Bucs sign WR Antonio Bryant

The Bucs have made their first move at a position that needs some help, signing troubled free agent receiver Antonio Bryant to a contract.

Bryant has started 56 times in his 77 career games with the Cowboys, Browns and 49ers. But whether he can help the Bucs after a year out of the NFL remains to be seen. Bryant was released by San Francisco in March 2007 and did not play in the league last fall, largely because he had a potential suspension looming over him because of noncompliance with the substance-abuse policy.

A lawsuit filed against the NFL last summer has been resolved and Bryant's Denver-based agent, Peter Schaffer tells us "there are no legal issues pending" against his client, indicating he would be eligible to play on opening day.

The NFL assessed Bryant a four-game suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy at the end of the 2006 season, with just two games left on the schedule. When the 49ers released him three months later, it was expected that any team that signed him would do so with the understanding he must serve the remainder of that suspension. The Bucs worked him out in 2007 and opted not to sign him, likely for that reason. However, it is now believed the suspension is no longer applicable.

When Bryant's federal case was dismissed in December at his request, an agreement was reached that satisfied both parties. Bryant had contested the league's requirement that he participate in the substance-abuse policy while not on an actual roster. No details of the legal agreement were made public, and Schaffer earlier today refused to say whether Bryant is still enrolled in the substance-abuse program.

Bryant has had other issues, too. He was sentenced to one year of probation and and fined $1,312 after pleading no contest to reckless driving last year in San Mateo, Calif. A charge of resisting arrest stemming from the incident was dropped as part of the plea deal.

And Bryant had a well-publicized run-in with Bill Parcells in 2004 in which he tossed a sweaty jersey in the coach's face while playing for the Cowboys. He was ordered to take anger management courses after the incident and was subsequently traded to the Browns.

Bryant's best season came in that lone season with Cleveland in 2005 when Bryant caught 69 passes for 1,009 yards.

Comments

[JH]

Dear Bucs fans:

Before you hear comments from One Buc Place about what a changed person Bryant is, consider this ESPN report in 2006 when he signed with the 49ers (see below). He has clashed with every head coach that he has ever worked with. Will Gruden and Bryant get along any better?

"I knew I had some baggage, but all in all I still feel like I [can] come in here and prove that I'm capable of being the receiver they need me to be," Bryant said. "I have a fresh canvas, I can definitely paint and what better organization? They've got a lot of great players, [and] it's the home of receivers."

Coach Mike Nolan spoke with several of Bryant's former coaches during his four days of pursuing the free agent, and he had two lengthy conversations with Bryant in the hours before his signing. Nolan came away impressed by Bryant's respect for the 49ers' legacy of star receivers, from Jerry Rice to Terrell Owens.

"I wanted to hear him talk specifically about a couple of instances they've had," Nolan said. "He talked about how he's matured and the things he's learned. He does get excited about certain things. He wants to get the ball ... and at times maybe hasn't shown that in the best ways."

[Mike]

Ok JH, I understand where you're coming from BUT seriously this is David Boston version 2.0. Hell of a lot of talent but just can't seem to get on the right track. I am not going to bash this guy or whine about this signing but I hope that the organization is still in the hunt for quality grade at the position whether it be in the draft or via trade.

[Badbud]

Bucs could sign Jesus Christ and 12 Disciples and Buc fans would BIACTH,About it

Bryant was upset in Dallas for good reason when they brought in Terry Glenn to be the #2

[vikingdan]

Well, as long as this is one of those "can't loose contracts" where it is all incentive based, we can give him a shot. Keep him on a short leash and we'll see. I see him as a low risk, low probability of making a contribution. If he does, it's bonus. He can also be a short term solution while we wait for the WR that we draft to mature and develop into a regular contributor. 1 year fill in player at best with a chance to surprise.

[The Guy on the Couch]

Here's to hoping that he doesn't get benched like Keyshawn.

[Dwayne]

for a second i thought it was bryant johnson, but hey this could be good pick up or a bad we will see how it plays out.

[Rodger]

If he can run, cut and catch then we need him. if he entertains us in other ways, well then thats just typical over paid jock crap.

[The waterboy]

First off just a minor correction for one of the statements above, Bryant was pissed because Parcells brought Keyshawn Johnson of all people in there to replace him! And I agree he had a right to be fired up.

Also, could you see a player like him getting along with a guy like Nolan? Nolan is stuck in a time warp and want the game to be like it was back in the 60's and 70'.

GREAT move GruAllen, way to bolster the WR corp without spending an arm and a leg!

[Tuol Ting]

Antonio Bryant? Yeah baby, that's the impact WR I was looking for with all cap room we have. We can actually afford to acquire real talent at the position but here we go again looking for bargains....Talented guy with a checkered past, just like David Boston and you know how that ended up. Who's next? Let's trade for Koren Robinson or better yet, get Me-Shawn back

[John P]

Hey, the kid can FLY. If he stays free of conflict (and I'd bet money that he will) he's going to be going vertical - a LOT.

