Regarding my recommendations to the GM on this last seasons performance… I am not as close as he is to the “reality” of this team; therefore, cannot come close to advising him… that’s why he gets paid the big-bucks to make those necessary and objective difficult decisions.  Who knows what is passed down by the Glasers which impact the GM’s or Gruden’s decisions on the field?  What seemed to be apparent from the stands, for being as talented as Gruden is, there were some questionable playing time decisions during the season and who knows where they came from?

I respect each Buc fan’s positive approach and spin on this last season on how well the Buc’s performed… but least we forget, they had a lot of help from the other NFC -South’s lack luster teams who absolutely fell short of the analysts expectations.  Atlanta, NO and Carolina were no-shows and as the analysts were quick to point out, the NFC-South was extremely weak this year, propping our Bucs to look better than they really were.  Funny thing is that this last years performance seemed to mirror the year the Buc’s won the Super Bowl.. but that’s another column.  In order to get better and to motivate those in charge of this team, we as fans need to be painfully objective and honest with ourselves in relaying our sentiments on next years leadership and expected changes for improvement.  Anything less will leave the Glasers the perception that “we” the people are ok with the “fairy tale” of 2007’s success.  I’d be willing to bet Gruden has a totally different view of last years success and would be the first to admit had the other NFC-South teams showed up, it could have been a totally different record for the Buc’s.  I for one do not believe ‘07 was reflective of the true record that could have been and I felt going into the season we would have been much stronger.  I was wrong and there is a lot of work ahead for the Buc’s. Fortunately for Gruden the teams mentioned did not show up this year, buying him another year… and he would have the talent around him to thank.
Realizing I am a minority with my opinion, I am not concerned with the coming fall out… I am not paying player and coaches salaries.

We still need to improve on both sides of the ball.  It is pretty evident to me that Brooks has lost a step and we don’t have a shut down corner.  We need to put June back into his natural position and if developed, Quincy Black at strong side with Ruud in the middle.  The saftey positions are locked, great year by Phillips, Bucannon at nickel and of course Jackson but we need help at the corner position.  Barber is not a shut down corner and Kelly clearing is losing ground on these faster receivers.  We also need a big ass tackle to clog up the middle, 2nd round pick.  Re-signing Kiffin is a must, I don’t know why they are lolly gaggin around.  Just give him the contract that he earned and call it a day.  There is not another defensive coordinator available that can fill his shoes, keep him until he retires, then go looking.

Offensively, Caddy will start the season on the PUP list and will not count agains the roster until week 8.  When he comes back, he will not be a fine tuned machine.  Pittman should be a goner.  Keep Bennett and Graham and bring in another top flight back in the draft.  Receiver is a must.  It was clear that Galloway is fraglie missing the 4th quarter in a playoff game because of a sore shoulder.  Go out and get Derek Anderson, bring him in to serve as backup to Garcia.  When Garcia gets hit, not sacked, hit 50 times by week 4, Anderson will take control.  We need a quality backup that doesn’t run around in the back of the end zone only to get sacked for a safety.  The O-line lost their momentum towards the end of the year, great run blockers but poor pass blocking.

We can beat this topic to death, but the bottom line is in the next season we need a winning team, and we need to do whatever is neccessary to achieve this great task. We need wide receivers, a quarterback back up, and a few players to replace aging players. Brooks will need to be replaced after this next season, even though a great defensive player his greatness is slowing down. Pitman also needs his replacement to be identified so that position will not be left with unskilled back-ups and hoping for the best. If Gruden is to be remain as Head Coach he needs to have a meeting of the minds with Monte Kiffen so that the defensive side of the Bucs is fined tuned for the up-coming new season, to insure that whoever the quarterback is he is properly protected in the pocket. If New England Patriots can do it for Brady, there is no reason we can’t do it for our Quarterback. The Patriots are great, but they are only human. So what is the excuse? Give our good Quarteback the protection and you will see wins instead of Losses. Garcia can do the job if giving the opportunity, but not if he is going to be sacked 4/5 times in a game. Brady would not do any better if his position was not protected when in the pocket. He had enough time in some plays to have to have a snack, he was so well protected. Being protected in that fashion is a Quarterback’s dream. The Bucs have a young team, they are very strong, tough, and ready to do their job, however they need to be trained to do just what they are suppose to protect their Quarterback so that he isn’t crushed like a sack of potatoes. Gruden needs to get a good back-up for Garcia, that can stay in the pocket, and yet when necessary to manuver without losing yards. He is a very skilled and knowledgeable Head Coach, so he should use these skills that he is gifted with to make champions out of the Bucs, and prove what happened in the past wasn’t just a lucky season.

