Hey guys. I don't know if you guys are big fans of Twitter or not. I just recently started trying it out but I did manage to find a few Buccaneers on there. The only two current players I was able to find were Earnest Graham and EJ Biggers. Warren Sapp and Warrick Dunn both also have accounts though. There are quite a few players from around the NFL on there. I was able to find Peyton Manning, T.O., Champ Bailey, Shawn Merriman, Jason Witten, and last but certainly not least Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson. Be careful if you start following him though because the dude literally "tweets" every couple of minutes. Within minutes of following him he took up my whole screen with asinine, rambling tweets. You would think the dude would want to be training for the upcoming season. haha. Well I put this up here to let you guys know that you can follow some of the players if you want to. Also: if anyone knows other players that have Twitter accounts please feel free to tell us in the comments section.

One of the overlooked factors in any team's season is how the relative strength of their opponents can affect their records.  It stands to reason that if you are a mid-level team and play the bottom of the barrel teams, this should inflate your record, given that you are playing lesser teams.  Same holds true if you play only elite teams, your record would probably indicate you are worse than you truly are, given the level of competition.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled into last season with a strength of schedule (SOS) that fell somewhere in the middle of the league.  One major caveat to strength of schedule as it is viewed before the season starts; it's completely based on the prior year's results.  This doesn't account for surprise teams or any deviation from the previous year.  For example, in 2008, most of Miami's opponents, based on strength of schedule, saw an easier run during the year.  Miami had been a doormat in 2007, going 1-15.  So every team that faced them had a strength of schedule brought down by Miami's 2007 season.  Obviously, Miami did much better in 2008, giving their opponents a much more difficult challenge than their SOS would indicate.

To clear up any discrepancies, SOS is calculated by taking all opponents wins and dividing by total games, thus giving you the win percentage of the respective team's opponents.  The Bucs SOS going into 2008 was .469.  The teams they were facing were collectively under .500 in 2007 which was good for the 19th hardest schedule. 

The schedule ended up being a bit more difficult by looking at 2008 results.  By calculating the win % based on a completed 2008 season the Buc's schedule had a win % or SOS of .480, slightly higher than projected.  What does this mean?  Truthfully, it shows the schedule was a bit more difficult than anticipated, but nothing egregious.  The Bucs were helped by playing the second worst division in football (the AFC West, second only to the NFC West).  I'll cover a more in-depth look at the schedule later, but want to come back to SOS and the 2009 season.

The Bucs have the 4th hardest schedule going into the year with a .580 SOS.  The NFC South actually has the toughest go of it this year, with each team in the NFC South falling in the top 8 with respect to SO (Carolina is 2nd with .592, Atlanta is 4th with .588 and New Orleans is 8th with .557).

How will the Bucs fare?  this obviously depends on too many factors to list.  For what its worth, Pittsburgh apparently had the toughest schedule last year (.598 pre-season, .519 after 2008 season) and still went to and won the Super Bowl, proving that SOS is not a predictive tool, more of a media tool to create conversation.

The SOS should be taken with a grain of salt.  It is based on the thought that each team will perform exactly similar to the year prior, which is very unlikely to happen.  It also doesn't figure home/road games and how teams perform historically in those venues.  We all know that the Bucs haven't fared well in cold weather, but there is no increase/decrease in our SOS to compensate for any late season cold weather games.  SOS is merely a representation of how a season would play out in a controlled environment, which doesn't exist in the football universe.

In the end, SOS can give you a glimpse into a season, but hardly tells the whole story.  The true story can come from looking back after the season and seeing how your team fared based on that respective season.  We know going into 2009 that the road appears tough (.580), but we won't know how difficult (or easy) our schedule is until the season is completed. 

The 2008 season produced similar results in the passing game when compared to past years.  Our #1 Wide Receiver was the focus of our QB, eliciting more than double the targets of closest Bucs receiver.  There were some sensational grabs, down the field plays, and a highlight play for the world to see.  The difference?  The name on the back of the jersey read Bryant, not Galloway. 

