New Bucs QB Josh Freeman said in a chat on NFL.com that the Bucs' signing of Byron Leftwich was meant to convince other teams that Tampa wasn't interested in the Kansas State product.
"They told me it was a smokescreen, everybody would think they didn’t want a QB," Freeman said in the chat.
"They said they were ready to trade up. I think it worked out great. I was sitting there with my family and enjoying it, and I got to go to the team that I wanted to go to."
The Bucs traded up from 19 to 17 to select Freeman. They leapfrogged Denver, which, after trading Jay Cutler this month, may have been interested in Freeman.
Bucs coach Raheem Morris was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State early in Freeman's time at the school.
Tampa signed Leftwich, the Steelers backup last season, to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in April. The team also re-signed Luke McCown, a backup last season, and said he will have a chance to win the starting job last season. Veteran Brian Griese is also on the roster, as well as second-year player Josh Johnson.
At least one, and possibly two, of the bunch will be gone by the time the season begins.
"They told me it was a smokescreen, everybody would think they didn’t want a QB," Freeman said in the chat.
"They said they were ready to trade up. I think it worked out great. I was sitting there with my family and enjoying it, and I got to go to the team that I wanted to go to."
The Bucs traded up from 19 to 17 to select Freeman. They leapfrogged Denver, which, after trading Jay Cutler this month, may have been interested in Freeman.
Bucs coach Raheem Morris was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State early in Freeman's time at the school.
Tampa signed Leftwich, the Steelers backup last season, to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in April. The team also re-signed Luke McCown, a backup last season, and said he will have a chance to win the starting job last season. Veteran Brian Griese is also on the roster, as well as second-year player Josh Johnson.
At least one, and possibly two, of the bunch will be gone by the time the season begins.
I'm just hoping to see Leftwich beat out Freeman for the starting job, and then print "Smokescreen" on the back of his jersey.
In a related note, it has not yet been determined whether or not the Bucs' four-game skid at the end of last season was also a smokescreen...to get Freeman, of course.
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