Remember These Names

Keep an eye on Broncos free agent linebacker/defensive end Patrick Chukwurah, who is not expected to be retained by Denver.

The Bucs brought him in for a visit last season but didn't sign him. Now it appears he's on their radar again. Chukwurah had an impressive season for a reserve player in 2006, notching 4.5 sacks though not starting any of the 14 games he played in.

Chukwurah is a key contributor on special teams and has shown the versatility to play strongside linebacker and, in rushing situations, left defensive end. The Bucs don't have much depth at either position. Ryan Nece starts at SLB with little experience behind him. And the Bucs are expected to lose DE Dewayne White in free agency, which would deplete their depth at that position.

Chukwurah would address several needs, so the Bucs' interest in him would be logical. But there's also a reason Chukwurah might be interested in coming to Tampa: his former defensive coordinator in Denver is the Bucs' new defensive line coach, Larry Coyer. Coyer was quite popular with Denver's players.

The Bucs might also hone in on Dolphins left tackle Damion McIntosh, whose negotiations with Miami stalled earlier this week. McIntosh started 13 games for the Fins last season and would fill a void for the Bucs who have decided to pursue a left tackle in free agency or the draft. Considering the Bucs can't say with any certainty they can land Wisconsin standout OT Joe Thomas on draft day, acquiring McIntosh might be one way to take care of a glaring need.

Sorry we don't have some more glamorous names to pass along, but let's see what else Friday has in store. That's when the bullets start flying and free agency begins.

Brad Johnson to be released

   Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson will be released from his contract today and will become a free agent.

   Johnson, 38, spent two seasons with the Vikings and emerged as their starter. He had two years left on his contract but the team has decided to go with a competition between Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger.

   

   

   

Could Thomas fall?

   Some leftover observations from the NFL scouting combine.

   COULD JOE THOMAS FALL?: Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas came to Indianapolis as the highest-rated offensive lineman and did nothing but enhance that perception. Thomas ran a 4.92 in the 40-yard dash and bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times.

   But don't assume he will go No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions. Jeff Backus is a left tackle and the Lions have no intentions of moving him. Thomas could play right tackle, but that would be a projection and right tackles rarely command the kind of salary Thomas would receive.

   The other factor is coach Rod Marinelli. He will continue to build the defense. The Lions franchised Lions defensive tackle Cory Redding. What he now covets is an outside pass rusher and Gaines Adams is a player Marinelli loves.

   If Thomas slips by the Lions, the Cleveland Browns would have a tough decision between Thomas and Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson. Amazingly, it wouldn't be a shock if Thomas and Calvin Johnson were still available when the Bucs pick fourth overall.

   Remember, there's a lot of time before the draft and it's rare that at least one defensive linemen doesn't move into the top five.

   ALMOST PERFECT: The player with the fewest holes is Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson. The guy borrows a pair of shoes and runs a 4.35 at 6-5, 239 pounds. Are you kidding me?

   What's more, his tape is phenominal. Talk about mismatches. This is a receiver who would have an impact on every position on offense. And one general manager told me Johnson is simply the cleanest player in the draft with no off-field issues on the horizon.

   GARCIA LOOKING: With the combine over, the attention turns to free agency. Quarterback Jeff Garcia might not have as many options as once thought. The Eagles never made him an offer and decided to sign A.J. Feeley to a three-year contract extension. Philadelphia also probably wanted to avoid the debate at quarterback with Donovan McNabb.

   The Bucs have made a run at Garcia in each of the past three years. But Tampa Bay isn't likely to offer much money for the 37-year-old quarterback. More and more, it's looking like the Bucs will bank on Chris Simms and find a steady veteran backup. But Garcia might be running out of options and more affordable to Tampa Bay.

   Speaking of free agency, defensive end Dewayne White figures to make a lot of money. It helps that almost every big-name free agent pass rusher was franchised like Dwight Freeney, Justin Smith and Charles Grant. At the end of the day, expect White to go elsewhere and the Bucs to bank on a comeback season from Simeon Rice.

            

      

   

Likely White's Final Days as a Buc

We tried to reach defensive end Dewayne White's rep on Tuesday and -- put it this way -- it wasn't a long conversation. He was knee-deep in a meeting (probably about White) and would only allow that there was nothing new to report.

For the Bucs, that's bad news. Talking about the Bucs didn't seem worth his time. Seems like nothing is doing between White and Tampa Bay, which means there likely will be plenty going on between White and some other team very soon when he becomes a free agent.

