyone of Ben Roethlisberger.

That is the player Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman is most often compared to. Even Freeman, who stands a Roethlisberger-like 6-foot-6 and weighs a Roethlisberger-like 248 pounds, says he has a lot of Roethlisberger in him.

"For the size and the ability to move around in the pocket and extend the play, I'd say Ben Roethlisberger first and foremost," Freeman said when asked for the NFL quarterback he compares to.

"I'd also say Donovan McNabb for the way he harnesses his athletic ability and is still able to sit in the pocket and be a pocket passer. I have a lot of athletic ability, as well as the ability to throw the ball."

Freeman will show off that throwing ability today at the NFL scouting combine. Though some quarterbacks, including Matt Stafford of Georgia, have opted not to throw, Freeman says he is eager to throw for the scouts.

"I've got nothing to hide," he said. "Some people would argue against it, but I feel that throwing the ball is one of my strengths, and I want to show that."

You can bet the Bucs will be watching - closely. They are on the lookout for a quarterback to challenge Luke McCown for the starting job, and Freeman fits the mold of what they are looking for.

In addition to having ideal NFL size and good mobility, he has the Roethlisberger-like powerful arm that a quarterback running coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski's more aggressive offense will need.

Not only that, but the Bucs know him, probably better than anyone. Coach Raheem Morris was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State during Freeman's freshman year there, and the two greeted each other like long lost friends Friday.

More importantly, Freeman should still be available when the Bucs' first pick comes around, at No. 19 overall. Given their situation at his position and Freeman's blend of size and skill, the opportunity might be impossible to pass up.

Of course, by the time the draft comes along the Bucs could already have that fourth quarterback they are looking for. There is probably one in free agency they like, and the Bucs have not ruled out the possibility of trading for a quarterback.

"We're going to keep all our options open at every level," General Manager Mark Dominik said. "But whoever does come in is coming in not to be the third or the second, but to compete for the starter's job."

Freeman, who is passing on his senior season, might not be ready for that. Most scouts believe he still needs a year of polishing. The Bucs still could draft him, though, because there is a chance Brian Griese will be released.

The Bucs don't appear to see Griese as a starter, so their plan might be to find an upgrade through free agency or trade and add that "fourth quarterback" through the draft.

"Right now it's truly an open competition," Dominik said of the starting quarterback's job. "If we can get an extra arm in camp, it will be good for us to evaluate the players and see who separates himself."

Freeman believes he already has separated himself from the competitors he is up against in the draft. Though he respects the skills of Stafford and Mark Sanchez, he believes he offers a team more than both of them.

"I feel I bring the complete package in terms of arm strength, leadership and the ability to extend the play and make something happen," Freeman said.

Copy that.

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979.

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