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Bucs Lose CB Buchanon To Lions

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune
and ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 4, 2009

The Bucs lost one of their starting cornerbacks Wednesday when Phillip Buchanon jumped ship and joined the Detroit Lions.

Or did they?

Arguably the Bucs' top free agent, Buchanon said he signed with the Lions because he believed he would not start for the Bucs in 2009.

"They just said I would be the third corner," Buchanon said of the Bucs. "The big issue for me was playing time, and I'm going to get a lot of playing time in Detroit."

Bucs general manager Mark Dominik did not return a request for comment on the matter, which leaves the Bucs without the player who has started 29 of the last 31 games for them at left cornerback.

The Bucs also could be on the verge of losing starting safety Jermaine Phillips, who has spent the last two days visiting the San Diego Chargers and Seattle Seahawks.

Like Buchanon, Phillips is attempting to get a gauge on his true market value. He has expressed a desire to return to Tampa Bay and is expected to give the Bucs a chance to match any offer he may receive from a rival club.

Buchanon took that approach in dealing with the Lions, but the Bucs weren't willing to match the two-year, $8.5 million package the Lions gave him. Nevertheless, Buchanon leaves with his respect for the Bucs intact.

"I really appreciate everything they did for me," he said. "Unfortunately, things didn't happen the way I wanted it to happen."

The Bucs rescued Buchanon following his release from Houston early in the 2006 season. A former first-round pick of the Raiders, Buchanon grew into an all-around player with the Bucs.

He came to Tampa Bay with a reputation for being a solid cover corner who tackled poorly and showed little interest in stopping the run. He clearly erased that image while serving the Bucs, recording 69 tackles in 2008 alone.

His departure leaves the Bucs thin in terms of experienced cornerbacks, as only 13-year veteran Ronde Barber and second-year pro Aqib Talib have extensive experience at the position.

The Bucs spent a part of Tuesday entertaining Jabari Greer, a two-year starter for the Bills who signed a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday.

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