Don't knock the Bucs for taking on these reclamation projects. They work just as often as not, and I want a winner on the field. This guy is not bad at all.

15.3 career yards per catch. He couldn't stand Bill Parcells. He had a 1,000 yard season catching passes from Charlie Frye, of all people. All good things, in my opinion. So, give him a chance.

[Jimmy G]

Huge splash in the free agent market.
Hey Glaziers, How about dumping more Money into your soccar team. Stop neglecting the BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JJ]

Gruden-Allen have notoriously given 'bad apples' a 2nd (and sometimes 3rd) chance to redeem themselves. He's an above average wideout with below average respect for authority. If he was THAT good, he wouldn't be on his 4th or 5th team in as many years. Enough said.

[Reggie]

I am not sure that Negro will ever get his act together.

[John P]

Hey JJ, Garcia's on his 4th team - that seemed to work out pretty well, eh?

Buchanon, 3rd team. Bennett, 3rd team...etc.

what's a soccar team?

[Tony]

I like the move. He's got a lot of potential, and at his age it's now or never.

Defensive player in the first round. CB hopefully.

[Dwayne]

we signed him to a one year deal the six year veteran minimum of $605,000. thats about wat we paid stevens last year and it wasnt bad, i say good signing hes worth a shot, has some speed too.

[JC]

Note to Antonio,

Don't listen to these fickle fans of our beloved Bucs. Truth is all they really know how to do well is complain. They complained about Galloway when we picked him up in a trade for Keyshawn, they said the same thing about Ruud not being a capable back-up much less the starter and look what he did last year. Oh yeah and don't forget about how stupid we were to release Simeon Rice - he still had mad game didn't he? Listen to a real Bucs fan. We don't love you until you prove yourself in our colors, but real Bucs fans will give you the benefit of the doubt because you are wearing them. Work Hard, be an outstanding citizen and represent the pewter and red well and you will be loved. If you don't you will be run out on a rail and rightfully so.

To all of you fans who can't be pleased with any move the Bucs make find a new team or shut-up already.

[DR]

Hey Antonio, i'll see you down in Ybor on Saturday night's son! You came to the right place to party bro! Don't worry, Tampa's got some of the best DUI defense lawyers in the state! We're good to go!

[Slim]

What exactly did he do? I'm aware of the Parcells incident which I agree with him on but I haven't heard about the incidents in SF and Clevland. No legal troubles right?

[Rube]

I don't care about his probation or his run ins with every head coach. The guy has been away from the game for an entire season. The guy won't have it, won't get it period. He will be cut before the season begins. Let's go out and add depth through the draft at WR... and for pete's sake Bucs-sign Lito Shep from Phil.

[Slim]

What exactly did he do? I'm aware of the Parcells incident which I agree with him on but I haven't heard about the incidents in SF and Clevland. No legal troubles right?

[jim]

RIGHT ON! GREAT DAY BUCS! And I'm not a big fan of management. Two great moves today. Now, let's see how good a coach Gruden is. Go Bucs!!

[John P]

Slim, he had a DUI and a wreckless driving conviction a few years ago. He also got in Parcells face, and followed that up by eating the hearts of a girl scout troop. Otherwise, he's got talent, and I'll let him babysit my kids if he catches touchdowns fairly often.

david boston called. he heard we were looking into washed up trouble makers again.

[Steve A]

I wonder how many of these sad people who are allready getting on the back of Bryant and the Buccs were only a week ago calling for the re signing of Stevens. Then again we could just spend everything we have like the Redskins over the last few years. How many superbowls have they won lately and how many players did they release or renegotiate with this season to get under cap?

enough b.s. experiments!! show the fans that you want to win by going balls out!! spend the money you've been working so hard to build up. how do guys like julius jones slip through our fingers? all i ask is one big move in the offseason to get us out of the 1st round every year. go out and get something to get us over the hump or we will be humped every year.

stevens is a loser and should never be allowed to play in the nfl again. whomever is calling for the bucs to resign stevens is an uninformed person or someone with low moral standards.

jc- never question authority. just stay in line. do what the leader says.

soccar?!! it's so unpopular that we don't even know how to spell it. god bless the usa!

[Kipp]

Lets hope this guy isn't as stupid as David Boston. As far as I'm conserned this guy has a clean slate in Tampa starting now and hopefully he can keep it that way.

why are so many people up in arms about this. this guy will get paid at or near the vet minimum which means he is of no risk to us and if he contributes a decent amount then it will be a great pick up for us. He has showed potential in the past to be way better than anyone on our team at this point other than joey galloway.

