Bucs Clean House
Two days before the start of free agency, and already with the 2nd most amount of cap money, the Bucs released 5 staples of our old regime. Reports from all the major sporting outlets, are saying the Bucs have released Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, Warrick Dunn and Cato June.
I was expecting a few of these guys to be released, especially due to their age. I think there is a strong possibility that 4 of the 5 guys that were released could retire. Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Warrick Dunn all could retire. Dunn and Brooks in particular have so many other charitable endeavors on their plate that retirement is not out of the question. After watching Joey Galloway’s lack of speed coming off the line, I don’t foresee many teams knocking down the door for his services. Cato June on the other hand should generate plenty of interest once FA starts this Friday.
As far as repercussions for the current o9 Bucs, there are 3 major repercussions from these moves.
- Lowered expectations for a first year coach and GM should help them avoid the hot seat for at least a few seasons.
- Cap Room. The Bucs were already entering FA with a reported 40+ mil in cap space. These releases in my guestimation should put us over 60+ mil in cap space. This gives the new regime the ability to go after the free agent’s of their choosing and draft the players they think fit their system as opposed to filling holes.
- I think the main goal of this was to remake the roster in a much younger form. The release of Brooks and June should clear the way for recent draft picks Geno Hayes and and Quincy Black to step into the WLB and SLB spots respectively. Both guys have been deserving of more playing time, and should get it with the release of these players.
Finally I want to express my thanks and gratitude for the 14 years he has blessed the Bay Area with his talent and benevolence. He is an 11 time Pro Bowler and one time Defensive Player of the Year in the year the Bucs won the Super Bowl. He has 1698 career tackles, 24 forced fumbles, 25 INT’s and 13.5 career sacks. He is a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer and on the day of his enshrinement I will be present at his speech in Canton. I think it would be hard to argue that he is the greatest Buccaneer of All Time. Above all of his accomplishments on the football field, the man is an ever better person than he is a football player. He is the kind of person that you hope your children grow up to be like and is an inspiration to any human being, football fan or not.
