Josh Freeman's fall from grace
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman watches from the sideline in the first half against the Green Bay Packers. (Oct. 27, 2013) Credit: AP
The Minnesota Vikings figured they could get something out of former Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman, and signed him for the remainder of the 2013 after Tampa released the former first-round pick.
But after working with Freeman for nearly a month and seeing him perform miserably in his one and only start against the Giants two weeks ago, Minnesota is sticking with embattled starter Christian Ponder.
Which means that Freeman almost certainly doesn't have a long-term future in Minnesota, and that the Vikings' quarterback situation remains a mess. Ponder was the 12th pick of the 2011 draft, and while he will get the start against the Cowboys on Sunday, he has clearly fallen out of favor.
Backup Matt Cassel was brought in as a potential replacement for Ponder, but he hasn't passed him on the depth chart after replacing an injured Ponder earlier this season.
Put the blame on Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, who has had a blind spot for quarterbacks going back several years. Remember, it was Spielman who traded a second-round pick for Eagles backup A.J. Feeley when Spielman was the GM in Miami. That trade was a bust, as Feeley was gone after the 2005 season. Now it looks as if Spielman has flopped on two more quarterback decisions.