It’s just not realistic to think that we are going to be a super bowl team next year but I think great strides were made this season. Because of the injuries we found some hidden talent that we probably need to get signed to longer deals. Some think we should drop Pittman and keep Bennett. I think it’s the other way around. Pittman still does way too much in this offense to let him go. Trade Bennett for a mid-round draft pick. Sign a WR in free agency or trade for one and draft another in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft. Galloway and Hilliards days in Tampa are close to an end. Paris Warren takes Hilliards position and who ever we get through trade or free agency taked Galloway’s. Maybe extreme but it’s time to shake things up at that position. Sign a CB in free agency and draft one with our 2nd or 3rd pick. With our 1st pick I think we need to use on a big time DT. If Sedrick Ellis from USC falls to around the 10th pick I think we try to move up and take him (most natural 3-tech in this draft). If not, a guy named Kentwan Balmer from UNC is going to start popping up on everybodys draft boards after the senior bowl and he could be a possibility. Jovan Haye did alright this year at the 3-tech but not good enough for this defensive scheme. We already have our replacement for Brooks with Cato June moving over to his natural position. Then I think Quincy Black and Adam Hayward can compete for the strong side. Safeties are set but we really need to find some corners. O-line will continue to get better with more time. Askew is the most pure fullback that we’ve had in a long time and is a big reason for our success running the ball, set there. Hopefully we can get another good year out of Garcia. This team isn’t quite ready to be turned over to a young QB but hopefully with one more year under their belts our o-line will be good enough to give whoever gets thrown in there a good chance. I believe you build the rest of the team then you put your franchise QB in there with a better chance for success.

How do I view this season?

This ruse 9-7 season that we can consider a phantom 11-5 season was a tremendous success compared against expectations and against last year. The infusion of youth along the offensive and defensive fronts has paid quicker dividends than we’ve seen in Tampa, probably ever.

At the same time, it was still a missed opportunity, but for those who weren’t paying attention, Galloway and Garcia were BOTH laid out early in the Giants game, which allowed the Giants to key in on the running game and shut it down with greater intensity. I stated early on that this team would live and die by the health of these two this season and it played out in this one game.

What do we need to do in the off-season?

1) It’s time to assess Cadillac Williams. While he has the potential to be a home run threat, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. If Graham is the every-down back going forward, this could help keep Cadillac healthy, but I remain skeptical. If we do keep Cadillac, we need to keep his salary figures cap friendly until he proves himself durable.

2) Now that the nucleus has been established along the offensive and defensive fronts, we need some star power at the Wide Receiver position. Joey Galloway is VERY effective in making one or two big plays in a game, but we need a consistent threat.....a top 5 or top 10 receiver to keep defenses honest. I also say we need to bring in a second receiver with some youth and consistency, possibly through free agency or via the draft (though, given this year’s class, I don’t want to see a first-round pick wasted on the WR position).