Antonio Bryant, a Pitt product, a mercurial receiver who has bounced around the league due to perceived attitude problems and drug/drinking issues took a giant leap back onto the NFL landscape in 2008 with a productive season for the offensively challenged Buccaneers.  He totaled 83 receptions for 1,248 yards and 7 touchdowns.  This ranked him 11th in receptions, 8th in yards and T12 in touchdowns.  A banner year for anyone, but particularly for a guy we scraped from the trash heap.  Bryant’s 2008 season is remarkably similar to 2005 Galloway and 2003 McCardell.  This season also put Bryant’s name high on the Buc’s leader board, with the T5 total in receptions, 4th best in yards behind names like Carrier and Me-shawn in the Buc's annals.

Even more impressive was his ability to catch the ball. This seems like a simple task for a player who makes his living doing this, but as my previous article showed, AB performed better than most in this category.

The question now becomes not what did we have, but what do we have.  What can Bryant do in year 2 donning a Buccaneers uniform?  Can he repeat his career year?  Can he continue to find some of the magic that was on display as the only bright spot in Carolina?  A look back at his previous years shows some startling numbers.

 2008 obviously stands out as his career year.  The other 5 seasons (2007 was a N/A as Bryant was on the sideline due to legal issues) are pedestrian as far as what you would want to see from a #1 receiver.  No individual season stands out.  In fact, some might point to his motivation to A) get paid and B) re-establish himself as a player in the NFL as to why he performed so well in 2008.  This is probably part of the equation, though only AB himself knows this.  The talent has been there, but it takes desire, work ethic, and a team to make a player great.  As a former 2nd round pick and Biletnikoff winner as a sophomore, the talent was there.  Perhaps he expected immediate NFL success or after securing a sizable contract, the desire and work ethic faded.

His re-emergence may have come from a different avenue, having a coach who gave him a chance and catered to him.  Without being privy to locker room conversations, and on the field discussions, this is all just hypothesized, but Bryant was dismissed from two teams, the 2004 Dallas Cowboys and the 2006 San Fran 49ers due to clashes with head coaches (Parcells and Nolan).  Gruden is/was more laid back than either of these guys in terms of being a disciplinarian and "father figure".  Any human being will tell you that more times than not, when someone gives you a chance after no one else does, you tend to try a bit harder.  Can you measure that?  Not in a way that I know of, but Bryant's desire to get back in the game, Gruden's ability to look the other way on past character issues, and a scheme that targets one primary receiver all led to a big year.  Can this be re-produced in 2009?

I expect to see a decline in Bryant's numbers for two reasons.  1) We will become a run heavy offense.  More running plays = less opportunities to catch passes (though it should open up the field).  2) The addition of a playmaking tight end/wide receiver.  More playmakers typically means the ball is spread around.  Bryant and Winslow should help each other out in terms of drawing coverage and freeing up zones.  A decline in Bryant's numbers won't necessarily mean he has regressed; it could be a product of several things, including the two listed above.

There are still some question marks surrounding Bryant.  Has he put past issued behind him?  Can he co-exist with a coach and a young QB?  Will he be able to handle another high profile name on the offense?  Can our young QB's (assuming they start) get him the ball?  Having made his way back into the NFL circle, will he still have the chip on his shoulder?

As Bryant saunters into the 2009 season, perhaps we as fans will get the best of him again.  He is, after all, on another one year deal (though it's a bit higher from his 08 pay, $605,000 to $9,884,000).  If he can continue on his "team first" path, accept his role in the offense, and look to capitalize on his opportunities, Bryant should lead the Bucs offensive attack again and produce another great year from the former Pittsburgh Panther. 

* As a side note, Bryant has played with current Buc’s QB’s for 4 regular season games.  All came with the Browns and Luke McCown.  In those 4 games, McCown and Bryant hooked up for 16 catches, 197 yards and 2 TD’s

Buccaneers Inform Jeff Garcia That No Team Ever Wanted Him

TAMPA BAY, FL—Shortly after ending a two-year relationship with Jeff Garcia, the Buccaneers front office notified its former quarterback that no NFL organization had in fact ever wanted or needed the 38-year-old. "It was hard to see that look on his face, but he needed to learn that no team—not even the Bears—could imagine a future with him," said owner Malcolm Glazer. "We were only stuck with Jeff for this long because nobody better was available." Glazer, who said the decision to make a clean break came after consideration of Garcia's arm strength, height, freckles, and male pattern baldness, admitted the Buccaneers only pursued the quarterback to see if it made other free agents interested in the team.

