Bucs release Brooks, Dunn, Galloway, Hilliard and June
In one sweeping move, new Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik released veterans Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Cato June on Wednesday according to the Tampa Tribune.
Tampa fans will be outraged at seeing the names Brooks, Galloway and Dunn (even though he played in Atlanta four of the past five seasons), but June is the only surprising cut. The rest are cap casualties whose salaries have exceeded their on-field production.
Still, this must be a sobering day for Bucs fans, which no doubt will miss what Brooks, Galloway, Hilliard and Dunn brought to the field every Sunday. All four are consummate professionals who are team-first players and in the case of Brooks, he essentially carried Tampa to a Super Bowl victory in 2002.
With June’s release, it’s clear that new defensive coordinator Jim Bates wants bigger athletes on that side of the ball. June is a sideline-to-sideline player and is solid in coverage. But obviously Bates wants his linebackers to be tough, physical and always thinking run-first. Goodbye Tampa 2, hello more conventional defense.
With the departures of Brooks, Galloway, Hilliard, Dunn, Jon Gruden, Bruce Allen and Monte Kiffin, it’s clearly an end of an era in Tampa.
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Posted in: NFL
Tags: Bruce Allen, Bucs cut Derrick Brooks, Bucs release Cato June, Bucs release Joey Galloway, Bucs release Warrick Dunn, Cato June, Derrick Brooks, Derrick Brooks cut, Ike Hilliard, Joey Galloway, Joey Galloway cut, Jon Gruden, Monte Kiffin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Warrick Dunn, Warrick Dunn cut
No Buc fan is really all that bent out of shape over releasing Galloway, or June (OVERRRAATTTEEEDD).
There are a few people who think Dunn could of lasted another year.
ALL of us hate that Brooks got cut though.
Whats the problem in Tampa ? salary Cap ? I don’t think so. They are about $50 Mill under aren’t they ? Brooks & Dunn should have stayed one mo year.
i think maybe we are looking at this the wrong way…i was shocked as a die hard bucs fan that brooks was cut but not mad..I love derrick brooks and consider him one of the best in the business but he lost a step last year…As far as dunn is concerned he struggled after graham went down and never took hold of the starting job in tampa bay…What i would like to see is where do they go from here…do they make a play for haynesworth..do they make a play for bart scott??
Here is something to look out for..dont be shocked if tampa makes a strong play for LT seeing that graham was out and cadillac hurt his other knee cap….