3) Garcia might have one or two years left in the tank and I like the idea of having him here. He simply makes things happen. But we need to take advantage of his presence on a young franchise Quarterback. While I think Chris Simms can be relatively successful in this league, as a Quarterback with a side-arm delivery, I don’t think he’s the future in THIS system. We should get value out of him, if only a 5-7 round pick. McCown shows flashes of brilliance and flashes of ineptitude. I’m on the fence with him. What I’d truly like to see is a veteran insurance policy behind Garcia and a late-round drafting of Matthew Flynn. He’s the kind of guy who could fit the system and learning behind Garcia would only benefit. FYI, for those who say Gruden doesn’t know how to “groom” a Quarterback, I point to the fact that Simms is the only guy Gruden has been in position to “groom”. He’s been here almost since the beginning of Gruden’s tenure and as stated above, has a side-arm delivery that doesn’t work in Gruden’s three-step drop system. In Oakland, Gruden lived and died by Rich Gannon and in that situation there was NOTHING wrong with that.

4) We still need a boost along the Defensive line, but I’d like to see it on the interior. We lost a LOT more than most casual fans realize when we didn’t re-sign Sapp (FYI, for the guy who said we cut Sapp and Lynch, that was NOT exactly the case....Sapp simply wasn’t re-signed and Lynch’s contract was expiring and he was suffering through what appeared to be a debilitating injury). If you care to question my statement about Sapp, I need only point to the significant drop-off in our Run defense after his departure. While he was an anomaly along the DLine as a pass rusher, he was also a highly effective run-stopper that we simply haven’t found a suitable replacement for. This is where I’d look to the draft....find a two-way player to fill this role.

5) We need to start developing corners and could use a little more infusion of youth at Linebacker. DB55 coming back is GREAT, but it won’t last forever...nor will 20 and 25. I like what Buchanon has done in his role, but there have always been questions surrounding his ability to carry the load. Look to the draft for help here as well.

6) LEFT TACKLE (for like the tenth year straight.....seriously). Though I think Penn filled in very well when Pettitgout went down, I’d like to see us (God, for ONCE!!!), go after that franchise type guy if he’s available in the first round. Many of us in these parts have been screaming for this position since Paul Gruber was a year or two shy of retirement (and, mind you, as much as Gruden has neglected filling this hole effectively, his predecessor didn’t exactly bring in the answer, either). It is the toughest position to fill along the offensive line and I, for one, was disappointed when Joe Thomas went ahead of us last year (I still think trading up would have been worth it in the long run, but, to be fair, Gaines is proving to be that guy we were hoping he would be).

7) We could round out the youth along the O-Line with a decent Center as well. I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but Wade was struggling for several games during the mid-part of the season and was continually snapping at Garcia’s knees. I was surprised noone else that I heard, be it casual fans, or our local radio guys, had pointed this out and addressed it.

....AND LAST....

8) Gruden. Ah, our favorite subject. I like to play both sides of the fence here. I think the guy is building what he set out to build on offense and is a couple of tools short of making it work. Given the “surprise” success we experienced and the fact that he has a year remaining, in addition to the lack of experienced coaching talent available, you don’t extend his contract, but you let him finish it out, view the results of this off-season and the results of next season on the field and address it next year. My one criticism would be what many have echoed around here and that’s the fact that he seems to have a bit of a “liar” reputation. If that affects his ability to land big-name free agents, this could be an issue going forward.

That’s my assessment. I could go on, but my character count is getting low. I do look forward to retorts and rebuttals......

To giles88, refering to the center situation that you mentioned above. Wade is a free agent this year and no matter if we sign him again or not I think the Bucs are hoping that Dan Buenning can beat Wade out in training camp. If you remeber Buenning was our starting left guard before he got hurt and now that we drafted Aaron Sears I’m sure their going to move Buenning over. He may have started this year but it taked time to learn all of the calls to make for protections along the front line.
Depending on that working out, if we can get through one more year without really addressing that position there is going to be a beast of a center coming out for the draft next year in Cal’s Alex Mack. He’s 6’5”, 300 lbs. and I think will be one of the best centers to come out in a long time.
Just my thoughts...?

iabucsfan, you make some very interesting points regarding the Center position, however, the only counterpoint that I would make is in regards to Dan Buenning (and even Matt Lehr) taking over at the position. I think this is definitely a position that needs to be drafted and it needs to be a player who is a true Center, not a converted guard. Center is the most unique position on the line and involves a swift transition from delivering the ball to blocking. And delivering the ball effectively on EVERY down is key to success at the position and for the team. How many teams have lost games because of a bad exchange between the Center and the Quarterback? That’s really my only counterpoint there.

