Bucs to spend on extensions, possible trades

The Bucs entered free agency with a league-high $44-million salary-cap space, most of which they haven't touched even as sought-after free agents are gobbled up by other teams.

Turns out, it's part of a plan.

Tampa Bay has very specific plans for all that cash, with much of it earmarked for contract extensions for several of the team's up-and-coming young players, according to general manager Bruce Allen. Also, Allen indicated the Bucs are actively pursuing potentially significant trades largely because of a lack of depth in this year's crop of free agents.

We've learned the team has discussed possible contract extensions for fullback B.J. Askew, cornerback Phillip Buchanon, defensive tackle Jovan Haye, running back Earnest Graham and, possibly, safety Jermaine Phillips. Each of those players' contracts expires after the 2008 season, when they are scheduled to become free agents. If and when those deals are consummated, the Bucs will need significant cap space available.

"One of the reasons you want to get some room under the salary cap is so you can extend your own players into the future," Allen said. "...We've had some dialogue with some of those players and we'll continue to do that."

Allen added that the cap flexibility will give the Bucs the freedom to make significant trades, allowing them to acquire and accommodate players with large salaries.

"Our cap situation allows us the ability to not only (extend contracts), but also look at the possibility of trading for some players who might have huge cap numbers for some other teams," Allen said.

Askew was a key piece in the running game in 2007, providing the Bucs a reliable lead blocker and receiving threat out of the backfield. He signed a two-year contract in 2007 and the Bucs have already had conversations about working out an extension. Haye, a restricted free agent, received a first-round tender from the team and will continue to explore a long-term deal that will prevent him from becoming a free agent in 2009.

Keeping Buchanon became more of a priority when Brian Kelly exercised an option to buy back the final year of his contract and become a free agent. Also, Ronde Barber, who starts opposite Buchanon, turns 33 in April. Graham's agent and Allen began talks about a contract extension last month for a player who scored a team-high 10 touchdowns. Phillips had a revival in 2007 with four interceptions, having perhaps his best season as a pro.

Regarding possible trades, the Bucs will continue to scour other teams' rosters targeting players in whom they have an interest.

"We're open to acquiring players in any way we can," Allen said. "Sometimes, we not only look at an unrestricted free agent list, but we look at team's rosters and try to pinpoint players, whether they be on their practice squad or street free agents. Any way we can try and improve the team we will. And we do have the flexibility to look at all avenues right now."

Comments

[epbuc16]

see thats what im talking about. extensions and being agresssive in another way besides the open market, though i would still like bryant johnson.lol

[John Klopfer]

Okay.... but there are still some prime free agents. I am not advocating over paying anyone...but signing a bunch of back ups is not going to pay the dividends that we need.

[ChIcKeN LiTtLe]

don't tell me that Stephen!
I want to have something to whine about on these blogs

[Ray]

I like to hear what all those Gruden/Allen bashers have to say now. Thank God you guys are not in charge. Otherwise most of our young promising players won't be around come next year. Like I said before, Allen I am glad you are sticking to your guns and not giving all that hard to come by salary cap available money to some average players.

We will trade for Larry Fitzgerald and Chief Wahoo McDaniel.

[Justin M]

Its the plan for success. Draft well and re-sign your best players. You dont dump boatloads of cash on free agents who arent worth a fraction of what they are getting.

Applause for the front office.

The key is not over paying anyone & I think that's a big reason we've balked at the idea of some of these free agents that have visited. Have you seen some of the just down right out insane contracts some of these teams are giving out? Right now we have great bargaining chips with some of our own players. We can lock them up without the fear of losing them to free agency next year, & I think Chris Simms is the trade bait that's going to land us a playmaker either through a direct trade, draft picks, etc.

[Nick]

Wow well at least this question got asked and answered!! I understand the theory and don't have too much wrong with it. At the same time I think we need at least one big time (impact player) on offense who is proven whether through a trade or whatever. The problem with the draft is players who are impact players in college are not always that in the NFL. Remember Ryan Leaf??? Booker Reese, Reydel Anthony, Jacquez Green, Trent Dilfer, Tony Mandarich, etc etc. All of those players got me going on draft day.....

