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Even Now, Bucs Likely To Focus On Their Own

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 26, 2009

TAMPA - A lot has changed over at One Buc Place the past couple months. Yet at least one thing remains the same.

The Bucs' approach to free agency continues to center mostly around their desire to re-sign their own free agents. That doesn't mean the Bucs won't make a noticeable splash once the signing period begins.

With a hole in the depth chart at quarterback, a need for improved depth at running back and a desire to amp up the pass rush, the Bucs need patches in too many marquee areas to go unnoticed this year.

Whether that means trading for Matt Cassel, signing Derick Ward or paying off Albert Haynesworth remains to be seen, but the Bucs usually find a way to fill their needs in free agency, and this year should be no different.

As usual, though, the Bucs will attack the market on two fronts, with their desire to keep players such as cornerback Phillip Buchanon, safety Jermaine Phillips and wide receiver Michael Clayton the focus of the first.

The Bucs have been in negotiations aimed at securing deals for those and several other would-be free agents for days, if not weeks, but it could take right up until tonight's midnight pistol start to the signing period to get the deals done.

Even then a few players figure to hit the market anyway. Some, such as Clayton and Phillips, may be allowed to so that a better read can be obtained as to their true value. Others such as Buchanon may hit it just to make sure they're maxing out on the opportunity.

Either way, the Bucs figure to be rather busy during the early days of free agency, especially after letting go of two starting linebackers (Derrick Brooks and Cato June), two backup receivers (Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard) and their top reserve running back (Warrick Dunn) in a major housecleaning Wednesday.

Those moves have left the Bucs on the lookout for a lot of pieces. And with approximately $50 million in cap space to work with, there's a chance the Bucs will go after some of the market's top players, possibly even Haynesworth.

The Bucs, though, have always been a team that's sought to build primarily through the draft, and that hasn't changed. In fact, the likelihood is that while the Bucs may be more active than usual in free agency this year, their targets may not be immediately recognizable.

In terms of finding a quarterback to push Luke McCown for the starting job, they'll likely look hard at the likes of Byron Leftwich, J.P. Losman and Patrick Ramsey.

At running back, instead of taking a run at Ward, the Bucs may decide to target someone such as DeShaun Foster, who has experience and success running in the zone scheme the Bucs plan to adopt.

Along the defensive front, the Bucs will likely look at Haynesworth, but no one should be surprised if they don't wind up signing someone such as Atlanta's Chauncey Davis instead.

And at all times, the Bucs will be looking to retain their own free agents. That means that after looking around, Clayton, Phillips and Buchanon could very well wind up back in Tampa.

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