TAMPA – In what may be a not-so subtle sign of a new direction, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Josh Freeman has been stripped of his captaincy.
To the typical fan, this move made by the Buccaneers two days before their season opener on the road against the New York Jets, but when a club votes a guard(Davin Joseph) and a second-year player on the team (Vincent Jackson), something is up.
Freeman, 25, who is going into his contract year with the Buccaneers has now shown Tampa management that he is deserving of a new deal thanks to tentative play in the pre-season, a tendency to falter down the stretch, and the play of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon in the pre-season, Freeman’s time in Tampa may be up.
Consider this, second-year head coach Greg Schiano did not draft Freeman at all and combined with sub-par performances in the second half of the 2012-13 season, Freeman being on a short leash with Schiano may be the worst kept secret in the NFL.
Not as high-profile as the New York Jets media circus of Geno Smith/Mark Sanchez—possibly Brady Quinn?–that is called proverbially as a quarterback controversy, the under-the-radar Freeman/Glennon QB dilemma may have gained more legs than it already did.
If Freeman doesn’t start out strong early, getting stripped of his captaincy may be the least of his worries.
Robert D. Cobb is the Founder/CEO/Senior Editor-In-Chief Of The Inscriber : Digital Magazine, for questions, comments and concerns email me at robcobb@theinscriber.com and follow the Inscriber : Digital Magazine on Twitter at @TheInscriber