Tag: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Page 13 of 25)

      Bucs release Brooks, Dunn, Galloway, Hilliard and June

      February 25, 2009 /

      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.

      NFL

      Bucs tell Jeff Garcia that they’re moving on

      February 17, 2009 /

      The Buccaneers told free agent quarterback Jeff Garcia that they’re heading in another direction and won’t re-sign him this offseason.

      Jeff GarciaGarcia, who turns 39 before the start of free agency Feb. 27, said Sunday night Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik has informed his agent, Steve Baker, that the team did not want him to return for a third season.

      “My time in Tampa has come to an end,” Garcia said.

      The Bucs signed quarterback Luke McCown to a two-year, $7.5-million contract last week, preventing him from becoming a free agent.

      “I’m not under contract and I’m about to hit free agency and that means it’s time again for me to just move on,” Garcia said. “It is disappointing because I enjoyed the atmosphere and the team environment in that locker room…Change is needed at times. Sometimes it’s how you tweak it, not change it. With a new head coach, they want somebody pulling the trigger that they can mold. Beyond that, I don’t know why they’re making the move.”

      Garcia went 14-10 in 24 starts during the regular season with the Bucs the past two seasons, leading Tampa Bay to a playoff appearance in 2007 and earning a trip to the Pro Bowl while throwing 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.

      But last season, a calf injury he sustained in training camp led to his benching after a season-opening loss at New Orleans. Garcia regained the job the second quarter of the season and finished with an 8-5 record.

      Garcia was a solid quarterback in Jon Gruden’s offense, but he can’t throw outside of the hash marks or beyond 15 yards on a consistent basis so he limits what an offense can do in the passing game. Rumors started to circulate that he could join the Bears, but that would be a bad fit given the weather conditions and type of offense Chicago runs (i.e. they like to throw downfield, which isn’t one of Garcia’s strong suits).

      One team that might give him a shot is Minnesota, who runs a similar ball-control offense that Tampa did. Although, the Vikes already have a crusty old vet who played pretty well last year in Gus Frerotte, so signing Garcia seems unlikely. He’ll probably be relegated to a backup role, although some team might still promise him the opportunity to start if he performs well in training camp and preseason.

      NFL

      Simeon Rice: Jon Gruden is a “scumbag”

      January 28, 2009 /

      In a recent interview with Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan on Sirius NFL Radio, former Buccaneers’ defensive end Simeon Rice blasted his old coach Jon Gruden and even called him a “scumbag.”

      Jon Gruden“You get what you deserve,” Rice said. “That’s what Jon said. He got it now. Everybody gets what they deserve. . . .

      “You look at what he did when Chris [Simms] damn near died on the field he wanted to release him right when he got injured. I get hurt, my shoulder’s torn off the bone. This dude releases me. You know what I mean? I’m your guy. The list goes on. Keenan McCardell, that situation was a debacle. Keyshawn Johnson, another situation [that] was a debacle. Joey Galloway, which was his man, was in the dog house all year because he got injured, broke his ankle or whatever. Brad Johnson that situation was bad. Brings Jeff Garcia in here, oh, he’s going to change things. I helped recruit him [and he] released me, kept Jeff and then put him in the doghouse. Gets rid of Brian Greise, brings him, starts a controversy. It was chaotic. I’m giving you facts.”

      “How I feel personally? I could tell you that, too. I think he’s a scumbag,” Rice said. “I think he’s a scumbag personally. That’s when he’s telling you one thing and… You know what he told me? ‘Simeon you’ll be here in the next five years.’ I got injured [and] this man’s never said one word to me. I won a Super Bowl for you. I got 13 sacks, 12, 15 every year for you. I balled. I got injured [and] you let me go like it was nothing.”

      I don’t dispute what Rice is saying because obviously I wasn’t in the Buccaneer locker room all those years, but unfortunately Gruden probably acted the same way a lot of coaches and teams do when players are injured. A player gets injured and then the coach acts like that player isn’t even on the team anymore because they’re of no use to him. It’s not fair, but most teams go about their business this way because the NFL is so cutthroat.

      Look at Tom Brady last year. The man got the Patriots to four Super Bowls but because he got hurt, speculation started to surface that the team would eventually move on to Matt Cassel. When players get older and suffer major injuries, a team has to start looking ahead. It’s nothing personal and although Gruden might be more cutthroat than other coaches, I don’t know if it merits Rice calling him a scumbag. But again, I wasn’t in the locker room so maybe he is a scumbag. It’s not like Rice is the only player that has taken shots at Gruden since the team fired him.