Naturally Garcia signed with the Raiders....officially ending his career.

For those of you who didn't get it, this was a little satire on my part. I don't know how else to spend this off season and make it go by faster.

Yahoo Sports yesterday, published a report that the Buccaneers were one of five teams to contact Plaxico Burress this week.  The Yahoo report describes the phone call as exploratory and was mainly to “check on Burress’ well being.”  The checking in on his well being part is quite laughable, but we’ll for this excercise take the phone call as a serious inquiry into signing Burress. This is according to Burress' agent Drew Rosenhaus. According Rosenhaus, via his Twitter account, Burress now has five NFL teams interested in him. And that list, according to Rosenhaus, could become even longer soon, Profootballtalk.com reported.

First and foremost, the legal issues that Plaxico faces from gun charges in NY are the most important factor in any team signing him, the Bucs or anyone else for that matter.  I have read lately that his lawyers are trying to reach a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.  Let us also assume for this that Plaxico ends up with a probation and community service type of plea bargain and serves no actual jail time. I mean he may be an idiot, but he didn't kill anybody (or animals).

Regardless of his eventual deal with the state/district attorney’s office, Plax is almost certain to face some punishment from Commisioner Roger Goodell.  Burress is most likely looking at somewhere in between 4 and 8 games.  Let’s say he ends up with an 8 game suspension, stays on good behavior and gets his suspension cut to 6 games.  

The availability of a player who had such an impact on a team winning the Super Bowl two years ago is something that every team would be looking at if Burress wasn’t such a head case.  He is though, and that is something that every team, including the Bucs would need to take into consideration if they were to sign him.  His production on the field though, can not be disputed.  In 3 full seasons with the NY Giants, him and Eli Manning connected for 29 touchdowns.  Everyone just assumed that Eli Manning had become a great quarterback during this time, but with Burress out last year, Manning looked average, and in my opinion, that’s is just what he is.  Burress ability to stretch the defense vertically on go routes, run routes to perfection, catch just about anything thrown his way and mostly his ability to be a huge redzone target was key to the so called “progression” of young Elisha Nelson Manning.

If the Bucs plan were to let Luke McCown or Byron Leftwich captain the ship this year while rookie Josh Freeman learns the ropes, than signing Burress to me seems to be a no brainer.  The tandem of Antonio Bryant and Burress coupled with the arm strength of both McCown and Leftwich would make our offense downright scary. Add in the deep running back corps, Kellen Winslow and our young impressive line, and the Bucs would have the chance to be a top tier offensive team. I think everyone is overexaggerating the loss of the older players on our defense, because if I remember correctly, most of the pundits felt this was our downfall defensively last season. We have old guys and we are too old, we get rid of them, and now most people think we have no defense.  Our secondary is one of the young bright secondaries in the league.  Barrett Ruud, Quincy Black/Angelo Crowell and Jermaine Phillips/Geno Hayes is a more than competent group of linebackers and if the defensive line can get some more pressure on the QB we have the chance to be as good as we have at any point during the last decade. People forget that until we lost to the Panthers in Week 14, the Bucs were the number 2 ranked defense in the league.  

On the other hand, if the plan is for Freeman to play, I think this would be a terrible signing by us.  I loved how Antonio Bryant behaved last year, but the combination of Bryant, Winslow and Burress is a frightening thought for me in regards to a rookie QB and his psyche.  Three guys who demand the ball and aren’t afraid to act out when they don’t get their way isn’t really the way you want to “raise” a quarterback in this league.  

It’s an interesting pickle for our team in all honesty, and one if it were to happen, will probably tell you the direction in which the front office and the new coaching staff feel this team is headed for the upcoming season. I, for one, hope we sign Plax. I'd have no problem seeing 17 setting of cannons. So please Raheem, let Plax walk the plank...