[Joe]

It's just another minor investment in a player with more character flaws than potential. There's little financially at stake, and I don't want to complain, but I am happier when players with good character and good talent are signed. Of course if he scores 6 TDs, that will say a lot about his character, eh?

[aaron]

i think this is a good pick up. i had hoped we would have picked him up last year. but we still need to draft a wr early. maybe Adarius Bowman in the second round. 6'4" 215 pounds and runs a 4.35 40. thats good stuff.

[Sound Off]

This guy has a lot more talent than David Boston did when he was signed. It didn't cost the Bucs that much. Let the chips fall where they may. He'll get irritated when he sees Garcia running around back there like a scared rabbit, because the OL can't block for him. THAT'S what Allen and Gruden need to be addressing. Average NFL receivers can have BIG days when an NFL QB has time to throw the ball.

[Mike]

Sound off are you drinking already this morning? Put down the sauce! What do you think the Bucs have been doing the past two years in the draft? You're a moron.

[JH]

I agree with all of those who think that it is a good idea to bring in receivers such as Bryant. However, I am concerned about how he and Gruden will get along and how this will affect the team. This is not a complaint. Gruden simply doesn't have a good history with prima donna wide receivers.

According to a San Francisco Chronicle story, even Romeo Crennel (and not just Parcells and Nolan by the way!) criticized Bryant for not giving enough effort after training camp.

"Bryant was the Browns' leading receiver last season, catching 69 passes for 1,009 yards and four touchdowns. A college star at Pittsburgh, he spent his first two NFL seasons with the Cowboys before blossoming into a dependable receiver in Cleveland.

But he drew criticism from coach Romeo Crennel for drops and inconsistency. Bryant also made waves with his temper in Dallas, once getting kicked out of practice for arguing with coach Bill Parcells — even throwing his sweaty uniform at the coach."

Yes, the numbers say that he was great in Cleveland, and so, let's hope that he can pull it together for the Bucs.

[Joe Simmons (Slow Joe)]

Low risk. Can be cut with no consequences.

Always a great move.

[Mike]

I'm ok with it too. I'm just saying that they should still look at the wr position in the draft. Speaking of the draft, Does anyone recall what changes were made as far as the draft goes? I know they cut down the first round time allotted to each team. I also thought that they maybe changed it to the first day going through rounds 1 - 4. Anyone recall?

I'm seriously torn about it. On one hand, I'm not opposed to giving 2nd and 3rd chances to young and dumb kids, because we all did stupid crap as kids.......

....and I don't think he'll be a problem on the team, because he's very well aware this is probably his last shot.

..but what happens when he can't control his desire to drink and drive??

..will the reclaimation projects stop when one of these guys kills a member of the community??

..is the NFL talent pool so thin, that players with questionable character and checkered pasts are all that's left??

[Kurt]

DR, you should be more concerned with your crack for steroids trade, no playoff winning Dallas Cowgirls, don't you think? This guy is an angel compared to some of the thugs your class act owner has brought to big D. At least he has done no worse things than our President did before we elected him...I think. I'm just saying...

[DR]

Kurt, we can agree on that, we have a piece of crap president. But c'mon, the Bucs have a losing record since the super bowl and their embarrassing losses in the playoffs were just that, embarrassing. The bucs haven't won a meaningful game in 5 years. At least the cowboys have lost in an entertaining and excruciating fashion. And we easily sell out our home playoff losses.
On the bright side, at least Bryant hasn't butt plugged an innocent girl.

[Ben]

What about his fitness having been out of the league for an entire season? I know that the Bucs worked him out and were pleased enough to sign him, but are we getting a stud 2nd or 3rd wideout or a washed up punt returner?

As far as his attitude, I tend to agree with Stephen's and Rick's article today about Dunn being a role model in the locker room and teaching Bryant something. We need WRs regardless of their track record. If we pick up a couple young guys in the draft, we can mold them around solid, well respected vets like Garcia and Dunn. Worst case scenario, we trim the fat and cut Bryant in camp.

so when do we start scouring the correctional system for football talent?

[Str8BucIn]

Nice pick up at a baragin price. Okay everyone here's a quality pick up and a guy that will be extremely hungry to get back in the league. Like they saying goes don't do the crime if you can't do the time, let's face it having to sit out a year qualifies as serving his time. Now let's see the top flight player that we know you can be. AB you are going to be the missing piece that we are looking for and if you take good notes from Joey G you can fill his shoe's when he retires. We still need to address this position in the draft, but it doesn't have to be as pressing. Our 1st round pick needs to be on one of the quality CB's in this years draft.

[DR]

I love Tony Romo, but that doesn't make me gay.

[Kurt]

I know that every player Gruden picks up tastes good. And what's the big deal about what Steven's did to that girl? I mean, it feels good when that happens to me!

[DR]

Oh, how I love hot dogs!

[ANDY]

DR and Kurt= You two need to get a life and stop treating your computer like your friend/lover..........