2009 Draft Review - Josh Freeman 9th?
by Sander on May 14, 2011 4:00 PM EDT
Email
PrintDraftTek.com has put up their review of the first round of the 2009 draft. For the Bucs that draft was significant for one major reason: they picked Josh Freeman in the first round. There's little doubt that Josh Freeman has turned out to be the best quarterback in that class (though if Stafford's healthy he might challenge Freeman for that title). Freeman looks to be the franchise QB the Bucs have been waiting for for a long, long time. The Bucs hit in a major, major way with their first-round selection.
Yet DraftTek claims that the selection of the Kansas State QB with the 17th overall pick was just the 9th best selection in that draft. Here's their top 10 list:
Best 2009 Round 1 Picks
1) Clay Matthews - An All-Pro Sack machine
2) Brian Orakpo - ditto
3) Brian Cushing - DROY, All-Pro tackle machine
4) Alex Mack - Rock solid AllPro center
5) Vontae Davis - Solid young Corner
6) Jeremy Maclin - Highly productive WR
7) Brandon Pettigrew - Blocking and pass-catching
8) Hakeem Nicks - Giants Go-To WR
9) Josh Freeman - Better than Stafford and Sanchez?
10) BJ Raji - Nose Tackle with 6.5 sacks in 2010
I can't really argue with the selection of Clay Matthews and Brian Orakpo. Matthews has been the best player on the Packers defense in his first two seasons, and he won Defensive Player of the Year in the second of those seasons. That's incredibly impressive. Couple that with the fact that the was selected with the 26th overall pick, and the Packers got great value there. A similar comment applies to Brian Orakpo, who has started every game he's played in and has 19.5 sacks in just two years. As the 13th overall pick he doesn't represent quite the value of Clay Matthews, but he's still a very good player.
But then things get....odd. Brian Cushing had a great first year, but he was busted for PEDs, missing the first four games of his second season. And when he came back, he really looked nothing like the impact player he was in his first year, and more like a solid but unspectacular linebacker. Has he really had a bigger impact for the Texans than Freeman has had for the Bucs so far? Then Alex Mack - a good center - but he plays center. And if you draft a center with the 21st overall pick, he'd better be a very good player. Did the Browns really get away with a steal tehre?
Continuing on, there's Vontae Davis. He's been a solid cornerback for the Dolphins, but hardly more than that. Again I ask: has he made a bigger impact than Josh Freeman? And then there are two really weird selections: Maclin and Pettigrew. Maclin is a good WR but he's hardly been a spectacular player, and Pettigrew has just kind of...been there. A good all-around tight, but not someone who has won games single-handedly for the Giants. I can see Hakeem Nicks being ahead of Josh Freeman, though. Despite some injury problems, Nicks has been a gamebreaking wide receiver for the Lions. He's certainly been more valuable for them than Maclin has been for the Eagles.
But the Bucs got a franchise quarterback with the 17th overall pick, someone who has turned into a leader for the Buccaneers, a quarterback who has won the Bucs games all on his own - and that's just the 9th best selection of the 2009 NFL Draft? Really?
24 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Great
But i think he should be at least a couple of spot higher on the list.
If he continues to improve and he becomes elite, he would be better than the rest and would make our class of 09 the best ever.
The most important game is the one that is right in front of you
Personally I'd have him tabbed at 3
And Stafford and Sanchez would both be on the list ahead of Cushing and Maclin.
When you look at this years scramble for QBs with teams apparently reaching for 2nd round quality players high in the first round it makes it obvious how important the position is.
Therefore the achievements of the QBs, when teams would ideally want their QBs to spend a year or two learning the ropes, like Aaron Rodgers, should be taken into account.
QB is the toughest position to learn and for the 3 of them to have been starting from their rookie seasons and playing well speaks volumes.
Cushing’s DROY campaign should be dismissed until he’s repeated it without pharmaceutical help.
Whilst Maclin is good, he’s also playing opposite DeSean Jackson and alongside very good TE and RBs. Makes it a bit easier if the defense is spread out to cover those guys (but he is still damn good).
I've loved Freeman so far
And he’s definitely got the keys to the car, but I need to see continued success before I mount him up too high on the wall.
(enough metaphors for ya?)