I thought I would do a position breakdown of the team for this season. This is all off the top of my head, because frankly I don't feel like looking anything up. Feel free to correct me if I get something wrong. I am also going to include a grade for each position, and comment about how I feel they will perform this season.

Let's start with our new and "improved" offense...

QB: 

Grade: C-

Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Our QB situation is far from ideal heading into the 2009 season. The controversial drafting of a project QB out of Kansas State has left a bad taste in a lot of fan's mouths. We are left to ponder whether our familiar back-up Luke McCown, the newly acquired Byron Leftwich, or our highly paid young gun Josh Freeman will be starting Game 1 vs. Dallas. The situation also begs the question of what is to become of our previous project QB Josh Johnson. It is never a good thing when you have a question mark at QB heading into the season, but hopefully a quality starter will emerge to lead us into a unexpected playoff run.

RB:

Grade: B-

This position seems to have improved in the offseason with the free agent acquisition of Giant's running back Derrick Ward. We will most likely see a running back by committee approach with the resilient Earnest Graham, and electrifying return man Clifton Smith. Our Caddy is, yet again, back in the garage this season after perhaps being rushed back onto the field too soon last season. Despite the fact that our "franchise" back is out I am very optimistic about our running game this year. The only reason I gave the position a B- is because of lingering issues at the fullback position.

WR:

Grade: C+

You would think with the dozen receivers we have on the roster that this would be a little better position for us. Our #1 receiver spot will be held by Antonio "I'm not happy with 9 million for one year" Bryant. Bryant displayed brilliant hands and a uncanny ability to get open down the sideline last season. Let's just hope it carries over to this year. I think the incentive of earning a long term contract will lend itself to the "Real Antonio Bryant" showing up again this year. Our #2 spot is going to be given to Michael Clayton (I'm assuming this because of the  idiotic  exorbitant contract that was given to him during the off-season). It is officially time for Mr. Clayton to put up or shut up. He has nothing else to blame his failures upon now that Mr. Gruden has left the building. Our third receiver spot should be up for grabs and there are plenty of guys that I feel have the talent to contribute. I would like to see Stovall, Campbell, or Stroughter step up and make some big plays this season. I hope Dexter Jackson does the right thing and gives the team back all of their money he has been paid thus far in the understanding that we was drafted under the pretense that he was a football player.

TE:

Grade: A

We improved on a already very talented group of  tight ends by adding the highly skilled, but much maligned Kellen Winslow Jr. in the off-season. He will join the 6'7 Jerramy Stevens (everyone's favorite player from a personality standpoint) along with Gilmore to create a very solid unit that  can be effective in any situation. These guys should be a great help to whomever wins out at the QB battle during camp.

O-Line

Grade:  A-

I'm not going to do a position breakdown on the O-Line because I don't feel like it. The only weaknesses I can really see are Penn's conviction that he is better than he really is, and Trueblood's penchant for drawing stupid penalties. Joseph, Zuttah, and Faine played pretty well last year, and I expect more of the same this year.

And now for our Defense.......

D-Line

Grade: D

Our D-Line is in need of some serious help this season. I'm really looking forward to seeing how our rookies pan out and if they can make an impact on a very weak defensive front. Miller looks to be a great run stopper, and hopefully Moore can complement Gaines at the DE position. I don't think it will be long until he starts pushing Stylez (seriously dude wtf were you thinking, I like Teen Wolf too but you have just taken it way too far) for playing time. Gaines needs to have a great year or he will officially be considered a bust in my opinion. He has just never managed to put everything together to become that great player that he was projected to be. If anyone can get something out of a DE it's Bates though, so I remain hopeful on this point. I'm also hoping Miller can beat Sims out of his job by the start of the season so that our front four will be a little more respected than it would be otherwise.

WLB

Grade: ?

