Mike Glennon gives the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the "best chance to win" at this moment. Those were the words by head coach Greg Schiano as the team announced the decision to bench Josh Freeman in favor of the rookie quarterback in Sunday's game. Naturally the move spawned a slew of trade rumors around the team, but as many believe Freeman is on the blocks, a number of teams are already denying interest.
Freeman has lost eight of his last nine games. That record is not working in his favor as Schiano says the team is moving forward with Glennon as their starting quarterback. The decision was performance based. In his press conference, Schiano referenced other teams using young quarterbacks and winning games with them.
"I think Mike Glennon is Mike Glennon," Schiano said, via Pro Football Talk. "I think he's going to help us win a lot of games."
As of now, Schiano is not confirming the inevitable divorce about to take place between the team and Freeman. The drama surrounding the quarterback's relationship with his head coach has been just as bad as his performance on the field. For that reason, plenty of team are denying any interesting in bringing him on in some sort of trade situation.
The Associated Press reports the Jacksonville Jaguars are uninterested in Freeman's talents. Right now, the Jaguars are battling Tampa Bay for the worst record in the league. Blaine Gabbert will make his first start as quarterback this season after suffering a hand injury during the preseason. The team also has Chad Henne as their backup and seem set to proceed the rest of the season with the two quarterbacks until they get yet another chance to draft someone in 2014.
The Cleveland Browns are the next team to cross their name off the Freeman list. Prepared to move on with Brian Hoyer as their starter, the Browns are not looking to add another quarterback into the mix. When Brandon Weeden gets healthy, he will likely return as the backup and the Browns are settled with that, again until the draft rolls around.
The biggest issue with Freeman is his contract. The quarterback is due $6.44 million for the remainder of the year before he becomes a free agent in the summer. Most teams are reluctant to take that on for someone that is not really a starter in the league right now.
Tampa Bay will likely be forced to keep him on the roster and pay Freeman the money before not retaining him in the offseason. The break will be as clean as it can be.
