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Graham Agrees To Deal

Tribune photo by CLIFF MCBRIDE

Earnest Graham shakes off the Saints' Mike McKenzie in a game from the 2007 season in New Orleans.

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By ROY CUMMINGS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 30, 2008

TAMPA - TAMPA - You can scratch Earnest Graham's name off that list of disgruntled Buccaneers.

Graham, the four-year veteran running back who put together a breakout season in 2007, agreed to terms late Sunday on a multiyear contract extension believed to be worth at least $10 million, according to NFL.com.

The extension should keep Graham in a Bucs uniform through at least the 2011 season and all but assures the Bucs of having their reigning rushing leader on hand for the start of training camp next month.

Graham, who skipped all but the mandatory portion of this year's offseason workout program, refused to rule out the possibility of a training camp holdout upon his arrival at a Bucs minicamp two weeks ago.

Just as he has throughout the offseason, though, Graham also said during the minicamp he was optimistic a deal would get done in time for the start of training camp and that a holdout could be averted.

"What has to be done sometimes has to be done," Graham said about a holdout. "But I'm not really stressing it. It just has to get done. They know that, I know that and I think because of that it will happen."

Graham's extension comes in the wake of his best season yet, one in which he filled in for injured tailbacks Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman and ran 222 times for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 starts.

The deal comes as Graham enters into the final year of a deal that he said included no bonuses for the kind of season he had last year and called for him to be paid the league minimum salary of $605,000.

The deal also reduces by one a rather lengthy list of disgruntled Bucs players. That list includes quarterbacks Jeff Garcia and Chris Simms, the latter of whom has asked to be either released or traded.

Garcia, who earned more than $5 million in salary and bonuses for his part in resurrecting the Bucs, is asking to be rewarded in much the same way Graham has been.

He is seeking a contract extension that will bring his total payout in line with that of other starting quarterbacks around the league. Talks aimed at accommodating him have been held but have dragged, according to Garcia.

Unlike Graham, Garcia participated regularly in the Bucs' offseason workout program. He has, however, hinted at the possibility of a training camp holdout, should his contract demands not be met.

As they did with the Graham issue, Bucs officials have talked optimistically about the outcome of negotiations with Garcia, saying repeatedly that "these things have a way of working themselves out."

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or at rcummings@tampatrib.com.

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