Jermaine Phillips has moved from the safety position to play the weak side LB spot. I never really understood this move, as I still think Phillips is a much better safety than Piscitelli, but then again I'm not a coach, just a genius. If the Phillips experiment doesn't work out then hopefully one of our young guns (Hayward, Black, Hayes) will be able to capably fill this spot. I honestly think that there is so much quality at the OLB spots that we should be just fine. I still don't understand why we released Cato June because he was supposedly too small and then decided to move a safety to LB to fill his position. At least we will be in for some thundering hits this season as Phillips always lays it on the line.

SLB

Grade: B+

I'm assuming that Angelo Crowell is going to win the starting spot in camp because he is the most accomplished of the candidates for this job. Crowell did miss all of last season though and it is still unclear on whether or not he can regain his former form. When Brooks and June were released we were told that the young LB's on the roster were ready to start and deserved to be on the field. That's why I was a little perplexed when they brought in Crowell.

MLB

Grade: B+

Hopefully by the time the season starts the morons in the front office will have given Ruud the contract he deserves. The guy has literally done everything they have asked of him since we drafted him in the 2nd round a few years back. He sat back and diligently learned the position from Shelton Quarles, and then took over the job in a very efficient manner. He is considered one of the most solid MLB's in the NFL and yet we won't pay the guy. I just don't understand how we can give huge contracts to Kellen Winslow and Michael Clayton, but we can't pay the backbone of our defense. Ruud seemed to wear down a little last season and I don't even know who his back up is so lets hope he doesn't get hurt.

CB:

Grade: C

I'm looking forward to seeing Aqib Talib on the field full time this season. I thought he showed some great instincts and ability last year by snagging four picks despite seeing limited playing time. I'm not looking forward to seeing Ronde getting embarrassed by guys ten years younger than him. I was really hoping we would land a free agent corner and we could just have Ronde play the nickel. Obviously this didn't happen so I'm thinking that it's going to be a long, long season for Mr. Barber. Our alternatives are that Biggers kid we drafted late (WTF? Why didn't we draft a CB higher than the 6th round?) or Elbert Mack, who is small like Ronde, but can really bring the pain, as evidenced by the hit last season that earned him a fine by the NFL. Other than that, there isn't much hope. I think that Torrie Cox is still lurking around but he is, when all is said and done, Torrie Cox.

FS:

Grade: A-

I think that this position is very solid with Tanard Jackson coming back after a great season last year. He is also backed up by the very capable Will Allen. Jackson seems to have great instincts and I'm hoping that he will continue to be productive for years to come. I'm going to miss the Bash Brothers combo of Jackson and Phillips though.

SS:

Grade: D

As I've said previously I'm not a big fan of Sabby. I don't think they should have given him the SS spot or moved Phillips. No sense crying over spilled milk though. I'm excited by the splash play ability that Piscitelli brings to the game, but he is ALWAYS out of position. Maybe it will be better in Bates Defense but I don't know. I'm really weary on this one, and I'm not sure who his backup is either.

K

Grade: B

Nugent or Bryant. Seriously who cares? Both are adequate, and whichever one wins the job in camp is the better kicker. Period.

Punter

Grade A+

Bidwell is the man! Haha is it bad that the punter gets the highest grade in my whole evaluation.

Well, there is my evaluation of this year's team going into the season. I'm sure that we're in store for some surprises along the way. Feel free to correct me or to disagree with any of my grades. I welcome the debate.

I’m just a fan. Not a fanatic, but a fan.

Raised in a family of football lovers, I have grown up with the game as many of us have. I have seen the rise of legends, and their downfalls. Names come and go. Offensive and defensive schemes change. Even the rules change, but the song remains the same. It’s Football, straight and true. It’s eleven versus eleven. When I became a Buccaneers fan, I was just an eight year old who thought pirates looked cool. The image of Bucco Bruce, with the cutlass in his teeth, it was just plain cool to look at. I watched the games, yet they meant nothing to me. I didn’t understand what a blitz was, or if intentional grounding was just something parents did to punish their children. But as the years wore on, I learned more and more of the game. And with each passing season, I rushed ahead with greater anticipation.

