The Miami Dolphins are trying to finalize their 53-man roster for their Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Washington Redskins, and they took a step on Friday afternoon by releasing veteran quarterback Josh Freeman, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
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Freeman was signed this offseason before being released and signed again. Freeman was originally a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009, coming out of Kansas State University. After a rocky rookie season, Freeman looked like the future in Tampa Bay when he threw for 3,451 yards with 25 touchdowns against six interceptions, leading the Buccaneers to a 10-win season.
However, things completely unraveled from there. Freeman struggled through two more turnover-filled campaigns in Tampa Bay before getting moved to the Minnesota Vikings only three games into the 2013 season. Freeman remained on Minnesota’s roster for the rest of the year and only played in one game, a loss to the New York Giants.
Last year, Freeman did appear in a game and it looked as though his career was coming to an end. On Thursday night, Freeman lost to the Buccaneers and had an ominous quote following the contest, per NFL.com.
"“It was a shame to see it end the way it did,” Freeman said of the game, per the Tampa Bay Times. “But I thought all the guys at the end were really battling. I want to keep playing, no question. I love playing football. At the end of the day, I’m going to give it all I can until I exhaust every option.”"
It looks like Freeman may have done exactly that. At 27 years old, Freeman has been unable to stick anywhere as either a starter of a backup. Freeman has ideal size at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, but he does not look to have the talent for the NFL.