Sports
Dunn Deal: Warrick Is Back
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Published: March 11, 2008
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TAMPA - Had he known a chance to run with his old backfield mate was on the horizon, Mike Alstott just might have held off on making that retirement announcement.
As it is, Alstott will have to settle for simply watching Warrick Dunn's second stint as a Bucs tailback.
It's not a bad alternative. With Dunn vowing to prove the Falcons made a mistake by letting him go, his second term with the Bucs could prove to be quite a show.
"I did get cut, so I definitely have that chip on my shoulder," Dunn said shortly after rejoining the Bucs on Monday. "I'm just like any other athlete; I have an ego, too, so I want to show everybody I can still play."
It seems he has already shown the Bucs. They displayed their faith in Dunn by signing him to a two-year contract that includes $2 million in guaranteed payouts and $3 million salaries in 2008 and 2009.
In another move Monday, the Bucs pulled troubled wide receiver Antonio Bryant off the scrap heap, signing him to what is believed to be a one-year contract worth the six-year veteran minimum of $605,000.
The latter move allows Bryant to resume a playing career that has been marked by run-ins with his coaches, failed drug tests and a league suspension that cost him the last two games of the 2006 season.
That suspension would have cost Bryant the first two games of 2007 as well, but the San Francisco 49ers, his third team in six years, cut him last March. Since then, only the Bucs have taken a chance on him.
The Bucs are taking a chance on Dunn as well. Now, 33, the Bucs' 1997 first-round draft pick is coming off his worst season in four years, one in which he ran 227 times for only 720 yards, or 3.2 yards per carry.
But Dunn ran for more than 1,000 yards each of the three previous seasons, and his 2007 season was hampered by a back problem that no longer appears to be an issue.
"No, it's fine," Dunn said of the back problem that limited his preparation for the 2007 season. "I feel great, and it's great to be back in Tampa. It's really exciting."
If his back is indeed a non-issue the Bucs could benefit greatly from the addition of Dunn, who gives them added speed and pass-catching ability in a backfield shaken by the loss of Cadillac Williams.
Williams, the Bucs' first-round draft pick in 2005 who went on to be named the NFL's offensive rookie of the year, is still rehabilitating a torn right patellar tendon injury suffered in Week 4 last season.
There is no way of knowing whether Williams will ever regain his old form or even play again, so finding another back with his breakaway ability was a top priority.
The Bucs toyed with the idea of signing backs such as Aaron Stecker and even Julius Jones, and did re-sign Michael Bennett, but they seemed to have an idea Dunn would become available and eventually sign.
That scenario materialized last week when the Falcons signed Michael Turner. Dunn was released the next day and immediately engaged in discussions with the Bucs.
He also looked into possibly joining the Cowboys, Texans and Colts, but Dunn said he believed in the end that returning to his former team was the best move.
"I just wanted to be patient with it," Dunn said of the decision-making process. "I didn't want to let my emotions lead me, so I just prayed about it and let God guide me and he led me back to Tampa."
Despite Bryant's troubles, the Bucs could benefit from the signing of him as well. Before entering the league as a second-round draft pick of the Cowboys, he became only the second sophomore (Randy Moss was the other) to win the Fred Biletnikoff Award as college football's top receiver.
The signings of Dunn and Bryant came as the Bucs were on the verge of possibly losing a valuable reserve safety and special teams contributor in veteran Kalvin Pearson.
A restricted free agent, Pearson last week was offered a three-year, $3.5 million contract by the Lions, whose offer included a $1.1 million signing bonus.
The Bucs have until 4 p.m. Wednesday to match the offer or they will lose Pearson. In addition the Bucs would not be owed compensation for their loss because Pearson came into the league as an undrafted free agent.
"We have not heard anything from Tampa Bay," Pearson's agent, Michael Hawthorne, said. "We know they had a meeting about Pearson on Monday, but I don't know what has come of that. If nothing, we'll sign with Detroit on Wednesday at 4 p.m."
Reporter Anwar S. Richardson contributed to this story. Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or rcummings@tampatrib.com.
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