             I fondly recall the days when Tony Dungy was the figurehead of what many NFL enthusiasts still call “one of the greatest defenses of all-time.” Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Rhonde Barber, John Lynch, Mike Alstott, Warrick Dunn, and yes, Trent Dilfer. Any Bucs fan ought to recognize these names. These were the names I grew up with. I have countless drawings depicting these players. I had even aspired to become a Buccaneer myself. Of course, such was the delusion of a child.

            In those days, the Buccaneers weren’t the biggest team on the block, but they weren’t a pushover either. Sure, they closest they may have ever gotten was the NFC Championship game, but the drive was there. Finally, they hit it big in 2002. They smashed the Oakland Raiders in San Diego, marking the first Super Bowl victory for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise. Ironically, I remember speaking to a friend of mine in high school. He was a Raiders fan and I was a Bucs fan. I had remarked that it would be “cool” if the Raiders and Bucs faced off in the upcoming Super Bowl. Alas, I digress. Still, many fans still cry foul in regards to the nature of the victory. Was Jon Gruden really the coach who brought our team all the way, or did he just pick up the pieces? The evidence, albeit very convincing, can still be left for questioning. Nevertheless, few will dispute that the road since Super Bowl XXXVII was a bumpy one.

            In the years following, there have been a few gains, and many losses. With the addition of General Manager Bruce Allen, Warren Sapp and John Lynch were dismissed; a decision that still unnerves Bucs fans to this day. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams was acquired, and for a time, it was good. But as of today, Cadillac still has a difficult road ahead of him. Michael Clayton was a wonderful breakout performance, but had faded in the eyes of many Bucs fans. Inconsistencies at the quarterback position had left the offensive side of the ball in near shambles, leaving the defense to try and carry the weight.

            Jeff Garcia provided us with a nice change of pace, but even that was not enough. So what was it, then? Was it Jon Gruden’s playbook? Was it Bruce Allen? Both? Whatever the case may have been, it was more than apparent that something was missing in the Buccaneers’ core. And then the Great Change occurred: Monte left, Gruden and Allen were fired, and a myriad of Bucs cornerstones were dropped. Fans’ voices cried aloud at the absurdity of it all. Such became a defining moment in Buccaneers history. In the past few months, many changes have come to pass at One Buc Place. Some have been puzzling, even difficult for fans to even begin to encompass. But that’s how it is. Change is rarely easy to stomach.

            When you’ve been a fan for such a long time, seeing such a shift could be devastating. Understandably, if something works, don’t fix it. That’s a mentality that’s been shared with an innumerable count of people. But who are we to decide? We cannot force the pen that signs the contract. We cannot decide who’s drafted and who’s waived. And surely, we cannot choose who wins and who loses. We, as fans, are but spectators to this magnificent sport. We can cheer loudly and proudly, or we can boo with profanities and sneers. But other than that, the best we can do, as fans, is lend our support. Yes, we cannot decide, but at least our voices can be heard.

            For the “Nay-Sayers” of Bucs fan base, have hope. In the end, it’s the only thing us fans have. If you’ve been with the team for this long, why cast your doubts here? You must’ve been around when the Bucs suffered dismal seasons in the past. People have even doubted, then. I know I have. I was on the brink of changing to the Seattle Seahawks because I was so perturbed by the team’s performance. But like a fan, I hung in there. I still do. So with the draft acquisition, the off-season moves, and the new coordinators, don’t despair. It’s okay to be a little wary of the choices that have been made, but have hope. That’s the true test of a fan. Will you stay when the going gets rough, or will you leave it to the winds?

            Like I said, I’m just a fan. Not a fanatic, but a fan.

P.S. – As a side note, I truly believe that the Bucs can be great this coming season. If you’ve noticed, they’ve been relatively moving under the radar since the early off-season action. We have no indication of how the team will turn out this season, but I have a feeling that it’ll be a good one. I have a good feeling about Josh Freeman. Then again, I’ve been wrong before. But I’ll still hold out for this one. We may not have the standout names, but it’s not so much about the names as it is about the core. One man doesn’t make the team, although some might think so.

I’m a long-time reader, first time caller. I just wanted to say something, that’s all. I’m not as statistics heavy as some of our more esteemed writers are. So if any of you wanted to bash me with lowbrow remarks, at least do it with a correct grammar structure. Thanks for your time.