Of the QBs taken, Freeman is clearly the best so far...
but as much as I’d like to, I can’t honestly put him ahead of Matthews, Cushing, Orakpo and Vontae Davis. We should be quite proud of him though. I hope he continues to develop and next year he can be at the top of that list.
by Cracker Ball on May 14, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Stafford might prove better in the long run
But so might Josh. As you say, I hope he continues to develop…
Freeman has taken us from aweful to below avaerage.
If he can raise our offense up to really good or elite he will be the best pick here. Our prospective is off because at best we have never been better than average on offense ever. Freeman is poised to make us an elite team of offense in the next few years.
Maclin and Pettigrew before Freeman?
Whoever wrote that must be drunk
As you can always expect come from behind victory is when you least expect it.
If you are comparing Freeman to Sanchez and Stafford, that makes Free look like he is better.
Then again, half the QB’s in this league are better than Sanchez and Stafford (unhealthy).
Awesome, the Christian in Christian Dior
Damn they don't make 'em like this anymore
I ask ?cause I'm not sure
Do anybody make real s**t anymore?
yeah you cant argue that some of these guys have done a lot for their teams
but josh singlehandedly gave us at least five wins last year, can any of these other players say they did that for their teams? not to mention the QB position isnt a position you learn to play overnight, he still isnt getting the credit he deserves cuz he had a hell of a season considering it was his FIRST full year starting
Nobody's ever going to be happy with these lists
but for a second year quarterback to even figure on the list is a very good sign. Of course he could/should be higher but that’s subjective.
The QB position had to be the most difficult to learn...
so to make the list at all has to be seen as quite an accomplishment.
by Cracker Ball on May 15, 2011 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
looks like questionable list... but im sure
they have some “inside knowledge” us commonfolk dont possess. lol. Freeman at 9 ? FOH. He was a top12 QB in the NFL last year but can only pull 9 on this list? hogwash
I don't think that ranking is too far off...
I’m not saying that Freeman was a bad/mediocre pick, I’m saying that it wasn’t a great one because it was the obvious choice. Morris claims that he had Freeman #1 on his board (I don’t know that is true, but its a good thing to say after the fact) and the Bucs had a serious need at QB. but if Freeman was #1 or not at the begining of the draft, Sanchez and Stafford are already out of the picture and Freeman is everyones #1 QB left on the board by the time pick 17 rolls around. It was a better than average pick cause they traded up ahead of the Broncos (who did have some need at QB) but thats all it was, better than average. But if the article was “Best Players from round one of 2009” I would argue that Freeman would be #2 hands down, but it was “Best Picks” and that is a little different.
So it goes
by Kilgore Troutish on May 16, 2011 12:39 PM EDT reply actions
Ditto... I can remember A LOT of negative comments on the pick. I was not sold on the pick when it happened, I wasn't mad about it either, just a little uneasy about it.
by RuudAwakening on May 16, 2011 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah it was 50/50 when he was drafted, i really didnt like freeman back then and most of his rookie season
i would see the guy throw a pic and then smile like theres no tomorrow UGGGGHHHHHH but i guess he was just nervous
by Carlitin1988 on May 16, 2011 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I am sure I grumbled a bit...
as we had SO many needs, and I was still reeling from the Jon Gruden/ Monte Kiffin debacle.
by Cracker Ball on May 16, 2011 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
These shoes are obviously replicas but they are very gorgeous. christian louboutin sandal These replicas are produced on the way that the basis of unique Christione of the Louboutin designs. But it is amazing that these shoes are very afwith his helpdable. christian louboutin sale Though cheap, they are truly classy. They are the perfect thing to my dear friends satisfy your demone of thed with his help luxury shoes. louboutin on sale You will see all the pride one of thed prestige in these replicas. Original Louboutin has mone of they showrooms around the world. Go one of thed judge by yourself. cheap christian louboutin shoes There is almost no difference betall of usen their eminence one of thed craft.You may be con the way thatfused when you heard that they are replicas. dr dre headphones You might think that other cheap shoes will be better. christian louboutin shoes for cheap Christione of the Louboutin Bourge Patent Boot Tall is usually to my dear friends the best possible reward or maybe quite possibly unique will be able to my dear friends purchase on the way that their particular cheap Christione, mbt shoes sale of the Louboutin.they may often be con the way thatcerning the bet!
by louboutin on sale on Jul 10, 2011 11:31 PM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bucs Nation
Related FanShots on Bucs Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
