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Faine Fills Final Piece Of O-Line Puzzle
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Published: September 5, 2008
Updated: 09/05/2008 12:12 am
TAMPA - Jeff Faine moved so quickly, he could have been flagged for offside.
When the start of the 2008 free agency period dawned at the end of February, Faine and the Bucs were eager to make a deal.
Tampa Bay wanted to get younger, nastier and more athletic at center.
Faine wanted to be paid.
Seek and ye shall find.
"I thought I was a pretty good asset to New Orleans," said Faine, who will anchor the Bucs' offensive line Sunday at the Superdome against his former teammates. "I thought I brought a lot of qualities to that organization. I felt great about the city, great about the fans and great about a team on the rise."
Then, along came the Bucs with a $37 million offer that would make the Pro Bowl alternate the league's highest-paid center.
"Honestly, my first choice was to go back to New Orleans," Faine said. "But the Bucs were aggressive and the Saints had made a decision early on to settle on my backup at my position. When I heard that, it was time for me to find a new home."
While the Saints are going with Jonathan Goodwin, the Bucs can't say enough about Faine, elected a co-captain on offense, along with the man he is paid so lavishly to protect, quarterback Jeff Garcia.
Faine, 27, replaces John Wade, who is backing up center Jake Grove in Oakland. Wade was a popular player who gave offensive line coach Bill Muir all he had, but Faine brings more weapons to the trenches.
"I love John Wade, but Faine's a talented guy, among the top two or three in the league at his position," Bucs assistant Larry Coyer said. "He's really, really good. He's calm, he's quiet, but he's tough and extremely bright."
Faine has been besieged by friends and family for ticket requests heading into the season opener at New Orleans, and he is leaving it up to his mom to handle the details.
Besides, he's too busy preparing for an overhauled defense and a beefed-up pass rush.
"It's definitely going to be an exciting game for me," Faine said. "It feels like it's been forever since I played a full game. ... I can't wait to get after it."
This isn't the first time Faine will experience an emotional homecoming.
After an outstanding career at Notre Dame, Faine was the 21st pick in the 2003 draft, but his three years in Cleveland were marred by assorted injuries and 33 losses.
The Browns were determined to get bigger at center, so they signed LeCharles Bentley from New Orleans as a free agent in 2006.
Faine was soon traded to the Saints, and guess where New Orleans opened up that fall?
That's right, Cleveland.
With Faine providing the muscle and the smarts in front of quarterback Drew Brees, New Orleans boasted the NFL's top-rated offense in '06 and reached the NFC Championship Game.
Although an 0-4 start doomed them to a 7-9 season last year, the Saints allowed an NFL-low 16 sacks with Faine manning the middle.
"If Jeff was on any of the 31 other teams, we would have been interested," said Muir, entering his 31st NFL season. "The fact he was on a division rival was icing on the cake. He's not just an athlete. There's a physical element to his play, and that's a rare combination. I've only been around one other center with comparable athletic ability. That would be Kevin Mawae, a Pro Bowler when I was with the Jets."
A prep standout at Seminole High in Sanford, Faine lives in Orlando, where he owns a clothing store. He also is involved with two restaurants in Cleveland.
On Sunday, he intends to give New Orleans the business.
"Faine's got a nasty streak," Bucs guard Arron Sears said. "You might not be able to tell just by sitting around talking to him, because he looks all calm and collected. But, believe me, when he gets on a football field, Jeff Faine is a mean man."
Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833 or ikaufman@tampatrib.com.
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