Vikings Are Intrigued By Josh Freeman But “Have Questions”

December 9, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) runs with the ball as Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole (58) defends during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. The Eagles won 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this morning we learned, per Jason La Canfora, that sudden free agent quarterback Josh Freeman had narrowed his list of possible destinations down to three teams. The Bills, 49ers and Raiders seemed the most likely three, but that was just speculation and guesswork more than anything. The Vikings were assumed to be totally out of the mix despite Freeman’s reported interest in the team.

Well guess what? Stuff changed about four seconds after the La Canfora report, and we have Chris Mortensen to thank for it. Mort did not necessarily add the Vikings to the list of possible Freeman destinations, but he did say the Vikings have shown interest in Freeman. Mort tweeted, “Even though Raiders are obvious candidate for Josh Freeman, sources say Vikings are among the intrigued but do have ‘lot of questions.'”

What kind of questions might the Vikings have about Freeman? One assumes they are character-related. A lot of stuff has been said and written about Freeman lately, much of it put out there deliberately by the Buccaneers as part of an apparent smear-job. Obviously the Vikings have heard this stuff and are concerned about his character and whether he’d be a good fit in a locker room that already seems somewhat dysfunctional.

You can’t blame the Vikes for being gun shy about bringing in a potential character headache, given the whole Percy Harvin drama of last year. If Freeman isn’t given the chance to start right away, will he make a stink? If he doesn’t like the way Bill Musgrave runs his offense, will he pout and sulk and act like a punk?

I’m not going to sit here and say I know anything about Josh Freeman’s character, I just know that his team dumped him because he couldn’t co-exist with the coach. That could be on the coach – Greg Schiano does seem like a dictatorial headcase – or it could be on the player. Or it could be on both. At any rate, the Vikings seem to have concerns about Freeman, and these concerns may be enough to keep them from pulling the trigger on a signing.

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