Josh Freeman is out in Tampa. Coach Greg Schiano's reputation has taken a hit, including his standing within the Buccaneers' locker room.
NFL Media columnist Michael Silver, speaking Thursday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access Kickoff," said he asked one Buccaneers player if Schiano is at risk of "losing his team."
"Unless we start winning games ASAP, absolutely," the player told Silver.
Silver paraphrased the player saying there is too much "gosh-darned" talent on the team to keep on losing.
The ugly series of back-and-forth stories about Freeman's situation could jeopardize Schiano's connection with his players. NFL Media's Deion Sanders said his sources in the Buccaneers locker room are not "100 percent riding with this coach and his philosophies." Silver mentioned that some players believe Schiano micromanages too much.
"You hear Greg Schiano pleading his case, and it seems a little myopic. They're just trying to show everybody that it's OK that they cut Josh Freeman," Silver said. "There is a sense in that locker room that he over-coaches situational football, that there's a sort of paralysis preparing for one-in-a-million scenarios. That instead of being able to go out there and play fast, guys are burdened with having to over-think things."
Winning cures a lot in the NFL. No coach needs a few wins more than Schiano. If that doesn't happen, we'd expect to hear more stories about player unrest in Tampa.
The "Around The League Podcast" handed out our quarter season awards* this week. *