- Zeke

I can remember over the past few seasons, so many of my friends saying that Bucs needed to fire Jon Gruden. Like a cow mooing, over and over again, “Fire Gruden!” “Fire Gruden!” Well, they finally got their wish and Gruden is gone.

I remember thinking that if Gruden ever was fired, he would be the first coach off the market as another team would snatch him up immediately, so I was never on the “fire Gruden” bandwagon.

 It didn’t happen that way for some reason and Gruden took a job in the booth for Monday Night Football.

I remember after Gruden survived the first wave of firings after the Super Bowl this season, I thought he was safe, but one Friday night, the Bucs pulled the trigger and Gruden was gone. My initial reaction was that letting him go was a mistake because it was apparent that the only coaches that were available were retreads like Marty Schottenheimer or a complete unknown.

But as the night progressed, I started creating a mental list of Gruden Gaffes – things that really just pissed me right off as a fan.  That night I drove from Land O’ Lakes to Channelside (Downtown Tampa) to meet my friends. By the time I was in the parking garage, I was convinced it was the right decision.

Now Gruden gets boatloads of credit for winning Super Bowl XXXVII, and don’t tell me he did it with Tony Dungy’s team. The only reason Dungy DIDN’T win was because he was fiercely loyal to Clyde Christianson and refused to fire him in favor of a real offensive coordinator (side note: guess who is offensive coordinator for the Colts this season? Yep! Smilin’ Clyde. I don’t think there has been a figurehead position like his this side of the Queen Elizabeth). So in my house, Gruden got a pass, for a bit anyhow. But one afternoon, in an effort to avoid doing actual work, I started writing down what was Gruden’s undoing.

I filled two pages.

Here’s the Top 5 in detail:

1.       The Wide Receiver Debacle (2008): Joey Galloway is hurt in the first week of the 2008 season with what is called a “sprain” but is later revealed to be a “break” in his ankle. In steps former cast-off Antonio Bryant who was not even in the NFL last season. Bryant grabs the opportunity with both hands and racks of 83 catches for 1,248 yards and 7 touchdowns. Galloway is never a factor again despite numerous public claims that he is 100% healthy. Bryant was essentially the ONLY receiver on the team because no other Bucs receiver had more than 500 yards receiving. We were told that Galloway wasn’t on the field because he played the same position as Bryant.  Now, we’ve all heard for the past seven years is that Gruden is an “offensive guru” blah, blah. It would seem to me that someone who was a true innovator would figure out a way to get his two most productive receivers on the field at the same time. The Dolphins figured out how to get two running backs on the field at the same time (Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams) by using the Wildcat Formation. In over 50 years of football, someone at sometime must have figured out how to get two receivers who played the same position on the field at some point.

2.       The Quarterback Collection (2007):  In our house, we have three bathrooms. Sometimes we run out of toilet paper because we use one bathroom more than another and we cannibalize the supply in the other rooms, and not realizing that we’re completely out until it is too late. When I go to the store, I tend to overbuy. Well, that’s what Gruden did in 2007 after quarterback Chris Simms got off to a dismal start and eventually left his spleen on the field in Carolina (how the offensive line was not charged with attempted murder, I still cannot figure out). Left with journeyman Tim Rattay and rookie Bruce Gradkowski, the Bucs went in the tank. Well, in a fit of “overbuying,” Gruden stocked up on quarterbacks (as I type this, the “toilet paper” analogy is quite fitting) loading the roster with the likes of Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Brian Griese, Gradkowski, Simms, and even traded for Jake Plummer (who refused to report).   Now, I can understand being prepared for injury, but Gruden took it to a level that was almost laughable. Every time a quarterback was released from another team, Gruden and the Bucs were listed in the media as being “interested.” As it turned out, the Bucs went to the playoffs, but none of the six ended up being world-beaters. The only thing accomplished was Gruden’s name was tarnished just a little bit further.