What I really want to discuss in this thread now, however, is free agency. I did a bit of research (yeah, I’m a little nutty like that) to determine who is available this off-season. The focus is on positions of need, but there are some compelling and interesting names at other positions as well.

At QB, the guy who stands out is Derek Anderson, however, I’m not sure he would be a fit here and the more likely scenario for Cleveland is that they re-sign him and ship Brady Quinn off in a trade. My favorite option at QB is to keep Garcia and draft Flynn. Let Flynn learn from Garcia until his time comes (I’d give it two years, which is probably the most Garcia has left in him, IMHO). Anderson is also a Restricted Free Agent, which further complicates things here.

At RB, Michael Turner is going to raise eyebrows everywhere. I think Graham is and should be our every down back going forward, but we might benefit from a tandem that includes the home-run hitter. I don’t think Cadillac is dependable enough to rely on and Turner could be that guy. Only down side is that he will likely want to be a one-man backfield wherever he goes.

Wide Receiver is where we really need to be looking to improve and take defenses away from our running game. There are quite a few names out there that are quite intriguing, starting with Randy Moss. I’ll say this about Moss....he is working VERY effectively in New England, but I DO NOT see him seeing eye to eye with Jon Gruden. At all. He’s also on the plus side of 30. I say let New England or someone else overpay for him. The rest of the pack:

Bernard Berrian
Patrick Crayton
Bryant Johnson
Andre Davis
Justin Gage
Devery Henderson

The name on THAT list that stands out in my mind is Andre Davis and here’s why.....Davis was HIGHLY productive as the go-to guy when Johnson was out this year. He made big plays with very little talent around him in the running game and playing opposite. He’s young and Houston will have difficulty justifying a pay day for him as the number 2. We almost HAVE to make a run at this guy. Of the rest, I think I like Bryant Johnson and Patrick Crayton best. Gage and Henderson have been relatively productive, but have had some problems this year. In fairness to Henderson, the entire Saints offense was inconsistent this year. Gage has a problem with the dropsies....definitely not something we need here right now. Bryant Johnson seems to be one of the most talented number three receivers in the league....he has the misfortune of playing behind Boldin and Fitzgerald in Arizona. The only issue I have with Crayton is the dropsie problem he had in last Sunday’s game. One could hope it was an anomaly? Not sure and not sure you can’t count on him to be a number one, which is why I really like Davis. He’s already proven it.

The only offensive lineman who could fit the bill at Left Tackle is Max Starks, but there’s some weirdness there. He was the man in Pittsburgh until this year when he lost his starting job. He’s had some injury issues (RE: Pettitgout) and, though his size and ability to play both sides is tempting, you can’t throw money at that kind of risk.

Defensive line. I can’t say it enough: MAKE A RUN AT JARED ALLEN. Allen plays the right side and if you put that kind of talent opposite Gaines Adams.....YEAH!!! Haynesworth is available as well, but I think Tennessee locks him up and I’d much rather find a well-rounded under tackle in the draft. Haynesworth plays the nose, IIRC. Seriously though, you have to at least bring Allen in for a workout. This guy plays under Herm and you would have to think that with the re-signing of Kiffen, a young and talented defensive star in this league would have to entertain the idea of playing for him. One has to wonder what incentive he might have for staying in KC.

At Linebacker, the major concern we have is the future of Derrick Brooks. My instinct says you draft the future and let a guy learn from 55 while he’s still here. Certainly, Lance Briggs would send a bad message to one of the best players to play here. The only other available guy would be Karlos Dansby in Arizona. Would Dansby be willing to come in and wait? That’s the question here.

Last, we also need to address our future at the Corners. Kelly and Barber have limited time and we need to look at the future here. Again, we’d have to bring in guys who would be willing to wait. The only two names that stick out for me in FA are Asante Samuel and Marcus Trufant. Something tells me those guys don’t want to ride the pine. Again, you have to draft the future here. You CAN’T cut Barber and, really, given the history of this coaching staff, cutting Kelly would be a bad PR move as well, though Kelly has had injury problems the past couple of years.

Overall, I think these guys are no-brainers in free agency:

WR Andre Davis
WR Bryant Johnson
WR Patrick Crayton
DE Jared Allen

Perhaps someone outbids, but with the money we have to spend, you HAVE to make a run at these guys. Improve the passing game and improve the pass rush. If I thought Turner would be okay with a tandem role, I’d put his name on the list as well.

Would love thoughts on this from my fellow Buc fans.....

Patrick Crayton already signed a new contract with Dallas during the season. I like Andre Davis too because he brings something to the return game as well. One name that I think you may have over looked for your list is D.J. Hackett from Seatle. He may fit the scheme better than most on that list. Probably not the fastest guy on that list but maybe the best route runner.
Whats probably going to happen is we’ll end up drafting a left tackle with our first pick. Everybody is going to be pissed about it but in the long run it would probably be the wise choice. Our other positions of need (DT, WR, CB) are farely deep in this years draft and we can get good value at those positions later in the draft.
We don’t really need to worry about finding Brooks’ replacement because he’s already on the team. Thats Cato June’s spot when DB retires. Then Quincy Black or Adam Hayward takes June’s spot on the strong side.
We wouldn’t be cutting Brian Kelly because he’s a free agent this year. He’s probably going to want more money and I just don’t know if he’s worth it. But we do need to get deeper at CB.
You’re exactly right with Jared Allen. That dude has a motor that just won’t stop. If we could have Jared Allen, Greg White, and Gaines Adams, I think we could forget about DE as being a concern. But I still think Under Tackle is a big concern. This is probably the most important position for this defense and it needs to be addresed this offseason whether it be the draft or free agency.

Hello all. Not a great season but a good one. We’ll pay hell for it though with our schedule next year.
As far as the off season goes there are a few things I’d like to see though I’m probably in the minority. First off WR needs help. Love Galloway but has never been more than a deep threat his whole career, and he is suceptible to injury. There really isn’t a replacement for him in FA but a few interesting canidates for all the wr jobs (1,2, @ 3). It is the one position I think we could overall the whole group and not get worse. Keep Galloway if he stays healthy but he is not a No. 1 guy. Like Hilliard as a vet possesion rec and I like Clayton though he isn’t lived up to his 1st round billing. Try and sign 2 of the big FA recievers and I think the names are interchangeable; Berrian, Johnson, Hackett, et al. Like I said none of them are real NO 1 yet. But the competion might push the guys on the roster a little more and hopefully everybody gets better. The other spots on the team that need improvement are all of them because that is how you improve. But I do have to say is that I like the O’line. They are very young and only bound to get better. LT could be a huge upgrade but I do beleive we shoud draft one and there really won’t be anybody around in the 1st round for us. Anyways with lots of WR competion I think we could let it go in draft. Then in first round go for RB. Under the radar and right where we pick would be Felix Jones. Explosive back and great return man. Could be the speed back and home run hitter that everyone wants behind EG. Also would solidfy punt and kick return. 2nd pick would go for DT like Dre Moore from Maryland hopefuly he would last that long no guarantee though but would still look for DT help there (Balmer, Pressley, Sims). 3rd pick would try and get a CB or center and the draft is still too early to tell who would be availabel especialy at CB though maybe Wallace might be sitting there at C. As far as the rest of the picks go take the best value available no matter the positon. Try and develop depth and competion. But I would also maybe if he was available in the 5th round or later take a flyer on
Erik Ainge from Tenn. but I doubt he will be.

The more I think about it, the more I like Berrian. You take a guy who almost managed 1000 yards in an inconsistent and anemic Bears offense and put him in an offense that could benefit from his presence and vice versa, looks nice on paper here too. Of course, Bryant Johnson is an interesting prospect as well.....no telling what he might bring to the table. And for that reason, probably doesn’t have a huge price tag. Same with Davis, but seconding this thought: Davis gives you the added dimension on Special Teams.

As for D.J. Hackett...the last thing we need on this team is another injury problem......

Ainge will be gone by the 5th round and, honestly, I think Flynn is a much better option for us and the price tag would be relatively low where he’s projected to go. I’d still like to see a more consistent option behind Garcia too. A veteran that can carry the load if he goes down. McCown is far too inconsistent thus far and Gradkowski.....please don’t make me comment. I have nightmares of that guy being our number one guy.

TOPIC- IF I WERE THE BUCS GM:
AS OF JAN 2008

LET’S NOT HIDE THE GROWING SUSPICION THAT ALL NFL GAME RESULTS ARE DECIDED BEFORE THEY ARE PLAYED. MANY FANS BELIEVE THE NFL IS NOW MANAGED JUST THE SAME AS PRO WRESTLING MATCHES. HENCE THE PHRASE- “ADULT SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT AT IT’S BEST”.

THE OPINIONS THAT ARE EXPRESSED BY THE MEDIA, ARE TO SELL PAPERS AND ONLY INFLUENCE THE NFL OWNERS /FANS, AND NOT SHARED BY THE MGT OR COACHING STAFF. SOME COACHES ARE TOLD TO THROW GAMES INSTEAD OF PLAYING TO WIN.

THIS CAN BE JUSTIFIED BASED ON THE PLAY CALLING, DEFENSIVE COVERAGE SCHEMES, REFEREE DECISIVE PENALTY CALLS APPLIED DURING THE 3D AND 4TH QUARTERS OF EVERY GAME. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE POINT SPREAD. DOCUMENTED/ CLANDESTINE MOB ORGANIZED GAMBLING IS INDEED RAMPANT IN THE NFL AND OTHER PRO SPORTS.

YOU CAN COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH ME, BUT I’M NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK THE TRUTH.

IN REFERENCE TO THE BUCS:

GRUDEN WON’T LEAVE UNLESS ALLEN GETS CANNED. THEY’RE BOTH CLOSE FRIENDS FROM THEIR DAYS IN OAKLAND. GRUDEN NEEDS TO GO OR AT LEAST GET A SEPARATE OFFENSIVE COORDINATER. HIS PLAY CALLING STINKS. HE DOESN’T FULLY USE ALL OF THE TALENT THAT’S AT HIS DISPOSAL. DUNGY CERTAINLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RETAINED AS THE BUCS COACH.

THE GLAZERS ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN THE PROFIT THE BUCS CAN GENERATE. IF SALES SLIDE DOWNWARD, THEN THEY’LL MAKE CHANGES TO THE ORGANIZATION.

PLAYERS/ STAFF TO RELEASE OR REPLACE/ DEADWEIGHT LIST:

CADILLAC WILLIAMS
MICHAEL CLAYTON
DERRICK BROOKS
RHONDE BARBER
MIKE ALSTOTT
JOEY GALLOWAY
MICHAEL PITTMAN
CHRIS SIMMS
OFFENSIVE LINE AND SPECIAL TEAMS COACHES

IT’S TIME TO INTRODUCE AND USE NEW, YOUNG PLAYERS, AND STOP SIGNING FREE AGENTS.
OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW. THE GAME IS ALL ABOUT SPEED/AGILITY.

LET’S NOT FORGET THAT THESE PLAYERS/COACHES/GMS ARE ALL MILLIONAIRES THROUGH THEIR CONTRACTS, ENDORSEMENTS, INVESTMENTS, TAX-SHELTERED CHARITY FOUNDATIONS. THEY’RE SET FOR LIFE, BUT NEVER SATISIFIED. HENCE THE PHRASE- “ THE ONE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS”.

IT DOESN’T HELP THE SITUATION FOR THE BUCS AND OTHER NFL TEAMS, WHEN THE GREEDY SPORTS AGENT HUSTLERS AND SELF-CENTERED NFL PLAYERS UNION ARE ALSO SITTING AT THE POKER TABLE/WAR ROOM. THEY ARE HIGHLY PAID AND COMPENSATED TO PURGE ALL NFL TEAM ORGANIZATIONS, FOR THEIR BENEFIT AND THE WELFARE OF THE REPRESENTED PLAYERS.
LET’S NOT FORGET, SOME OF THESE REPRESENTED NFL PLAYERS HAVE A HISTORY OF COURT JUDGED/ PARDONED CRIMINAL OFFENSES AND UNPUBLISHED DRUG-RELATED SUBSTANCE-SPOUSE ABUSE SEALED RECORDS.

THE UNJUSTIFIED SIGNING BONUS APPROACH DEMANDED BY PRIVILEGED/UNPROVEN DRAFTED ROOKIES AND OBSOLETE FREE AGENTS/COACHES IS A JOKE, THE TRUE DEFINITION AT ITS BEST, FOR THE WORDS- EXTORTION/BRIBERY. EVERYONE ENTERING OR IN THE WORKPLACE IS GRADUALLY TESTED, GRADED & EXPENDABLE. ESPECIALLY WHEN PRODUCTIVITY, PERFORMANCE, & CONDUCT BEGIN TO SPIRAL DOWNWARD. IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE PLAYER, TO MAKE A TEAM SUCCESSFUL.
.
THE BUCS NEED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP YOUNG TALENT TO IMPROVE THEIR TEAM AS A WHOLE. THEY’RE IN A WEAK DIVISION SO THIS PROVEN METHOD HAS AND CAN WORK TO BE A CONSISTENT CONTENDER FOR THE PLAYOFFS AND MAYBE A RETURN TRIP TO THE SUPER BOWEL.

NEVERTHELESS, THE NFL WANTS TO CONTINUE TO SHARE THE WEALTH AMONG TEAM OWNERS, SO PREPLANNED POINT SHAVING TO PRESERVE THE PREDICTED POINT SPREADS, WILL STILL BE APPLIED FOR ALL FUTURE GAMES.

THAT’S MY STORY AND I’M STICKING TO IT!
francissoldier- “SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE”

You bring up a good point with D.J. Hackett giles88. I would have no pronlem with Bernard Berrian, I just can’t see the Bears letting him walk. He’s probably the closest thing they have to a superstar on that side of the ball and thats pretty damn sad. March 1st can’t get here soon enough so we can see who’s even gonna be available.

Keys to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Future Success

Sign Daunte Culpepper QB, Raiders as a backup to Jeff Garcia
Trade Chris Simms QB, Bucs for Lance Briggs LB, Bears or Bernard Berrian WR, Bears
Sign Chad Johnson WR, Bengals
Sign Muhsin Muhammad WR, Bears
Sign Albert Haynesworth, DT, Titans,
Sign Justin Smith, DE, Bengals
Cut/Trade Michael Clayton WR, Bucs
Draft the best available shutdown corner in the 2008 first round draft.
Draft the best available Tackle in the 2008 second round draft.

With these FA signings/trades, the Bucs would have the No.1 ranked defense for years to come and a “Top 5 Offense” for the foreseeable future!  The Bucs would certainly be the NFC team to beat!

Keys to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Future Success

Sign Daunte Culpepper QB, Raiders as a backup to Jeff Garcia
Trade Chris Simms QB, Bucs for Lance Briggs LB, Bears or Bernard Berrian WR, Bears
Sign Chad Johnson WR, Bengals
Sign Muhsin Muhammad WR, Bears
Sign Albert Haynesworth, DT, Titans,
Sign Justin Smith, DE, Bengals
Cut/Trade Michael Clayton WR, Bucs
Draft the best available shutdown corner in the 2008 first round draft.
Draft the best available Tackle in the 2008 second round draft.

With these FA signings/trades, the Bucs would have the No.1 ranked defense for years to come and a “Top 5 Offense” for the foreseeable future!  The Bucs would certainly be the NFC team to beat!

1) Daunte Culpepper....doesn’t fit this system. If we’re signing a current Raider, I’d much rather have the OTHER McCown.

2) I agree with trading Chris Simms, but Briggs is a UFA who is going to demand a much greater price tag than we really need. We need to SPREAD the money we have to spend. I’d much rather have Dansby out of Arizona. But, hell, if you can get Berrian for Simms, I’m all about it. But if Berrian is to leave Chicago it will be as a UFA this off-season. If Chicago signs him, he stays.

3) Chad Johnson is under contract with the Bengals. The only way to get Johnson is via trade and Marvin Lewis has already stated that he’s not trading him. Granted, this could be smoke and mirrors and if the possibility is there, I’m ALL about it. Bring me the Ocho Cinco. But don’t overpay in draft picks. I’d like to see us maintain a draft trend. The beauty of the Bengals is they need a great deal of help on defense. I’d bet we could come up with a player package that benefits everyone. Still not very likely, IMHO.

4) Muhsin Muhammad? You’re kidding, right? I think the idea is to get YOUNGER and BETTER.

5) Albert Haynesworth....again, far too large a price tag. I’d much rather find a younger, less expensive and more developable player here, probably in the draft. Or, per other thread, Sapp and move Jovan to the nose.

6) If we’re spending big money on a DE, I’d much rather see Jared Allen in pewter. Seriously, this guy is a beast and has YEARS left.....Justin Smith was tagged with the franchise tag by the Bengals last year, which I think makes him a Restricted FA by default. I don’t want to give up draft picks for a position we don’t necessarily NEED. But if you can get a guy like Allen without giving up draft picks, you have to.

7) Don’t count Michael Clayton out just yet. This kid quietly had a renaissance of sorts this year. His only problem this year? Far too deep on the depth chart to make a significant impact. He was clutch in the Giants game and made some big catches throughout the season. The dropsie issue he had developed seems to be gone. He’s a big physical presence who is willing to go across the middle and take the hit. This guy’s future is ahead of him and I’d hate to see him succeed elsewhere. He’s home-grown.

8) Again, as I’ve stated before......Ronde Barber = 3rd round pick.....Donnie Abraham = 3rd round pick.....Brian Kelly = 2nd round pick. In fact, we haven’t taken a DB in the first round since Dungy took over and, other than last year at the Safety position, we haven’t really had DB problems during that time. There’s no way to justify taking a DB in the first round and it WON’T happen. Monte won’t let it happen and if Monte is over-ridden by Gruden it will be for an impact offensive weapon. Remember, the bulk of the Corners taken in the first round are the best man corners available. We play a zone defense. Man corners involve a lot more money that would be wasted in the Tampa Two system.

9) Tackle in the second round? If you’re talking offensive tackle, I’m thinking you got these two backwards. Tackles are at a premium and worth much more to THIS team in the first round than a corner ever could be. I’d have no problems if we took a legitimate LT in the first round, but by pick 20 those guys are typically gone. Frankly, the only positions I would consider in round one would be DT, OT, WR and QB (of the future). The premium DT and OT are typically gone by pick 20. This year’s crop of R1 WR are iffy at best. And I just don’t see why we wouldn’t wait out the QB position for Flynn out of LSU. He’ll go late and fits. My preference for the first round is to package it in trade for a player who is going to come in and make an immediate impact (RE: The Ocho Cinco). I think this is a much better option.

My take, anyway.

francissoldier.......wow......first, netiquette. Lose the Caps Lock key. Second, while I agree there are times when the officials show favoritism in key playoff games (RE: 1999 NFC Championship Game, et al), I think saying that every game is decided every week is a bit excessive. My take. Maybe I’ve just bought in. Believe me, I think we should be complaining more about the Raiders and Dolphins giving the Patriots the tools to make this ridiculous run than the league deciding games ahead of time.

Culpepper and Muhammad..haha. Thanks giles88 for typing all of that cause I didn’t know where to even begin. Did anybody even hear Justin Smith’s name this year, over-rated as hell. Jared Allen is the only DE I would consider after the promise that Greg White showed this season.