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What are the Bucs waiting for? Get Ruud a new deal

News Channel 8 photo

Barrett Ruud, in the final year of his contract, was called the "quarterback" of the Bucs' defense by his coach.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 17, 2009

TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hard at work at minicamp, and, as usual, Barrett Ruud is working hard. That's who he is.

This is not news.

The news is that Ruud is in Tampa doing his work.

He skipped a slew of voluntary workouts in the name of kick-starting negotiations for a new contract. Someone asked whether the talks with the Bucs have hit a snag.

"They haven't started," he said with a grin.

Someone asked why he's here.

"It's mandatory," Ruud said.

This is something that needs to get done - yesterday.

Ruud, who is in the final year of his current deal, is more than the Bucs' leading tackler the past two seasons. He is everything you want in a competitor and teammate. He wants to be here for a long time. This is the kind of player Coach Raheem Morris is talking about, smiling about, when he talks about building a winner.

"He's the leader of our defense, the statue, the backbone, the quarterback," Morris said Tuesday on the first day of minicamp.

What, another quarterback?

Seriously, it's time for the Bucs to show some backbone and get this done. I think they will, but they should send a signal and get it done before training camp.

The idea of Ruud waiting around for a deal makes you slightly queasy when there is even the hint of a rumor that the Bucs would consider signing someone like troubled receiver Plaxico Burress.

The Bucs signed Kellen Winslow Jr. They brought in Derrick Ward.

Time to pay out for a backbone.

"I'd like to think everything will take care of itself, but that remains to be seen," Ruud said.

It needs to be seen - soon.

Linebacker Lofa Tatupa got a six-year, $42 million extension in Seattle. Ruud deserves some love like that. Did he slip at the end of 2008? Yes. Who didn't on that Bucs defense? The point is that Barrett Ruud is everything you want in a linebacker, especially on a team that is trying to rebuild its reputation. It needs standout players and stand-up guys. I think Ruud fits that build.

He has worked out in Nebraska this offseason, steering clear of Tampa. Maybe he fell behind in learning Jim Bates' new defense. He'll catch up. He'll catch up fast. He'll get to work and get it done.

The Bucs should do the same with his contract.

This will get done.

This should get done.

What's the holdup?

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