Josh Freeman: The Next Joe Flacco?

I will be the first person to tell you that I think Josh Freeman is overrated. The Kansas State quarterback was never even mentioned among the greatest quarterbacks in college football, but now teams are considering burning a first round pick on him.

It’s incredible that a guy like Freeman went from 6 TDs, 15 INTs in his freshman season in 2006 to a possible first round paycheck in the NFL. Last season he played well, throwing 20 TDs and 8 INTs. Does his upside and huge arm really skyrocket him that far?

NFL Teams are always looking for that under the radar guy. The next Tom Brady or the next Tony Romo. Freeman has the upside to fit that category.

The problem is that he’s a longterm project. In the NFL, longterm projects don’t usually pan out because they aren’t given the proper time to develop.

Yet in my latest mock draft I had Freeman going #19 overall to Tampa Bay. Why? Because the NFL is a copy cat league. Last season Baltimore traded back, traded back up, and took their quarterback of the future #18 overall. Now everyone is trying to project which team is going to do it this season.

Flacco played in an offense simplified so that he could succeed. Any NFL team that elects to take Freeman are going to have to be willing to do the same. With patience they might just end up with a pretty good quarterback for the future.

Freeman may go in the first round. He may also slide into round two. Either way he will be in the green room waiting to hear his name called.