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Quarterback Josh Freeman will join the New York Giants, according to a report from Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
Done deal with the Giants and QB Josh Freeman. He's agreed to terms, per source.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 16, 2014
Freeman has agreed to a one-year deal, per Ian Rapaport of NFL Network.
Freeman, a 2009 first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, played his way out of Tampa Bay last season. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings, but was horrid (20-of-53 vs. the Giants) in his only appearance for Minnesota.
Despite last season' struggles, Freeman is only 26 and played pretty well for the Buccaneers from 2010-2012. He has made 60 starts in his career. He has 80 touchdown passes, 67 interceptions and a career passer rating of 77.8. His best season was 2010, when he had 25 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a passer rating of 95.9.
With Eli Manning likely limited during OTAs, if he is available at all, the Giants needed another quarterback to join veteran Curtis Painter and unproven second-year man Ryan Nassib.
After Freeman's disastrous 2013 this seems like an opportunity for him to rehabilitate his game and his reputation. For the Giants, it provides a potential upgrade to Painter if Freeman shows he can return to the form he showed earlier in his career.
Kim Jones of NFL Network wrote this afternoon that the Giants hope to keep only two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. That coincides with what I have said all along this offseason -- the Giants would love for Nassib to step forward, earn the No. 2 job outright and make it unnecessary for them to carry three quarterbacks. Signing Freeman simply offers them competition for Painter should Nassib not take that step forward.
Current Giants' running backs coach Craig Johnson was quarterbacks coach in Minnesota last season, and you wonder if perhaps Johnson endorsed Freeman.
Do you like this move, Giants' fans?