Crazy as it may sound, White -- who has never been a full-time starter for an entire season -- is emerging as one of the premier free agents in the 2007 class. Free agency begins on Friday, and expect White, 27, to be off the board by day's end. With the intense competition for defensive end help in this crop of free agents, White won't be around for long.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated, who might be the most connected man in the biz, predicts White will fetch $7-million a year. That's Simeon Rice money for a guy who has 107 fewer sacks than his better-known teammate (Rice has 121 sacks in his career to White's 14). But more power to White if he can get that kind of dough.

White has long sought more consistent playing time. It looks like he's about to get his wish -- and much, much more.

Alstott deal near?

Don't be surprised if the Bucs seal a deal with the A-Train in the coming days.

The talks between veteran fullback Mike Alstott and the Bucs continue, and while nothing is concrete yet, there could be some news on the horizon. That's not a guarantee, but if we had to bet on it, we'd say a deal will get done.

That should be welcome news for much of Tampa Bay, as many have been hoping the longtime fan favorite would return for a 12th season. What about you? Where do you stand?

Should the Bucs commit a roster spot and significant salary to an aging fullback who will be used sparingly? Or would that spot be better spent on someone else as the Bucs try to recover from a 4-12 season? It's a question the Bucs are in the process of answering. Here's your chance to chime in.

In the meantime, we'll keep working and will let you know when and if a deal gets consummated.

Gruden meets with Johnson

   

   INDIANAPOLIS - Bucs coach Jon Gruden met Friday night with Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, the player most often linked to Tampa Bay with the fourth overall pick.

   In addition to his physical attributes - 6-foot-5, 239-pounds with a 45-inch vertical jump - Johnson is just as impressive off the field. He likens his demeanor to that of Colts receiver Marvin Harrison.

   Gruden is spending the combine doing some extra background checks on Johnson by talking to some former and current coaches from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

   ""I met him last night and we're obviously going to do a lot of work on him,'' Gruden said. ""Six-foot-5, (239)-pound guy that can run and jump 45 inches that are great kids, they don't come around every year,'' Gruden said. ""But there will be some statistical surveys that say that's a bad pick and we shouldn't do that, either.

   ""A lot of coaches from the ACC are here at the combine and some of the guys I know in that conference, well-respected coaches. And I just asked them how it was game-planning for him. And there's a lot that a great receiver can bring to any team. He'll be a guy we consider. I'm sure Cleveland and everybody else in the draft is looking at that area, too.''

   Johnson said he has decided not to participate in workouts at the combine Sunday and will wait until his personal workout next month.

   In addition to considering Johnson, Gruden and the Bucs will spend a lot of time in the next two months examining the top two quarterbacks in the NFL draft - LSU's JaMarcus Russell and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. Gruden will meet with Quinn Saturday night.

   Of course, it's uncertain which players will still be available when the Bucs pick fourth, having lost the coin toss Friday with the Cleveland Browns.

   ""We've lost so many games, I hate to lose the coin toss, too,'' Gruden said.

      

Bears hire Nickerson as LB coach

   Former Bucs linebacker Hardy Nickerson has been hired as the Chicago Bears linebackers coach.

   Nickerson, who has never held a coaching position, was hired by Bears coach Lovie Smith, who taught him for four seasons in Tampa Bay.

   ""I learned a lot of football coaching Hardy Nickerson,'' Smith said. ""He was just professional, he was a coach on the field. I always thought he would make a good coach.'' 

Bucs lose coin toss; will pick fourth

   INDIANAPOLIS - He brought the coin, presented to him on behalf of the commander of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

    He got to make the call, choosing heads.

    But that proved to be the first bad decision in the 2007 NFL draft by general manager Bruce Allen.

    The Cleveland Browns won the coin flip Thursday when it landed on tails, meaning they will pick third overall in the draft. The Bucs will pick fourth.       

   ""Obviously, the higher pick in any round the better the value,'' Allen said. ""There might be equal value in this draft, being one selection higher in the second round as the first round. We'll just see how it plays out.''

    But Allen and the Bucs weren't flipping out about the results.

   ""We're in a good position to get one of the rare talents in the draft,'' Allen said.

    Which players the Bucs might lose out on is uncertain. But losing the coin toss could potentially prevent them from selecting a player like Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson.

    The Oakland Raiders are expected to select LSU quarterback JeMarcus Russell with the first overall pick. The Detroit Lions, who pick second, might opt to go with Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas.

