Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman not surprised by Saints bounty system - NFL News
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Josh Freeman, is not surprised by last Friday’s revelation that New Orleans Saints operated an illegal bounty program.
Talking to the media on Monday, the Buccaneers quarterback revealed to the Tampa Bay Times that coaches would always caution the players before a game against the Saints to watch out for cheap shots.
“We just knew every time we played the Saints, they were going to take some cheap shots,’’
Adding further he said.
“We knew Greg Williams’ defences were physical and they were going to get after you. Knowing what we know now, it’s not surprising that was the system that was set up for them.”
The Saints are embroiled in a bounty controversy which went on for three whole seasons under the aegis of then defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
Williams and most of the defensive line ran a bounty pool of $ 50,000 paying players for both performance and injuring their opponents.
It was alleged in the National Football League’s report that Saints players could make $ 1,500 for knocking out an opponent and $ 1,000 if he is carted off the field.
Before the revelation of the bounty program the Saints were almost always panned by opponents for playing dirty and playing intentionally to injure opponents.
Even Freeman who faced a hard hit from Saints cornerback Malcolm Jenkins in 2010 in a 31-6 loss said that it was always against New Orleans that he saw unnecessary rough play.
"Everybody plays hard, but nobody goes out and tries to hurt each other. You go out to hit people hard, you know, straight up. But we didn’t see whole lot of that other stuff except when we were playing the Saints.''
The report mentioned the names of general manager, Mickey Loomis, and head coach, Sean Payton, of knowing about the program yet still turning a blind eye to the shenanigans in their own locker room.
Both Payton and Loomis have apologised for their role and Williams too issued his own apology earlier in the week.
However, it is expected that the Saints will face the stiffest punishment of commissioner, Roger Goodell’s tenure as he looks to make an example out of New Orleans.
Tags: