What is wrong with the Buccaneers free agent signings?
C Jeff Faine (New Orleans) AGE: 26
LB Antoine Cash (Tampa Bay) AGE: 26
DE Jimmy Wilkerson (Kansas City) AGE: 27
TE John Gilmore (Chicago) AGE: 28
QB Brian Griese (Chicago) AGE: 33
LB Leon Joe (Buffalo) AGE: 26
LB Teddy Lehman (Detroit) AGE: 26
LB Matt McCoy (New Orleans) AGE: 25
TE Ben Troupe (Tennessee) AGE: 25
CB Sammy Davis (Tampa Bay) AGE: 27
WR Antonio Bryant (San Francisco) AGE: 27
RB Warrick Dunn (Atlanta) AGE: 33
DE Marques Douglas (San Francisco) AGE: 31
S Eugene Wilson (New England) AGE: 27
DE Kevin Carter (Tampa Bay) AGE: 34
The biggest name is Warrick Dunn and I am not certain we should have signed him at all.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Warrick Dunn. I think he is a great player and wish that he never bolted for Atlanta. Warrick is 33 years old and the Buccaneers have Earnest Graham and a re-signed Michael Bennett.
Notice I did not mention Cadillac Williams. Cadillac has a long recovery ahead from his torn patellar tendon and feels like he can play in 2008. Dude, good luck!!
Signing Warrick Dunn means two things.
The Buccaneers will likely not spend a high draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Reaction: Dang!! There is a plethora of very good RBs in the draft and I was hoping we would pick up a home run hitter. One possibility would be Chris Johnson from East Carolina. He might be the fastest RB in the league as soon as he is selected. I also like the Texas RB, Jamaal Charles. He is a player with huge upside.
I was hoping Michael Bennett would get more touches in the 2008 season. Gruden will likely give Dunn a percentage of the touches intended for Michael Bennett. THAT’S BAD. Bennett would have taken a couple of Earnest Graham’s touches last year and taken it in for a TD. Graham still made 20-plus yards, but a more explosive Bennett would have taken it the distance. I wonder if Bennett would have signed his contract if he knew that Dunn was going to be released by Atlanta and signed with the Buccaneers.
As soon as Gruden was named Head Coach back in 2002, he told Rich McKay to do whatever was necessary to re-sign Warrick Dunn. From what I have heard, McKay gave Gruden the choice of signing Dunn or Simeon Rice. Gruden asked to re-sign Dunn, and McKay re-signed Simeon Rice in spite of the head coach. If Gruden has his way, I am sure he will try and design a game plan for Warrick Dunn and stick it to McKay and the Falcons twice next season.
The good thing about free agency is that the Buccaneers could be in a position to take the best player available in the draft. I still think they will need to address cornerback and a left defensive end, but by signing a lot of players to ensure competition and depth on the roster (as well as signing players with experience who are reaching their prime), the Buccaneers could be setting themselves up for being a perennial contender.
