K-State Alum Josh Freeman Will Emerge as Miami Dolphins Starting QB

Josh Freeman’s career has been up and down since his K-State glory days but this season with the Miami Dolphins will be his best NFL year yet.

This is where we at The Jug are calling our shot…

at some point…Freeman will take over as starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins

It may not happen overnight or coming out of training camp but at some point in 2015, Josh Freeman will take over as starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins. Yes, Ryan Tannehill was just given a $96 million extension, but there’s reason to believe he will be usurped by Freeman due to injury or inefficiency.

Mike Sherman is gone and Bill Lazor is in as Dolphins’ offensive coordinator. Tannehill is now left to adjust to an offensive scheme that is a much faster tempo and allows the quarterback to do more in open field. The Texas A&M product is no athletic slouch but we’re predicting a long learning curve after so many years playing handcuffed to Sherman’s slower, more methodical playbook.

Reports from Miami back in April suggested the team was near a trade for Matt Barkley but choose to sign Freeman instead. Such a move says a lot considering Lazor is coming off a tenure as Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach and has ample experience working with Barkley. Regardless, Freeman’s 2010-11 highlights prove he’s the right fit for Lazor’s offense:

ESPN.com’s James Walker reported in June that Josh Freeman was “solid” during Dolphins’ minicamp. “Freeman’s offseason work overall in practices open to the media left a lot to be desired,” wrote Walker. “Things started to click late for Freeman in minicamp, and he must carry that momentum into training camp to have a shot at a roster spot in September.”

Not the most optimistic report of Freeman’s early goings with the Dolphins, but is worth noting the former K-State star always started slow and finished strong in training camps with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Josh Freeman is still the same big-bodied, strong-armed quarterback who led the 2010 Buccaneers to a 10-6 season. His accuracy remains a concern but he’s no different than most players in that he gets better with every rep. This means its unfair to critique that terrible 2013 start with the Minnesota Vikings as he was handed the ball a mere 10 days after joining the team. Freeman’s short stint with the Vikings and another failed attempt with the Giants called his attitude and work ethic into question, something the 27 year old reflected upon this past year:

"“I learned a lot,” Freeman said back in April. “The NFL is constantly shifting with players, coaches, organizations. There’s a lot that goes into the product you guys see on Sundays. I’ve spent time watching quarterbacks, watching the process, trying to formulate a plan that will allow me to be as good as possible.”"

Long before Cardale Jones led Ohio State to a National Championship, Josh Freeman ripped up the college football scene as the ‘different breed’ of quarterback. Freeman achieved 8,427 total yards and scored more than 60 touchdowns while at Kansas State. Despite his early success in Tampa Bay, things changed after Greg Schiano replaced Raheem Morris in 2012. Freeman frequently butted heads with his new head coach and didn’t adapt well to the Mike Sullivan offense.

Freeman’s aforementioned start with the Vikings was his last game action in the NFL.