Help me understand the Freeman move

[dead_poet]

The dumbest think about this whole Freeman thing is his contract being only this year.

FWIW, Spielman wanted a two-year contract. Freeman wanted one.

[Mothman]

You want to sum up the 2013 Vikings? Just look at Eli's new AV.....classic.

LOL! That does sum it up nicely in one image.

[The Breeze]

FWIW, Spielman wanted a two-year contract. Freeman wanted one.

That's what I'm saying. Why did he cave in for Freeman and leave the whole franchise with no leverage? Let him go to Buffalo or Oakland ....screw him. You don't undermine the HC and potentially wreck team chemistry for some other teams Ponder on a 12 game flyer. WTF? Which is what all the NFL media people are saying WTF?

Unless of course, Spielman has been assured none of this will cost him his job and that he gets to hand pick his own coach next year. Which I suspect has been his desire all along.

udder madness

[dead_poet]

That's what I'm saying. Why did he cave in for Freeman and leave the whole franchise with no leverage?

Because Spielman wanted him, perhaps thinking this low-risk move could salvage some of the damage done by the Ponder selection. And they do have leverage, in the use of the franchise tag. If Freeman excels here, does amazing, gets extended, does amazing then Spielman looks like a genius!

Let him go to Buffalo or Oakland ....screw him. You don't undermine the HC and potentially wreck team chemistry for some other teams Ponder on a 12 game flyer. WTF?

I've been saying essentially this since this since there were rumblings. But I saw how this could be effective, and a low-risk gamble.

Unless of course, Spielman has been assured none of this will cost him his job and that he gets to hand pick his own coach next year. Which I suspect has been his desire all along.

I highly doubt he'd purposefully put a team in a bad spot to get the coaching staff fired so he could hire his own people. He doesn't strike me as that kind of guy and it's stuff like that get you fired anyway. While I don't agree with the move, I don't necessarily blame him for taking a swing.

[Superfreak84]

Frazier got desperate after the Cassel loss. He thought that Freeman starting could be a career saver for him.
He deliberately de-activated a healthy QB who played well in this team's only win in order to forcer Freeman
for 4 quarters and hope for some magic to happen.

50+ passes, sub 200 yards, no points scored offensively, obviously the magic did not happen.

This was career-saving desperation. Cornered rats bite and all that, but all he did was bite the fans.

I actually heard Frazier was against the move. Freeman is Rick's boy and he wanted him ever since 2009. What can I say Rick Spielman has a knack for signing/drafting below average QB's

[PacificNorseWest]

This smelled like a Spielman move fromt he beginning. I've actually lessened my disgust on Frazier because I think he's a good leader, but he's not being able to call the shots in order to right the ship.

[The Breeze]

Because Spielman wanted him, perhaps thinking this low-risk move could salvage some of the damage done by the Ponder selection. And they do have leverage, in the use of the franchise tag. If Freeman excels here, does amazing, gets extended, does amazing then Spielman looks like a genius!
I've been saying essentially this since this since there were rumblings. But I saw how this could be effective, and a low-risk gamble.
I highly doubt he'd purposefully put a team in a bad spot to get the coaching staff fired so he could hire his own people. He doesn't strike me as that kind of guy and it's stuff like that get you fired anyway. While I don't agree with the move, I don't necessarily blame him for taking a swing.

I agree with the low risk aspect of it as far as committment and such....but whether by design or not he is literally undermining Fraizer's job security by expecting victories from this team starting a QB with one week in the system.

And I didn't mean to imply that Spielman was purposely undermining the coach and tanking the team...but suggesting that the decision had already been made to move on from Fraizer, giving Spielman even more leverage to take a swing like this. Plus suggesting that Spielman would prefer to have his own guy as HC anyway.

My comment on the teams lack of leverage wasn't about their ability to keep him should he perform well...but having no choice but to play him well in advance of his knowing the system, which threatens to skew a lot of things beyond their ability to fairly evaluate him. Team chemistry and stuff that effects actual output on the field which in turn can affect Freeman's performance.

A decidedly desperate move and I'm not sure Spielman understands the risk involved when it come to losing the team....meaning his actions seem to indicate he doesn't know where the line is.

it's a bona-fide mess, and I sure appreciate your levity and perspective around it.

[The Breeze]

This smelled like a Spielman move fromt he beginning. I've actually lessened my disgust on Frazier because I think he's a good leader, but he's not being able to call the shots in order to right the ship.