   That would give the Browns the option of two or three elite players - Johnson, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson or even Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

   The coin toss was held at 7:45 a.m. Thursday in the Council ballroom at the Westin Hotel between Allen and Browns general manager Phil Savage. It was necessary because the Bucs and Browns finished with identical 4-12 records and the same strength of schedule, necessitating the tie-breaker.

   Allen volunteered to call the flip in the air by NFL director of player personnel Mike Fiore. But it came up tails.

      

   

 

Bucs lose coin flip, will pick fourth

Bucs general manager Bruce Allen said heads Friday morning and lost. The Cleveland Browns will pick third in the April 28-29 draft, the Bucs will pick fourth.

The Bucs last drafted in the top four in 1990. They took Alabama linebacker/defensive end Keith McCants.

This year, Tampa Bay also has two second-round picks: the 35th choice overall, plus the last pick of the second round, obtained from Indianapolis in a midseason trade of defensive tackle Anthony McFarland.

Some of the athletes possibly available in the first round when the Bucs pick are Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas (read story here) and Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Bucs to return to Disney

    The Bucs are going to spend another summer at Disney World.

   Team officials announced the Bucs will conduct training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports for the sixth straight season.

    The club also will continue to reside at the Celebration Hotel.

    Despite completion on their $30-million training facility that includes three practice fields, the team prefers to get out of Tampa for training camp. Go save your gas money and prepare to battle I-4, Bucs fans.

       

A-Train nears return

   The A-Train could soon be on schedule to return to the Bucs.

   Fullback Mike Alstott has informed the team of his desire to play in 2007. General manager Bruce Allen met with Alstott's agent, Ben Dogra, on Wednesday and discussions were said to be moving in a positive direction.

   Another meeting between Allen and Alstott's representatives will occur in the next day or two at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

   Alstott is scheduled to become a free agent March 2. But he has said he has no desire to leave Tampa Bay to resume his career.

   The 11-year pro is believed to be seeking another 1-year deal at would pay him close to the $1.5-million he earned in 2006.

   Alstott's role has been decreased over the past two seasons. Last year, he rushed 60 times for 171 yards (2.9 average). Excluding the 2003 when he had a season-ending neck injury, it marked the second-fewest rushing attempts of his career.

   He had just 34 rushes in 2005 but scored six touchdowns.

   / / /

   FLIPPING OUT: The Bucs and Browns will have a coin toss Friday at 7:45 a.m. to determine which team will own the No. 3 overall pick. The loser will select fourth overall.

    The Bucs and Browns finished with 4-12 records and the same strength of schedule, necessitating a coin flip to break the deadlock.

 

An A-Train Return?

When Bucs fullback Mike Alstott walked off the field following the season finale, it sure felt like the last time Tampa Bay would see him in Bucs uniform.

But maybe an Alstott return isn't out of the question.

Alstott, who remains undecided about returning to football, still harbors some hopes of playing in 2007, his agent said Friday. Jim Steiner said Alstott "is giving serious consideration to playing in '07."

But this shift isn't a dramatic change of position. Alstott was always open to playing if the Bucs expressed a sincere interest and were willing to pay him more than a nominal salary. That's where this gets hairy. Regardless of Alstott's position, the more important matter is the position of the Bucs. Steiner said he has had no talks with the team regarding Alstott's future. General manager Bruce Allen and coach Jon Gruden have been noncommittal about bringing Alstott back, but that subject may now have to be broached. Neither was available for comment Friday.

However, Allen and Alstott were expected to speak on the subject Friday afternoon after Alstott's wife, Nicole, reportedly made an emphatic statement that Alstott had made up his mind about a return to the NFL.

The Bucs gave Alstott a one-year contract last year which paid him $1.5-million for 2006. But that came after weeks of negotiation. Given his limited role last season, the team may be less willing to commit that kind of money to a 33-year-old, little-used fullback in this critical rebuilding year.

Alstott could not be reached for comment.

STEPHEN F. HOLDER

Brooks Hawaii-bound -- again

Derrick Brooks is going to the Pro Bowl after all.

The Bucs linebacker was named Tuesday as a replacement on the NFC roster in place of injured Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

Brooks was a first alternate to the game, but it appeared his services wouldn't be needed until Briggs suffered a minor injury in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Brooks extends his streak of Pro Bowl selections to 10. That ties him with Mike Singletary and Lawrence Taylor for the second-most among linebackers in NFL history. Junior Seau went to 12 Pro Bowls with San Diego.

Brooks finished the 2006 season with a team-best 150 tackles and three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He will join cornerback Ronde Barber and long snapper Dave Moore in Saturday's game in Honolulu.