Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Comparing Josh Freeman to Other QBs of the 2009 Draft

While no one regrets drafting Josh Freeman 17th overall in the 2009 draft, things certainly could have gone better.

Because of poor play by Byron Leftwich and Josh Johnson (seriously, both of them were starters), Freeman was thrown to the wolves in his rookie season. He managed to win three games, yet should not have been a starter so early into his career. 18 touchdowns in 10 games attest to this fact, as does the sub-55% pass completion percentage.

Freeman's sophomore season was a vast improvement over his rookie year. Starting all 16 games, he threw just SIX picks, attained a 95.9 passer rating, and had a Total QBR of 63.3 (if you're into that kind of thing). A Total QBR of 65 means a Pro Bowl shoe-in. So yes, Freeman had a nice second year in the NFL.

Year 3 is where the questions arise. Can Freeman bounce back from a season full of poor mechanics, awful decisions, and interceptions abound?

To try to find an answer, let's compare Freeman to other QBs entering their fourth season.

The first overall draft pick was Matthew Stafford. He's done pretty well for himself, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to pass over 5000 yards in a season. He also threw for 41 TDs and 14 INTs to go along with a 63.5 completion percentage. However, Stafford's career has not always been this way. In his first year, he started 10 games (one more than Freeman), and finished the season on injured reserve. He came in as the starter but injuries forced him out. 

His sophomore season was even more disappointing. An injury in the season opener knocked him off the depth chart for over a month, and he only played two more games before landing back onto injured reserve.

Stafford took a 180 degree turn in 2011, and the rest is history.

Freeman has been on the field much more than Stafford, so I'd have to say up to this point, Freeman has been the better pick. Stafford has more potential, but this a "put up or shut up" league.

When we look at Mark Sanchez, the fifth overall pick of the 2009 draft, the plot thickens. 

Sanchez has missed just one game in three years, but has been consistently mediocre. His pass completion percentage has floated around 55% and he averages a whopping 17 picks per season. Sanchez's best seasonal passer rating is 2011's 78.2, landing him in between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kyle Orton. In 2011, he was ranked 27th in yards per attempt, which puts him below... REX GROSSMAN!?!?!

I'd take Freeman over Sanchez any day of the week. Sanchez may have been consistent, but even at Freeman's worst, he is at Sanchez's level. Freeman has far more upside, and has never had a supporting cast which comes close to even rivaling Sachez's in terms of talent on both sides of the ball. 

It's fair to say the the Bucs made the right decision drafting Freeman. He has contributed more to his team in three seasons than any other QB drafted in 2009, and with a full rebound in 2012, Freeman could continue this streak for the next three years.

However, given Matt Stafford's monster turnaround after two unsuccessful years, plenty rides on how the follow up their 2011 campaigns.