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Kiper Still Believes Bucs Need KSU's Freeman

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 25, 2009

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers unsuccessfully tried to upgrade its quarterback position with Denver's Jay Cutler, but ESPN draft analsyt Mel Kiper Jr. does not think the team should stop there.

Kiper stood by his belief that Tampa Bay should draft Kansas State junior quarterback Josh Freeman with its No.1 pick (19th overall) in this year's draft. The Bucs traded away this year's second round selection to Cleveland for tight end Kellen Winslow, meaning the team needs to address its most pressing need with the No.1 pick.

Even though it currently appears Luke McCown will be the starting quarterback this season, Kiper does not believe he is Tampa Bay's quarterback of the future.

"Right now the big question is who's going to be the heir apparent to Luke McCown? Who is Luke McCown going to be the bridge to?," Kiper said. "Chad Pennington [Miami quarterback] is the bridge to Chad Henne. Kyle Boller and Troy Smith [Baltimore] were supposed to be the bridge to Joe Flacco. Fortunately, not because of injuries, he [Flacco] became the guy a lot earlier than maybe they thought he would be the guy.

"Who is the bridge to the next quarterback? That is what you have to determine."

Kiper strongly believes Freeman has a better chance of being a franchise quarterback than McCown.

Freeman is a 6-foot-6, 250-pound prospect who completed 224 of 382 passes for 2.945 yards, 20 TDs and eight interceptions. In 2007, Freeman completed 316 of 499 passes for 3,353 yards, 18 TDs and 11 interceptions.

However, he is a junior coming out of school early. For that reason, Kiper does not think Freeman should start immediately, but feels like he has more long-term potential than McCown, Josh Johnson and Brian Griese.

"I consider Josh Johnson to be a developmental, long-range prospect coming out of lower level competition at San Diego like he did," Kiper said. "Obviously, you look at the situation with McCown and he's more of a backup type in the NFL and you would have Freeman. Freeman is better than Johnson and he certainly, hopefully, will be better than McCown.

"You don't want Freeman coming out as a junior starting this year right away. But at 6-6, 250 pounds and the great arm that he has, he's going to be a guy that if you work with, you're going to have something special there."

If Tampa Bay did draft Freeman, it would mean Griese or Johnson would become expendable. Greise provides depth and experience if McCown struggles, but Tampa Bay could continue its youth movement with Johnson and Freeman on its roster.

Tampa Bay still needs a starting left defensive end and Kiper suggested Tennessee's Robert Ayers (6-3, 272 pounds), who played in a 4-3 scheme, could be a good fit along with LSU's Tyson Jackson (6-4, 296).

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