[eric]

I'm glad they didn't waste cap space again on a bunch of over-the-hill, overpriced free agents... If we are going to trade for someone, we should try to get the QB of the future in here now. We have adequate veteran QBs and the cap room to do it... I say TRY TO TRADE FOR BRADY QUINN.
e

[Mike/ Tampa]

Give Derrick and Ronde some money!! Both of them have renegotiated pay cuts in the last few years so we could sign people. They have been great "Team Players" so I think its time the "TEAM" gave back to them.. Just my .02

[Ray]

Here is a thought. Falcons currently have one QB on their roster (Redman). For those who don't know Leftwich was let go awhile back and Harrington got the boot today. Chances are they will draft a QB with theird 3rd pick overall. They probably need a QB to step in right away while they are developing their drafted QB. Maybe Bucs can send them Simms for extra draft picks. The down side to this is you are sending a signal caller to a division rival. I am not sure if Gruden will be happy about that. Just a thought

[Skylar]

Mike, DB and Barber have already cashed in long ago. That's why they took pay cuts; they knew they'd be on another team instead. Don't get me wrong, they're great and I want them here; it's just a testament to how well those two really get it. They could go somewhere else for a little more money and they would just get scrutinized. Here they are legends and always will be. More importantly though, this article once again makes people like DR look like the ridiculous, uneducated morons that they are. This is how you build a franchise for long-term success. Go ask Rooney if he should have paid Faneca all that money? Do you think the Steelers will miss a beat without him? Not to mention, the guy was a prik about the whole situation. The Bucs will prevail...

[Kurt]

Simms and 3rd rounder for D Hall? Now that's a worthy trade....for us.

[Ray]

D. Hall and a third rounder for Simms maybe stretch. Afterall Simms was a third rounder for us. I'll be happy with just a D. Hall / Simms swap. It could be done. Remember K. Johnson / Gallaway swap with the Cowboys. Who knows.

[cory]

Every guy mentioned in the article deserves an extension, however I wouldn't give graham more than a 2 or 3 year contract just because the future running back situation is so up in the air.

[Brian Miller]

I do not think Deangelo Hall is worth giving up anything for... the draft class for CB's is too deep... although it would make playing Madden with the Bucs less frustrating...

[Daryl Stevens]

I think we should try to trade Simms for a defensive playmaker and we should sign Chris Brown who was effective (4.5 ypc / 5 TD) on a Tennessee offense that really struggled...

[RobYhan Twenty-Juan]

The Bucs need a star on offense. Moss would've been cool to a 2 or 3 year contract considering age and money. But I'm fine without him. Besides Hackett and B. Johnson, receivers i'd give a low B or a high C grade, (Javon (accident prone) Walker signed with the Raiders.... really who cares, he's like 33 years old.) there are no more free agent WR's Worhty of being on our team. Hopefully we see the Bucs trade for a high caliber receiver. Even with the high controversy always surrounding Chad Johnson (bengals) it sounds like he wants out. Suprise trade to the Bucs would be a plus immediately. If the Bucs don't pick a receiver in the first round,( we need a corner with the 20th pick.) who else would you all like to see be playing on opposite end of gray haired Joey Galloway? Let us know!

[Tuck]

Trades seem to be the way to build a team in the NFL these days. Welker to NE last year for 2nd & 7th round picks - Bargain. Moss for a 4th - Steal. Stroud this year to Buff for a 3rd & a 5th - sounds like a good deal to me.

These days, signing free agents just seems like a great way to blow money.

I'm all for trading for either L. Fitzgerald or C. Johnson. We just can't give up two 1st round draft choices like we did for Meshawn Johnson.

[Mr. S]

Falcons just cut Harrington. Let's see how many QBs we can get on the roster...

[Jay]

My hope springs eternal for seeing Ocho Cinqo in Bucs pewter and red. If Bruce is able to pull this off, it will immediately make this team a playoff contender (and maybe get some national media coverage for a change).

[Kinn Corn Karn]

No way in hell do I want that self absorbed, me first D. Hall on Tampa's roster. Yes, he's talented, but he also a locker room cancer. Remember the sideline tirade he threw last season? I would rather see them draft a corner. I would love to see the Bucs trade for Ocho Cinco, or Fitzgerald though.

[Al]

Everyone,
I have inside information on the Buc's next signing...Theyre going to take the $40 million and intice Warren Sapp out of retirement. He's worth it...just ask him.

[Jay]

Don't hate on Warren. He was the best DT for at least a decade, and we were fortunate enough to have him on the team. He's a Hall of Famer for sure, and to be honest, if I had to choose between retiring and playing for Al Davis, well, I don't think it would be much of a struggle.

Oh please. For the past few weeks Allen said nothing about focusing on mass extensions until now, conveniently before season ticket payments are due, so don't act as if this was the master plan all along that's supposed to quell the uprising. It's because of those irked fans that Allen had to come out and spin this like a seasoned politician.