That's been my feeling in the last 48. I still think he would have little chance of righting anything without some significant changes on his staff or to the way things are schemed...but it does appear the rug is getting yanked out from under him. I think his personality enables it to some degree. I think it would make some impact if he were to go down swinging....but this whole team seems to exude a sheeplike obedience.

[dead_poet]

I agree with the low risk aspect of it as far as committment and such....but whether by design or not he is literally undermining Fraizer's job security by expecting victories from this team starting a QB with one week in the system.

And I didn't mean to imply that Spielman was purposely undermining the coach and tanking the team...but suggesting that the decision had already been made to move on from Fraizer, giving Spielman even more leverage to take a swing like this. Plus suggesting that Spielman would prefer to have his own guy as HC anyway.

My comment on the teams lack of leverage wasn't about their ability to keep him should he perform well...but having no choice but to play him well in advance of his knowing the system, which threatens to skew a lot of things beyond their ability to fairly evaluate him. Team chemistry and stuff that effects actual output on the field which in turn can affect Freeman's performance.

A decidedly desperate move and I'm not sure Spielman understands the risk involved when it come to losing the team....meaning his actions seem to indicate he doesn't know where the line is.

it's a bona-fide mess, and I sure appreciate your levity and perspective around it.

Thanks. I enjoy reading other perspectives as well. One thing, though, I don't know if Spielman necessarily prefers "his own guy." I think it's just the assumption that every GM wants to hand-pick their people. IMO, hhe just wants to win and is doing what he thinks is the course to get the job done. I've never seen/read/heard of any ill-will or disconnect between the two.

[The Breeze]

@DP

I think there is at least a disconnect, which is not the type of thing to be made public.

Fraizer seems adept at cramming stuff. Like when he said about the Harvin situation, how he would be able to tell that story down the road.

Harvin looks smarter every week.

We'll see....

[Mothman]

That's been my feeling in the last 48. I still think he would have little chance of righting anything without some significant changes on his staff or to the way things are schemed...but it does appear the rug is getting yanked out from under him. I think his personality enables it to some degree. I think it would make some impact if he were to go down swinging....but this whole team seems to exude a sheeplike obedience.

That's one of the more disturbing aspects of this season. As a team, they seem to be taking their failure all too well.

[The Breeze]

That's one of the more disturbing aspects of this season. As a team, they = seem to be taking their failure all too well.

I said that the Panther game left me empty like watching a bus go over a cliff and PSJordan or Dan joked about the 'stoic' quality needed to feel so little over such a vehicular debacle.. But that's what this teams teams pulse looks like to me in general, empty with little or no spark.

The one significant issue that stays etched in my mind was when Cutler hit his TE for the game winner. Everybody watching could see the Vikes presnap confusion....but not one guy had enough sense to call a time out....no initiative, no comprehension of the actual situation, just the endless empty.

[losperros]

I said that the Panther game left me empty like watching a bus go over a cliff and PSJordan or Dan joked about the 'stoic' quality needed to feel so little over such a vehicular debacle.. But that's what this teams teams pulse looks like to me in general, empty with little or no spark.

The one significant issue that stays etched in my mind was when Cutler hit his TE for the game winner. Everybody watching could see the Vikes presnap confusion....but not one guy had enough sense to call a time out....no initiative, no comprehension of the actual situation, just the endless empty.

One has to wonder if they have given up. Seriously, there are players on the team that appear so listless at times that it looks as if they're just downright lazy. Worse yet, they don't seem to give a damn either.

Phil Loadholt comes to mind.

[Mothman]

The one significant issue that stays etched in my mind was when Cutler hit his TE for the game winner. Everybody watching could see the Vikes presnap confusion....but not one guy had enough sense to call a time out....no initiative, no comprehension of the actual situation, just the endless empty.

That moment does encapsulate their problems this season in a nice little snapshot, doesn't it? It was unbelievable, especially since confusion on defense had just led to a big gain by bennett a play or two earlier.

One has to wonder if they have given up. Seriously, there are players on the team that appear so listless at times that it looks as if they're just downright lazy. Worse yet, they don't seem to give a damn either.

Phil Loadholt comes to mind.

I think he might be the poster child for that particular problem.

[drevil]

Anybody ever coach QB's? How do you correct a guy consistently throwing high?

Take his adderall away.