      NFL

      Fans played a hand in the firing of Jon Gruden

      January 27, 2009 /

      Apparently Bucs’ ownership took into account what the fans wanted when they fired head coach Jon Gruden two weeks ago.

      Jon GrudenCo-owner Bryan Glazer stopped in at the Super Bowl media center today and elaborated on ownership’s decision-making process.

      “We talked to a lot of people, but we not only talked to the players, but (also) out in the community getting a feel for the team,” Glazer said. “We get opinions and we mix them all together. We just took our time making that decision.”

      Asked further about the community feedback, Glazer said, “Our fans are our stockholders. They’re what we play for — the people in our stadium and the ones that watch on TV. That’s what it’s all about: winning and how they feel about the team. If they don’t feel good about the team, then there’s something wrong. . . I think you all know the sense that’s out there. It was time for a change.”

      It was impossible to ignore the venom from the fan base in the wake of the team’s late-season collapse, and many fans were outspoken and vehement in making their feelings known from the team’s own website to local talk radio. And Gruden, in particular, was never considered a very likable personality and had little relationship with the community despite being the face of the franchise, something the Glazers no doubt were sensitive to.

      Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank also refers to fans as “stockholders”, which is definitely a unique way to view things. But the fact remains that fans should have zero input on what sports teams operate in terms of player and coaching personnel. Fans are irrational, emotional and often have no idea what’s really going on behind the scenes. (Not unlike sports writers.)

      Not that the fans played a huge role in Gruden being fired, but they shouldn’t have been factored in at all. You want to keep your fans happy? Win. Ultimately, they don’t care if Raheem Morris, Jon Gruden or Sponge Bob Square Pants is running the team – as long as the team is winning, everything is copacetic.

      NFL

      Top 10 Worst Super Bowl MVPs

      January 27, 2009 /

      RealClearSports.com ranked the top 10 worst Super Bowl MVPs of all-time:

      Tom Brady10. Tom Brady – Super Bowl XXXVI
      The game itself – one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history – featured many heroes: Ty Law and his 47-yard interception returned for touchdown, Adam Vinatieri’s two field goals, including the game-winner as time expired, and Troy Brown’s game-high six receptions, but the real MVP was head coach Bill Belichick, who designed a game plan that slowed the “Greatest Show on Turf” to just 17 points.

      While it can be considered near blasphemous to include Tom Brady on any list with “worst” in the title, his performance in Super Bowl XXXVI was hardly MVP-worthy. The NFL’s Golden Boy was a paltry 16-for-27 for 145 yards and one score; even on the now famous last-minute drive, he completed three of the five passes to running back J. R. Redmond.

      9. Ray Lewis – Super Bowl XXXV
      The Ravens defense dominated the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, allowing just 152 total yards as they rolled to a 34-7 victory. Ray Lewis, the emotional and vocal leader, played a large role in the game, but his stats, three solo tackles and four blocked passes, are far from stellar. Of the Giants’ five turnovers, Lewis was only partially responsible for one of them, a tipped-pass that was then picked-off by Jamie Sharper. While leadership is important in naming the MVP, stats count too, and Lewis just didn’t have them.

      1. Dexter Jackson – Super Bowl XXXVII
      The Raiders had the most potent passing attack in the league in 2002. Quarterback Rich Gannon led the league in passing yards, had the best touchdown-to-interception ratio and was the league’s regular season MVP. But it was the Bucs defense that shined, forcing Gannon into throwing a Super Bowl record five interceptions (after recording just 10 during the regular season).

      Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns of 44 and 50 yards – both by the same cornerback, Dwight Smith – but he was surprisingly not named MVP. Instead, Dexter Jackson, who also had two picks, was named MVP. Two interceptions in a Super Bowl are impressive, but it’s far from an anomaly: 10 other players have intercepted at least two passes in the big game. And what did the Bucs get out of those two interceptions? Just one field goal.

      To be fair to Jackson, both of his interceptions came in the first half when the game was still close. In fact, one could say that both of his picks set the tone for Tampa’s blowout. Where as Smith’s two interceptions came when the game was largely in hand for the Bucs, his second one coming with under 30 seconds left to play and Tampa up 41-21. This is an example where stats don’t paint the entire picture.

      NFL, Super Bowl

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