Extend the RIGHT people and we'll be satisfied. You couldn't get top tier FA, whether by choice or by lack of players (franchise tags, etc.). Make lemonade out of lemons and get the team improved - NO EXCUSES in 2008.

I say that in bold because I know that should the Bucs struggle next season, the chic new whine from the Grudenista cult will be "waaahhh we couldn't get anyone in free agency cause no one was available...you have to give Gruden a shot at a better free agent class!!!!".

Since the Rich McKay Salary Hell excuse is long dead and all.

[Stephen Holder]

Here's the problem with the idea that the Bucs can land D-Hall: does anyone really think the FALCONS will do such a deal with the Bucs? Highly unlikely. Now, that's not to say the Bucs wouldn't be bold enough to propose something to see whether they could steal him from a division rival. There's no harm in trying. But I have a hard time seeing these two doing business. It's a rule of thumb in the NFL that division foes generally don't do deals with one another.

[mkurbo]

More over to my point - these gentlemen (Glazer/Allen/Demoff/Gruden) are smart business people. They are far more engaged with the FA market than we fans could ever imagine. The fact of the matter is that they have made a major strategic blunder. They miscalculated as to how more available cap room (dollars available) would translate to absorption of top tier talent in rapid fashion. This misstep left them hat-in-hand on the sideline while all the top talent signed elsewhere in the first several days of free agency.

This whole “smokey thee piece pipe” effort with the media underscores their miscalculation. There were a handful of truly talented athletes to address each of the Bucs needs, and they dropped the ball completely. Good business people can make bad decisions – but raising ticket prices and not locking down a few of the top available talents in the first several days of FA now turns into a local and national debacle. I believe the initiative and opportunity has already been lost and we should not be looking at desperate trades to some how repair the damage !

[Scott]

Unless the Bucs already did, they need to extend Greg White also.

[carlos]

85 will be great. Im hoping for the bucs to draft Mike Jenkins (he would be a fan favorite here)and of course hes a good CB. and maybe trae williams. both former bulls.

[Anthony Gironda]

THIS IS JUST TOTAL CRAP!!! Extensions?? Are they crazy?? Are they kidding me?? Bruce Allen is the worst GM in Bucs history right now!!!

[Anthony Gironda]

We have all this money & we're doing nothing with it!!!

[kirbs]

Are you kidding me! Did you not see the job last year Bruce did? Exactly who should have we paid out bucu dollars for in FA? Do you honestly think the top brass is just sitting on the sidelines with their thumbs up their asses? There will be an insert of firepower on offense. Have a little patience!!!!!!

[jack]

The BUCS should trade their #1 and Chris Simms to the Cardinal for Larry Fitzgerald and also sign Hackett

[caleb]

What Allen says and what Allen does are two different things.

I'll believe their trading when I see it.

[Aaron]

No D Hall - you have to assume he'ld be locker room poison.

They should trade Simms to the Cards, but for Bolden. He's an unbelievable WR, cheaper and a great team guy. Bucs would have to throw in a draft pic, but it would also give the Cards two good lefty QBs.

HEY BRUCE, BRING Q HOME!

[Bobby]

I truly believe there were no miscalculations here. This is good business. Tampa has its core for the future, and it would be wise to try and lock them up. Why is it so hard to believe this was the plan to begin with? Now naturally, they probably did miss out on a few of the FAs they targeted, but there are 32 teams out there vying for these available players. I'm sure Bruce Allen and anyone else involved knew they wouldn't be able to sign all their targets going in. Also, just because you have a boatload of available money doesn't mean you have to spend it. I applaud TB for not going crazy and trying to sign every big name Tom, Dick, and Harry that demands top dollars. Whether or not some of you like Jon Gruden or Bruce Allen is nither here nor there, but the fact of the matter is, they are taking a smart approach to free agency (to say Bruce Allen is the worst GM in TB history, or even a bad one, is ludicrous). Also, caleb, why will you believe a trade from Tampa when you see it? TB has been one of the most active trading teams in the past few years. Anyway, I would love to see a trade for Larry Fitzgerald. Call me crazy, but I would give up 2 - #1s for him (given that we could sign him to a contract extension.)

THIS IS JUST TOTAL CRAP!!! Extensions?? Are they crazy?? Are they kidding me?? Bruce Allen is the worst GM in Bucs history right now!!!

Posted by: Anthony Gironda | March 06, 2008 at 01:33 AM

So, is it in history... or just right now? Do you even know what you're saying?