Josh Freeman trade rumors: Buccaneers calling all NFL teams

The Buccaneers are doing all they can do to send quarterback Josh Freeman to another roster, but their chances look slim.

By Adam Stites Oct 1, 2013, 8:50am EDT

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers intend to trade quarterback Josh Freeman and "plan to reach out to all 32" teams to gage interest, according to a report from ESPN's Ed Werder.

Assuming that the Buccaneers aren't calling the Buccaneers to work out a trade, it seems unlikely that any of the other 31 teams in the NFL would be interested in acquiring the former first rounder. Particularly, after the Buccaneers seemed to hurt the trade value of Freeman recently, according to Sander Philipse of Bucs Nation:

Of course, after leading what appears to be a smear campaign against Freeman and thoroughly destroying any chance of the quarterback rejoining the team at any point in the future, the Bucs don't exactly have much trade leverage. Not that they had much to begin with.

The Bucs want to get something in return for their former starting quarterback, but the reports that have come out, Freeman's salary and the fact that he has just twelve games left on his contract is going to make it difficult for the Bucs to get anything in return.

On the final year of the five-year, $26 million deal he signed as a rookie in 2009, Freeman has just 12 games left on the contract and is in a year where he is due to receive a $8.4 million base salary. With such a high salary that will be expiring soon, that makes Freeman little more than an expensive rental for the time being.

Neither the Cleveland Browns nor the Jacksonville Jaguars, two teams with needs at quarterback, are interested in Freeman for that reason, as he wouldn't be a long-term piece worth giving up draft capital.

In five seasons with the Buccaneers, Freeman compiled a 24-35 record as a starter with 13,534 yards passing, 80 touchdowns and 66 interceptions.