Jaws: Why Freeman can keep Vikes job

A look at what went wrong in TB and why he’s a better fit than Ponder, Cassel

Updated: October 18, 2013, 10:27 AM ET

By Ron Jaworski | ESPN Insider

Josh Freeman will get the start for the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night when they take on the struggling New York Giants, and Leslie Frazier and his staff will get a glimpse of what they might have in Tampa Bay’s former franchise QB. Based on what I’ve seen from Freeman on film, I think he has the most potential of the Vikings’ three candidates — including Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel — to be the team’s quarterback of the future.

However, before he can be Minnesota’s QB of the future, he’s going to need to succeed in the present. And to do that, he’ll need to solve his problems of the past.

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What went wrong

As we know, the quarterback gets too much credit and takes too much blame for most situations on offense. So let me start by saying Freeman’s position certainly amplified his issues with the Buccaneers. When I re-examined all of Freeman’s throws thus far in 2013, I came away confident in my opinion that his benching — and ensuing release — wasn’t warranted. Moreover, I’m convinced Freeman has it within him to be a good quarterback in the NFL. And he’ll prove it in Minnesota.

To read the rest of Jaworski’s take on why Josh Freeman is the Vikings’ best choice at QB, sign up for Insider today.

Ron Jaworski is one of the most popular and knowledgeable analysts covering the NFL today. Since joining ESPN in 1990, the former standout NFL quarterback has covered the league from virtually every angle — sideline reporter, game-site reporter, host and both studio and game analyst. From 2007-11, Jaworski occupied one of the most coveted positions in sports as a Monday Night Football analyst.

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Jaws: Why Freeman can keep Vikes job