Bucs Having Typical Off-Season
(April 28, 2003)

It has been three months since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego. The celebrations have certainly died down and now we move into the "What have you done for me lately" mode. In an update of what has been going on at One Buc Place, we look at free agency, the draft and some other stories.

Championship teams usually have difficulty keeping the team together. Everyone thinks they are worth more money and defections are the norm. The Bucs were fortunate to have just about every key player under contract, and several re- worked their deals to free up room under the salary cap, so the team did well in the first round of free agency. The most notable defection was Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, as the defensive back signed with Arizona. Also lost where backup quarterback Rob Johnson, starting center Jeff Christy and linebacker Al Singleton.

The Bucs did not sit idly by and signed their own free agents. Center John Wade was with Jacksonville for five years and guard Jason Whittle spent five seasons with the New York Giants. Linebacker Dwayne Rudd was a six year veteran and played with Minnesota and Cleveland. They also signed a couple of quarterbacks. Former University of Florida QB Shane Matthews had played ten years in the NFL with Chicago, Carolina and Washington. Jim Miller was a nine year veteran and played with Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Chicago. Jacquez Green returned to the team as a free agent acquisition. The team addressed its needs and most are position upgrades.

As part of the deal to bring Jon Gruden to town, the Buccaneers did not have a pick in the first round of the NFL draft. Of course, few are complaining about that deal now that the Bucs are World champions. The team used the best player available philosophy and picked Louisville defensive end Dewayne White in the second round. Using that same philosophy the Bucs selected Texas quarterback Chris Simms in the third round. It was bit of a surprise that Simms, the son of former NFL QB Phil Simms, was still available. The next three picks were offensive lineman. The o-line was one question mark, and through free agency and the draft the team has added quality and depth.

Of course, there have been other stories and rumors floating around. You have to have the required "The Bucs are being sold/moving" stories. This one stems from the fact that team owner Malcolm Glazer is one of the leading contenders to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers. The NFL has rules against cross-ownership of teams, unless they are located in the same market. So, the short lived rumor was the Bucs were moving to L.A. The league seems willing to bend the rules, and the Bucs have a long term lease, so scratch rumor number one. Then there was the story about a feud between head coach Jon Gruden and general manager John McKay. It seems that Gruden wants every play he sees, McKay has to remind him of the salary cap and that is the basis of that rumor. The only headlines that are not rumors, in any way shape or form, are those of arrested players. A couple of players have made headlines in basically minor offenses.

It has been an off-season typical of the last several. Free agent loses could turn into gains. A decent draft, even if a bit ho-hum due to lack of high picks. The Bucs are moving, no wait, they are for sale, no wait, never mind. A player creates a ruckus in a bar, er, I mean night club. In recent years, the Bucs have become a successful franchise, maybe even a model for other to follow. The fact that they are having a typical off-season is probably not a bad thing.