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Bucs On Verge Of Signing Trotter

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By ROY CUMMINGS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 4, 2007

Updated: 09/04/2007 01:22 am

TAMPA - The Bucs must have liked what they saw of former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter two weeks ago.

Though the linebacker position is one of the deeper spots on the team, the Bucs were on the verge late Monday of signing the four-time Pro Bowl player to a one-year, $1 million contract.

'We're on our way over there to One Buc Place to take care of business right now,' Trotter said after arriving at Tampa International Airport from Philadelphia. 'Right now I'm just excited to be with the Bucs.'

The contract puts Trotter back in the NFL just two weeks after he was released in a surprise move by the Eagles.

Where exactly Trotter will land on the field is still to be determined, but Trotter said he was under the impression he would back up starter Barrett Ruud at middle linebacker and contribute on special teams.

The former is an area of need for the Bucs, who have been making do at that spot since releasing Shelton Quarles this spring. They have been working Ryan Nece there, but Nece's lack of experience at middle linebacker has been a concern.

Trotter, 30, eases the concern and figures to contribute mostly as a run stopper. That's the area he's excelled in throughout his career, but the Eagles' concerns about his ability to do that this year led to his release.

While watching tape of their 2006 season, Eagles coaches reportedly decided Trotter's limited pass-coverage skills and loss of speed would make him a vulnerable target for opposing offenses.

Still, the release did not go over well with his former Eagles teammates. Quarterback Donovan McNabb voiced his displeasure with the move, saying the Eagles were losing one their best players and locker room leaders.

As he waited at a TIA baggage carousel for his luggage on Monday, Trotter admitted that playing for another team will take some getting used to, but he said he couldn't wait to get started on the task.

'It's going to be different at first, but that's how the NFL is,' he said. 'There is change every year because there is big turnover. You're going to meet new teammates, go to a new city and make it happen there.

'I'm looking forward to all the different challenges. I'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates. I already met the coaching staff. I want to meet my new teammates and go out there and create new friendships.'

Trotter will be renewing at least one old friendship by joining the Bucs. He and fellow linebacker Derrick Brooks have been close since they played in the Pro Bowl together for the first time in 2001.

'I played beside him in the Pro Bowl for three or four years, and that was great,' Trotter said. 'I never thought in a million years we would be teammates. I'm definitely looking forward to it.'

Trotter said he was negotiating with a couple of other teams but had a feeling Tampa would become his new home after he finished working out for the Bucs on Aug. 23.

'There was a great chemistry in the locker room,' he said. 'And I talked to quarterback Jeff Garcia and he filled me in a lot, so I'm real excited. 'I'm going to come in and whatever they need, that is what I'm going to do.

'I'm going to suit up, run around and make plays. Wherever they see me, that is where I'll play. I could be playing guard for all I know. I'm ready to go out and crack some heads.'

This is not the first time Trotter has taken this route in a return to the NFL. After the Redskins released him following the 2003 season, he re-signed with the Eagles as a backup and special teams regular.

Trotter was back in the starting lineup before midseason that year, and he played a huge role in getting the Eagles to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Patriots 24-21.

Trotter wasn't ready to say Monday that the Bucs will enjoy a similar fate, but he made it clear he's going to do all he can to get them back on the winning track.

'I'm excited about being here,' he said. 'I couldn't wait to get here. I couldn't wait to get here with the team and start working and make things happen.'

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or rcummings@tampatrib.com. Reporter Anwar S. Richardson contributed to this report. Keyword: Bucs to read an exclusive interview with Jeremiah Trotter as he arrives in Tampa.

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