3.       John Lynch (2004): I know it’s tough to part with long-time players, but the way safety John Lynch (NFL Network’s #10 Hardest Hitter in history) was jettisoned will forever be a sore spot for Buc fans. Lynch was 33 when the Bucs released him after claiming he failed a physical after having neck surgery to help alleviate some of “stinger” injuries that he had (no doubt as a result of his teeth-rattling hits). General Manager Bruce Allen tried to sell the story that Lynch was too beat up to justify his $4.1 million salary and released him unceremoniously. Lynch signed with the Broncos prior to the 2004 season. Lynch proved Allen and Gruden wrong by going to the Pro Bowl four times after leaving Tampa Bay (2004-2007). Lynch got his revenge in Week 4 of the 2004 season as the Broncos came to Tampa and beat the Bucs 16-13 sending them to an 0-4 start. Next to Doug Williams and Steve Young, Lynch’s departure might be the worst assessment of a player’s potential and future performance.

4.       The Chinese Playbook (2002-2008): Gruden’s playbook was legendary for being an indecipherable hodge-podge of loosely connected adjectives and codes that only made sense to him. Running back Michael Bennett had a hard time getting on the field after he was acquired from the Chiefs in a trade because it was said that the playbook was too difficult to understand. NFL Films has videos of Gruden screaming at the top of his lungs at quarterback Chris Simms and Brad Johnson because they couldn’t remember the laundry list of terms in a single play. I can understand that you want to make your offense your own, but when it’s universally known that your playbook is just slightly less comprehensible than the Torah, you need to make some changes so you can get your talent on the field and out of the classroom.

5.       Sickening Devotion to the Wrong Players (2002-2008): In a twist of irony, Dungy was done in by his devotion to his less than stellar offensive coordinator. I guess it was only natural that Gruden would develop some kind of attachment to some personnel that was bad for his reputation as well. Just this past year, the Bucs rushed running back Cadillac Williams back on the field despite having Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett available after Earnest Graham went down with a season-ending ankle sprain. Rather than use Dunn and Bennett, Gruden and Allen released Bennett and activated Williams from the PUP list. Bennett didn’t even clear waivers as he was sucked up by the Chargers. Gruden then leaned on the aging Dunn toward the end of the season essentially wearing him out, while Williams was used sparingly to get him accustomed to the field again. Then Williams blows out the other knee and is lost for the year. The Bucs went from three viable backs to one. Everyone was rooting for Williams to come back healthy and his recovery was nothing short of miraculous, but rushing him back to the field was the wrong move, especially with the Bucs’ depth at the position. Another example: despite a multitude of sub-par seasons, Gruden and Allen never made a legitimate effort to replace (or even get some competition for) Michael Clayton. It’s well-known that Clayton had a stellar rookie season, but that season is the exception, not the norm.  Since his rookie season, Clayton has yet to match his touchdown output from his rookie season (Seven TDs in 2004. Two total since). And what’s worse, Clayton’s lone touchdown going into the 2008 season had to be reviewed in order to stand – it wasn’t even a “clean” catch. Allen and Gruden stubbornly handicapped the offense by never replacing (or attempting to replace) Clayton. It might be that Gruden thought Clayton was a tight end because Gruden was never shy about signing body after body to play tight end, sometimes getting three on the field at the same time (Hey! Don’t they all play the same position?).  And for some inexplicable reason, Clayton was RE-SIGNED AFTER GRUDEN AND ALLEN DEPARTED! Why? He might be secretly married to a Glazer.

Honorable Mention:

Dexter Jackson (2008):  The Bucs were in need of a playmaker at wide receiver (and in other news, water is still wet). The closest the Bucs ever came to bolstering the wide receiving corps was the drafting of Appalachian State wide receiver Dexter Jackson in the second round of the draft. Gruden then drops the news that Jackson WON’T be used as a wide receiver, but will be given the opportunity to return kicks and punts. Well, that was a pick well spent. As it turns out, Jackson had worse hands than Clayton, but even more maddening was his intense fear of contact (you picked the wrong career, Dex). So, Allen and Gruden drafted a wide receiver who doesn’t play wide receiver, and subsequently is more afraid of contact than Samuel L. Jackson in Unbreakable. It’s the one draft pick that Matt Millen can laugh at.