Super Bowl Bucs dwindling in number

Michael Pittman's move to the Broncos marks the beginning of a new chapter for the veteran running back. But it also means something else for the Bucs: It leaves just four holdovers from the 2002 Super Bowl roster.

Pittman was the last offensive player hanging on from a season that is beginning to feel more and more like ancient history with each passing year. The remaining players from the Super Bowl season are linebacker Derrick Brooks, cornerback Ronde Barber, safety Jermaine Phillips and linebacker Ryan Nece. The latter two, Phillips and Nece, were rookies that season, with Nece spending half the season on injured reserve with a knee injury.

In the not-so-distant future, it's plausible the remaining four could be cut by half, if not more. Brooks is nearing the end of his stellar career, and Barber is getting closer than some will admit. Nece has continued to defy the odds and has kept his job the past six years despite the team's annual influx of linebackers. But he'll have to beat out competition again this year. Phillips might be in the best position to stick around long term as he is one of several players for whom the Bucs are considering a contract extension.

Pittman's departure was one of several in the last couple seasons involving key players from the Super Bowl squad. Last year, Simeon Rice and Shelton Quarles were released. And earlier this year, Mike Alstott called it a career.

Just goes to show you that six years is a lifetime in the ever-changing NFL.

On a separate, unrelated note, you might want to check out tomorrow's story on Gaines Adams in which he makes a pretty honest admission about a bad habit of his. You'll see what I mean.

Comments

[billy d]

Stephen,
Usually you don't throw teasers out there like that. I already am wondering what it is that Gaines would do that is so much in question yet so readily able to admit in the media. I'll check in with you tomorrow.

[George Leslie Hicks]

Well fans, Why not start another winning year and Coach Gruden would change the way he's running the offensive plays. 2nd of all Take the players that are healthy. 3rd Lets experment in Pre-Season and put the best team on the field both offensive and defensive. And win the games one at a time. If these players are not comment to winning. Take the players that have come the longest way back, and show a lot of spark. Why not in 2008-9 the superbowl again and win.

[Skylar]

He likes the Jimmy Ganja! Nothing harm there...

[Skylar]

...harmful...

[Jay]

I believe the only viable solution to this problem is to win another SuperBowl.

[Brett]

What happened to Simeon Rice? Will he ever play in the NFL again?

[Michael]

Brett, I believe that Simeon Rice is done. He hasnt retired, but as far as I know, he is still a free agent. As I said when the Bucs relesed him, it had nothing to do with a disliking of him. He was old, and comming off a serious shoulder injury, and as the Bucs said when they relesed him, he wasnt healthy. Otherwise, why did the Giants and Titans pass on signing him, and why did both the Broncos and Colts relese him, with both teams in need of a pass rush so badly?

[Michael]

Brett, I believe that Simeon Rice is done. He hasnt retired, but as far as I know, he is still a free agent. As I said when the Bucs relesed him, it had nothing to do with a disliking of him. He was old, and comming off a serious shoulder injury, and as the Bucs said when they relesed him, he wasnt healthy. Otherwise, why did the Giants and Titans pass on signing him, and why did both the Broncos and Colts relese him, with both teams in need of a pass rush so badly?

[Michael]

Brett, I believe that Simeon Rice is done. He hasnt retired, but as far as I know, he is still a free agent. As I said when the Bucs relesed him, it had nothing to do with a disliking of him. He was old, and comming off a serious shoulder injury, and as the Bucs said when they relesed him, he wasnt healthy. Otherwise, why did the Giants and Titans pass on signing him, and why did both the Broncos and Colts relese him, with both teams in need of a pass rush so badly?

[Michael]

Brett, I believe that Simeon Rice is done. He hasnt retired, but as far as I know, he is still a free agent. As I said when the Bucs relesed him, it had nothing to do with a disliking of him. He was old, and comming off a serious shoulder injury, and as the Bucs said when they relesed him, he wasnt healthy. Otherwise, why did the Giants and Titans pass on signing him, and why did both the Broncos and Colts relese him, with both teams in need of a pass rush so badly?

[Tony]

Stephen, I do not see this as a story at all, how long is the average NFL career? It has been 6 years since a VETERAN Buc team won the Super Bowl, look at the run the Patriots had, who on that team was a league veteran that is still there? Those os us that have been Buc fans for 30 plus years now don't see the 1997-2002 Bucs as the only team ever fielded here. Soon, the players here now will be considered the only Buc team by many, know what I mean?

[Caleb]

Tony...Bruschi, Vrabel, Brown, Brady, Faulk, Light, and Seymour are still there.

[Oliver]

The Bucs won the Superbowl with some real veterans anyway; Alstott, Sapp, Brad Johnson, Christy, Lynch, Quarles and Brooks were all in their 30's, plus the likes of Kelly, Barber, Jackson, Jurevicious, Keyshawn, Pittman, McCardell and Rice were all in their late 20's. These guys were at their peak, and post-2002 have begun winding down. Some have retired. Teams move on.

[TonyE]

Look at teams that won superbowls a few years apart and maybe even the ones that won back-to-back. They all fielded different teams. The reality of the matter is everything changes and teams change year after year. A new face here or there will always happen. A new central corps of personnel will happen because players -A)Will get greedy, B) There body breaks down, or C) Organizations loose key staff members to other teams.

[Duane]

The main reason Gruden was brought in here was because ownership thought the window was closing fast for their opportunity to go to the SB because of many of their players ages. Remembered the papers running several stories about that windown the season before we won the SB. If we had had a real O-coordinator during thier halcyon days, the Bucs may have gone to two or three SB's.